Originally Posted By: ponder
If you would like to be alive in several days, I would recommend that you stay warm with heavy clothes and an extreme cold sleeping bag. The second day of immobility without exercise, you will get very cold.

A stack of 120 hr candles will provide the comfort of light and warm drink.


IMO long-burning multi-wick candles are a good option. When selecting them it helps to understand that the listed time is only valid with a single, and quite well trimmer, wick. I figure about half the listed time and then divide again for more wicks. For example a 120 hour candle can be reliably estimated at 60 hours for a single wick burning and 30 hours with two going. Yes, you will almost certainly get more run time that this very conservative estimate tells you but that extra is your reserve and safety margin.

I don't know about a 'stack' but two or three would be a reasonable investment. Reasonably priced at less than $9 at Best Glide (no affiliation):

http://www.bestglide.com/Nuwick_120_Info.html

These long burning tinned candles are quite handy. They store pretty well. As long as you keep the right-side-up, so the wax doesn't slump in summer heat, they seem to remain usable for many years. It is also a good idea to take the spare wicks and other accessories out of the tin and tape them to the bottom of the tin inside a plastic bag. Exposed to extreme summer heat I've seen the spare wicks with their tin discs start to sink into the wax. IMHO it is better to leave only the wax in the tin so the accessories are always at hand.

There are a few items that make using these candles easier:
A folding sheet-metal stove that is intended for use with Sterno. Sure beats having to hold a pot.

One or more 12" ceramic tiles or pieces of plywood wrapped in aluminum foil give you a heat resistant place to set up the stove, or place a hot pot. A hot pot can seriously damage upholstery and the plastic of many vehicles.

A piece of plywood. 16" by 24" seems to work well but adjust for your needs. This has to be padded with wood blocks or other material to fit the seats in your vehicle so it rests in a level and stable manner on the topography of the seat contours. It helps if you maintain some rocker in the design, and/or spare blocking, so you can level the surface if the vehicle itself is not level. A non-slip surface and fiddles, raised lips, around the edges help keep things from sliding off. This is your general work surface. A place to set up cooking. A surface to work or play cards on.

These tinned candles give you heat (without having to run the engine) light, a method of melting snow for water, the ability to brew up hot drinks, and do some light cooking.

While you're at it a painter's canvas drop cloth is useful for keeping the food, wax splatters, and other crud associated with survival in a vehicle, off the upholstery.