Toilet paper heater

Anyone used one of these heaters before?

Toilet Paper Heater

I have carried that setup in our vehicle for several years, but have never needed to use it. A friend in Colorado has though, and reports that they work well...

I wondering if the TP has to fit "snuggly" in the can. My first little test produced high flames that one would not want in anything resembling a car or ice fishing shanty.

When I first saw this, I have to admit I was a little septic al. Then I flushed out the details and I had to wipe the smirk off my face...it just might work!

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

I believe that the one pound sized cans are what you want. TP roll fits in pretty snugly...

I've not tried it but I would like a toilet seat heater, the paper is not that much of an issue on a cold morning:) Seriously, it sounds to be worth a try in a safe place sometime.

Does anyone know if the TP roll fits completely inside a one pound coffee can, or whether it sticks up at all?

I had read about the TP heater on the NOAA website a while ago. I didn't have a one pound can handy but thought the idea was interesting so I tried a smaller scale version. Took a soup can, stuffed crumpled paper towels inside it, added the alcohol and fired it up.

I understand the science behind it, but it still amazes me that the paper towel doesn't really burn even though a flame is dancing over it. Pretty nifty. However, the entire can got extremely hot, including the bottom part. I don't see how I could have this sitting anywhere inside a snowbound car without melting something.

I didn't fill the can completely with paper towels, hence my question about a TP roll. I'm wondering...if the TP sticks slightly above the rim of the can, maybe that keeps the flame away from the can and it won't heat the metal up so much. Just a hunch.

It leaves an inch or so of space, enough for a couple of Bics in a ziploc bag...

OK, so much for my theory about the flame burning above the rim of the can... <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Well, I'll be! It might just work! Thanks for all the input.

I'll look for the proper size can (might even start drinking coffee just to get the cans.) And I'll work on that toilet seat heater thingy. I feel your pain......

Check this out, Widget

Toilet Seat Warmer

We used the same setup with kerosene to make smudge pots at Boy Scout Camp years ago to light up paths after camp fires

That reminds me, we used to roll up corrugated cardboard, stuff it into a can, then poor melted wax over the cardboard for our smudge pots. If you want to build your heater ahead of time, you won't have to worry about spilling this one <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Our church group did these awhile back. I have 4 sitting on the shelf. They used 1 quart paint cans, new ones, so the kit comes complete with a "snuffer lid" and my wife added the alcohol and silled the can up. She then duct taped a small paint can opener thing and a bic to the can. I fired one up and it works pretty well. The TP fits snuggly inside this can. I've never had to use it in an emergency.

The TP wicks the alcohol and the alcohol is what actually burns. Kind of like petroleum jelly on a cotton ball. The cotton ball wicks the PJ and the PJ burns. Once the PJ is exhausted the cotton ball burns up. I imagine that if you let the alcohol burn off entirely, the TP would burn up too.

Well,the one I tried kinda sorta burned up. It didn't last as long as I expected it to (about 2 hours) and the flame was quite high (about as high as the can is tall.) After the twoish hours, there was still unburned TP left in the can and for me it wasn't all that warmish anyhoo.

I think I will scratch this idear for now.

Thank you everyone for the feedback.

Michael

I used to (30+ years ago) make the heater in a 1lb coffee can and I burned lighter fluid in it. I then would place a 3 lb coffee can over the lighted 1 lb can. The 3 lb can had church key holes around the inside rim of the open end and had holes punched through the bottom. this made a decent stove.
After the cans cooled down, I put the plastic lid over the "burner" can, placed it inside the "stove" can and placed it's plastic lid over it, placed it into my pack and went on my merry way.

"...there was still unburned TP left in the can..."

The TP isn't really supposed to burn. As soon as it starts to turn brownish (or before), you should snuff it out, let it cool, add another bottle of alcohol, then relight it...

I also made some parafin stoves. Place cut corrugated cardboard inside a small peanuts can as tightly packed as possible. Almost fill it up with melted parafin. After the stove cools down, cover the top with the plastic lid. This does NOT burn cleanly but it is small and will cook a few meals. It will also help heat up a small shelter BUT not to be used in tents!!!!