You lower (just a bit) a window on the downwind side of the car, and put the candle(s) on the upwind side. It doesn't bring things up to comfort level, but it does take the edge off the cold... and it gives you a heat source to brew up coffee or cocoa, and the warm drink does as much or more than the candle(s) to chase off the chills.

Troy

hopefully, that method will lose popularity and not be exported anywhere else in the world

Good to hear from ya Frenchy, glad to see you're holding on to your sense of humor. Keep yer head down & stay safe, hope things settle down there soon.

Troy

P.S. I haven't caught up on the particulars, (news over here is way too biased, if it's outside the U.S., coverage is less than thorough) is all the rioting over a lack of jobs???

Thanks for the check in, Frenchy. Keep yourself safe.

For what we are beiing told (as neighbouring country of France) The riot started with some guys who were on the run for the police and hide in a highvoltage cabine and got electrocuted. Now the people are angry because the police were folowing them (altough they deny this).

For what it's worth, If you behave you do not have to run for the police. Second if you hide in a cabin with high voltage / current you are just plain stupid.

I've been carrying canned food and bottled water in the back of my truck without any problems. Temps here range from 0* F. to about 110* F. It is parked inside at night though. I just broke down and bought a case of MRE's so when they arrive the cans will probably be replaced.

Sterno is about perfect for a car kit unless you need to boil something. Even then it will do the job, it just takes awhile. No big deal if you are using it for heat anyway. I keep 4 large cans in the truck. I also pack a single burner white gas Coleman stove, but I wouldn't feel unequipped if all I had was Sterno.

Regards, Vince

<img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Good to hear from you Frenchy. Stay safe.

Regards, Vince

I never had to try it. As another poster said, it's not going to make you toasty warm -- at 20 or 30 below, not much is. But it can provide the difference between losing some digits or not.

I never worried about setting anything on fire in the car. Keep the flame far enough away you can put your hand on the liner or windshield and keep it there. We carried votive candles -- short and contained -- with the idea of putting them on the console between the seats. You also need to keep in mind that the candle can burn down to the stub and set the car on fire if it's not contained -- you read about people setting their houses on fire letting candles burn down on their night table after they fell asleep. So yes, safety still applies.

Remember a burning car will keep you warm only on one side. So turn about is fair play.

I see those experiments are ongoing. I thought you guys liked things a little underdone? :->

Up here in New England we get some pretty long cold spells (as in several days in a row below zero F) so this is a real issue for me too. Here is how I plan to tackle it this winter...

Lifeboat Supplies.

The SOLAS approved rations from the better companies like Datrex or Mainstay are designed to be good below freezing. They are low thirst, easy to digest, don't require heating and will keep you alive with plenty of calories for a while.

The water packets from Datrex are reported to be very resilient and are capable of being frozen solid. Avoid the "blox" packaging from other companies (look like juice boxes) and stick with the Datrex 4 oz water packets.

Both the rations and the water have a 5 year shelf life and are made just for this kind of thing.

If you need/want to heat them, remember that the rations and water come in retort packaging so MRE heaters should work great with a bit of water. Or the air-activated chemical warmers (various brands) that you put in your gloves, pockets, et al. can be wrapped around them.

Hope this helps,

MedB