Different candles use different kinds of wax. Cheap tea-lights are made to be, well, cheap. I wouldn't rely on one in a life-and-death situation. A "kitchen candle" will put out three or four times as much light. It'll have a strong, hot flame.


I'd say that wax is more solid than jelly, and jelly is more sticky than wax, but the messiness is entirely dependent upon storage/handling. If you keep the jelly/cotton balls contained (bag, vial), and you fish them out using your kindling (twig, paper), your hands will remain jelly free. [/quote]The messiness can be managed, but it's still messy. Why bother? What benefit does jelly have over wax?