# Emergency Heat



## UncleJoe (Jan 11, 2009)

I've been going waaay back to some of the first posts on the board and came across this. I never heard of anything like it so I'm bringing it up for all to see and comment on.

*Originally posted by ke4sky*

Winter Car or RV Survival Heater Kit
You can construct a simple homemade heater that can be used in your vehicle, which could save your life, and is very easy to make. Items needed are as follows:

• An empty one pound coffee can or a 30 oz. fruit can
• A regular roll of white plain toilet paper not scented,(because of fumes)
• Four 8-ounce bottles of 70 percent isopropyl alcohol - again, plain unscented and do not use a higher percent alcohol
• An empty large popcorn can, I believe it is a 3 gallon size like the ones
that you buy at Christmas
• Two aluminum square cake pans or pie pans ( without holes in the bottom)
• Matches or a lighter

Start your project by removing the cardboard core from the toilet paper, (not the cheap loose rolled type) and push the roll into the coffee or fruit can so the roll is below the rim.

The coffee can will have some space above the roll; if you use a fruit can, the roll will be just a little below flush. In either can, the roll should fit firmly without space around the roll. A larger can will allow the paper to burn around the sides, which you don't want; also I found that a plastic lid from a peanut can will fit loosely on the fruit can. This lid is used for storage purposes.

To use the heater, pour about 2 or 3 ounces of alcohol onto the paper, the saturated paper will act as a wick which can be ignited with a match or lighter

I suggest keeping both on hand, each stored in separate sealed containers or sandwich bags to prevent fumes from soaking into the matches and lighter which render them useless (this was learned from giving demonstrations).

Operation:
Use the heater to warm the vehicle, then put the cake or pie pan over the can to extinguish the flame, as you don't need to run the heater after the vehicle is warm. You can also use the cake or pie pan to melt snow for drinking.

Do Not Eat Snow, as it will bring down your body temperature. Four pints of isopropyl alcohol will keep a car at 60 to 70 degrees for 24 hours, so you can carry more if want.

Safety:
Isopropyl alcohol does not produce carbon monoxide, but a window should be cracked open for fresh air while burning. The burner can will become hot at the top, and maybe warm at the bottom so perhaps you might want to put one pan under the burner. This extra pan could be used to water pets.

Warning:
These heaters are safe, but make sure flame has been snuffed out before adding more alcohol. The empty popcorn can be used to store items for a winter survival kit such as the burner, alcohol, pie tins, lighters and matches.

Other winter survival items items to always carry in your vehicle Winter survival kit should include: flashlight and extra batteries, winter type clothing (hats,gloves, extra pair of long johns, scarf), first aide kit including any medications needed, extra diapers for little ones, bottled water (allow room for expansion, as it will likely freeze), high energy types of food (candy, nuts, granola bars), small bag of sand or kitty litter for traction, bendable shovel, basic tool kit (leatherman, swiss army knife), paper towels or toilet paper, spare tire, signaling devices (flares), blankets and/or sleeping bags, windshield scraper, booster cables, tow rope or chain, compass and
road maps, cell phone and/or CB or ham radio, and a hand-held NOAA Weather Radio.

Carry the popcorn can in the back seat rather than the trunk.
If you slide in the ditch and end up with the trunk buried in a snowbank, have a frozen trunk lock, or have damage to the trunk; the trunk might not be able to be opened.

Dress appropriately when traveling in the winter.
How many times have you seen women driving alone in freezing temperatures dressed in heels, nylons and blouse and hear them say " my car has a good heater, and I have a cell phone"&#8230;teenagers with sneakers, blue jeans, and T-shirts&#8230; men with dress shoes, slacks, shirt and tie - when the fan belt breaks, or the gas line freezes, and it's usually many miles from anywhere?

Last winter I stopped and helped a gelled-up trucker from El Paso, Texas (his first winter in Montana using number two diesel) that was using socks on his hands. After 30 minutes in the pickup he could finally feel his fingers, (his boss in Texas, didn't want to pay the tow fee to get the tractor
pulled to the truck repair service garage and expected the mechanics to work on the truck out on the interstate, he finally relented and paid the $45 towing
fee when the mechanics refused to work on the truck out in the cold).

So be firm everyone, and demand that your family members dress for the unexpected, you might save their life.

Basic Heater concept by:
Steve Jenkins, Winter Survival Instructor/Montana State University
Jeff McLaughlin, Montana Highway Patrol
Edited by: Maurice Luke, NWS Storm Spotter/Glendive, MT
Distributed by: Tanja Fransen, Warning Coordination Meteorologist/National Weather Service Glasgow, Montana

Here is the original thread that began as staying warm with a candle.


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## Reblazed (Nov 11, 2010)

Thanks, UJ, for re-posting this.


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## Turner (Dec 30, 2010)

thanks for the re-post, alot of good information ( just got 7 inches of snow in 14 hours)


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## NaeKid (Oct 17, 2008)

Perfect timing for this:

Snow storm leaves motorists huddled in vehicles | Calgary & Alberta | News | Calgary Sun



CalgarySun said:


> Dozens of motorists were forced to spend the night huddled in their vehicles Saturday and Sunday after blowing snow closed the Trans-Canada Hwy. between Strathmore and Bassano.
> 
> John Picton was on his way back to Calgary from Medicine Hat about 3 p.m. Saturday after helping his son move and was stopped by a wall of snowed-in vehicles 50 km east of Strathmore.
> 
> ...


No matter what - always keep your winter emergency-kit in your vehicle and carry several extra layers of clothing to keep you warm. If you leave your vehicle, the layer you are wearing could become wet and the wet-cold will kill you faster than a dry-cold will.


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## worldengineer (Sep 20, 2010)

Wow, now they really can say their S don't stink. When did scented toliet paper come out? I'm pretty up to date. Thought they sent out memos for stuff like that.


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## JayJay (Nov 23, 2010)

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Perfect timing for this:

Snow storm leaves motorists huddled in vehicles | Calgary & Alberta | News | Calgary Sun



~~~~Which is why I just ordered two space blankets..for the car..if they really work keeping me warm, I'm ordering more.

Thanks for this post---I just watched a man and woman with a baby on a program get stalled on a deserted road of snow and they went to a cave instead of staying with car--this would have been nice and you can adjust the burning time to stay alive...


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## sailaway (Mar 12, 2009)

Great repost, I also liked NaeKids post, making candles of various sizes with different quantities of wicks for heating your car.


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## Lonewufcry (Jul 26, 2010)

thanks for the repost


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

NaeKid said:


> Perfect timing for this:
> 
> Snow storm leaves motorists huddled in vehicles | Calgary & Alberta | News | Calgary Sun
> 
> No matter what - always keep your winter emergency-kit in your vehicle and carry several extra layers of clothing to keep you warm. If you leave your vehicle, the layer you are wearing could become wet and the wet-cold will kill you faster than a dry-cold will.


Shows what happens if you run around without thinking in a part of the world that gets winter for 6 months a year, but I seem to recall going out to the barn for wood in same storm with appropriate clothing on and was quite warm when I was done.:scratch


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## wldrbob (Feb 10, 2011)

Tirediron said:


> Shows what happens if you run around without thinking in a part of the world that gets winter for 6 months a year, but I seem to recall going out to the barn for wood in same storm with appropriate clothing on and was quite warm when I was done.:scratch


yes if he was cold just walking around his truck he didnt have winter gear on..most likely a shirt,jeans a light jacket and prolly sneakers ..


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## BillM (Dec 29, 2010)

*Scented Toliet Paper*

We are real self sufficent at my house.

We have always been able to put the scent on our toilet paper ourselves !

:sssh:


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