Our General Store…Alocohol…Paint Can Heaters…Holiday Savings Club…Emergency Plans
First a request. I have had so many contact me and ask for samples of emergency plans for their families and also for groups, especially church groups. If your group or family has an emergency plan, outlining how they will account for members, where they will meet, what emergencies are most likely to occur and how to deal with those, emergency contacts, etc., please send those to me. I will compile the best ideas to share with you and others who are working to prepare their members. Please send those to Carolyn@TotallyReady.com.
We haven’t talked about our Holiday Club Savings Account for several weeks so as a reminder you should now have either $55.00 or $110.00 in your account. For those who may have missed it we are adding either 5 or 10 dollars to a savings account to be used for holiday meals and parties. We all spend extra on those special meals for the holidays and end up with extra debt because we just have to have all those traditional foods and treats, after all, the holidays wouldn’t be the same without them. Each Monday we add cash to our holiday stash, you choose the amount based on your budget. The important thing is to do it every week. As with all preparedness, consistency is the key.
This week we are adding rubbing alcohol and hydrogen peroxide to our stash. You can purchase both of these at most dollar stores. Add one bottle of hydrogen peroxide to use for cleaning wounds and six bottles of rubbing alcohol.
We are adding more alcohol to have on hand to use in Paint Can Heaters. If you are unfamiliar with these they are easy to make and inexpensive, while providing a great source of heat for warmth or cooking. Alcohol burns clean with no dangerous fumes. This being said, I would still never use a heater of this type in a confined space without ventilation, such as a closed car. I would never use one in a car during an emergency since there is an open flame, and while the alcohol is absorbed and cannot spill, an open flame is always a concern.
To make a Paint Can Heater/Stove you will need:
a new paint can with a lid
1 roll of inexpensive toilet paper
1 quart bottle rubbing alcohol
Remove the cardboard roll from the center of your TP. Squash the toilet paper and force it into the paint can. Pour entire bottle of alcohol over the paper. Cover with lid and seal tightly.
That’s it. You are ready to go. When you need heat simply light the alcohol. The alcohol will burn but the toilet paper will not. When the alcohol is gone simply cover with the lid, wait for the heater to cool down, and add a new bottle of alcohol. It is now ready to go again. If you should put out the fire before the alcohol is gone you will need to pour a small amount on the top to relight the stove but you will not need an entire bottle. The alcohol will burn for about eight hours.
To use as a stove you will need a grate or even a cake cooling rack to place on top of the can. Place a pot on the rack and you are ready to go. This fire will be very hot so all foods will need to be closely watched.
Do not use cans without a tight fitting lid as the alcohol will evaporate. If you don’t have a paint can you can use a number 10 can (coffee can size can). Prepare the can as you did with the paint can but do not add the alcohol. Pour alcohol into the heater just before using. While I would never use one of these in a car they are a great addition to a car kit. They are easy to light in an emergency and the flame can be used to start a larger fire for warmth and cooking. They would also be appropriate to use in a shelter as long as you are awake. NEVER leave anything burning while you sleep.
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When my son had stitches a number of years ago the health worker who removed the stitches told me not to use hydrogen peroxide on wounds because it destroys the new cells trying to grow. A nurse also told me last year that hydrogen peroxide is no longer the preferred solution to use for wound cleansing.
Great improv stove design, thanks.
One point: I have used alcohol stoves a great deal while backpacking, and they do definitely produce fumes which would be toxic to most people. I would use one only in a well ventilated area, for cooking only, never for heating in an enclosed space because of the fumes. I agree, this is unsafe for use in a car or even a camper.
Alcohol evaporates quickly & cans have imperfect seals so I would suggest keeping the alcohol in its store bottle and adding it to the stove only when ready to cook.
The higher the alcohol % content (90% is better than 70%) the better fuel you have (the other % is usually pure water, which is just filler for the manufacturer’s profits).
You can also use ‘denatured alcohol’ which is available at WalMart, hardware stores etc for around $6/quart.
I’ve never heard of this idea before! I love it! I’m going to print it off and put it in my preparedness folder. (And I’m going to find and empty paint can!)
Just make sure it’s a NEW paint can. You can get them in the paint dept. at home improvement stores.