Food as Fuel

When Taboylan mentioned in passing that it would be possible to eat the tallow candle in his PSK, it reminded me of some latent knowledge I had in the back of my mind.

Some foods (nuts and marshmallows come to mind) could be used as tinder in an emergency. A single shelled peanut saved from your trail mix contains a surprising amount of energy and easily could be used to get a fire going when everything else is soaking wet.

Les Stroud on a survivor man episode used a corn chip as tender because of the oils on the chip.

I couldnt believe it worked ,so I tried it myself and it worked. So yes fool can be fuel.

Biggest trick would be keeping a potato chip in the form of a chip. Might be interesting to crumble one into dust and try it.

I would, but we are on the low carb thing, so if I should get my hands on a chip I'm not gonna waste it by burning it...

Kukui nut can and has been used as a candle. Not sure about the chocolate covered variety though.

Here's one I tried which amazed me.
Cheese Puffs

Aloha,

Are Kukui nuts the same as macadamia nuts? When I was over therei I remember making torches from macadamia nuts. We'd stick a bunch on a skewer then light the top one with a Bic lighter (I don't know if a match would work). The fire would work it's way down the nuts and burn for a long time.

-Blast

-Mark

Happy Turkey Day, everyone. We stopped in a campground once for a picnic. The slobs there before us had left all their garbage smoldering in a fire ring, including a brick of Velveeta cheese flavored product. It was burning when we arrived, with an extremely thick black smoke. It still had a flame an hour and a half or two hours later when we were done. I don't know what it took to ignite it, but didn't take too much water to extinguish. I haven't eaten Velveeta since then.

Blast,

I had a brain fart late last night. Kukui is not the same as macadamia nuts. The first one burns as a candle, the second one I have only eaten.

Oh, gross. I think that before I eat anything anymore, I'm going to try to light it on fire. If something burns, I'm not so sure I really want to ingest it.... <img src="/images/graemlins/frown.gif" alt="" />

Sad part is, I've probably eaten hundreds of pounds of that "cheese".

-Kyle

In the past olive oil used to be used in simple oil lamps ( a wick and a bowl).
Also Crisco although not really healthy to eat can have multiple uses including fuel; kind of like the tallow candle. I remember a Boy Scout survival quiz which consisted of a list or random items. On the list was the Crisco and it was one of the very first things you should have chosen according to the answers. They listed cooking, fires, lubrication, skin protection from wind and lip balm as some of its many applications. The only reason I have it in my home is to season my cast iron cookware.

I believe that the body processes food by burning it. Most food has too much water to burn. Calorie counts are determined by burning the food in a bomb calorimeter. If food can't be burned, you probably shouldn't eat it. Google for more info.

"When Taboylan mentioned in passing that it would be possible to eat the tallow candle in his PSK, it reminded me of some latent knowledge I had in the back of my mind. "

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Where does one get real tallow candles these days? I've looked for them and can't find them.

I wondered the same thing, and did some googling. All I could find was the definition, which I already knew, and some semi-instructions on making them, but no ready source. I guess you would have to make your own. I will also bet that they would really taste nasty...

The "Wise" brand of chips burn particularly well. Or so my arson instructor said. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Unfortunately for me, the low carb diet Nazi won't let me buy any chips, even after I explain that they would not be to eat, but to burn...

If I were to carry such fire/food items I'd go with beeswax candles. Readily available and they sound more appealing. They would also wax your threads for making that pair of mocassins from the tanned hides of the folk who weren't so well prepared!

If I remember correctly, during Vietnam, troops would add a few drops of insecticide to the small can of peanut butter that came in C-rations and light it off. The oils in peanut butter will burn but they need to be heated first; thus, the few drops of insecticide which are more easily ignited. Then they would put their steel helmet (minus liner) over the burning mixture. The helmet became a radiant heater as they squatted down under their poncho. I see that 0311 already mentioned this.