Society today relies heavily on electric energy for fueling the systems
and devices that you’ve grown so accustomed to.

We’ve taken for granted things like lighting, central heating systems,
electric ovens and stoves, household alarms, and basically all the
devices that power your daily life.

In case a major event occurs, among the first things to fail will be
the power grid, and with it, everything that supports our identity as
modern humans.

In times like these, preppers will be the only ones able to carry on with
relative ease because they’re old-world-knowledge powerhouses that
can’t wait to put theory into practice.

While I’ve already dived into the topics of providing shelter, defending
against intruders, cooking without electricity, and cooling your room

during torrid summers, today I want to introduce you to another ‘old
way’ concept – lighting and heating during an emergency.

If the power grid collapses and there’s no more artificial light source at
the tip of your finger, you’ll have to improvise something.

The first most common thing that comes to mind is lighting up a
candle. And this is precisely what we’ll focus on today.

Bear in mind that you don’t know how long the crisis will last, therefore
you must make the best out of what you have.

In the case of candles, you’ll need a proper recipient to extend that
light’s life as well as to provide additional heat and soak up the
humidity in a closed space.

Let’s have a look at one of the best ways to make an emergency
candle.

You’ll eventually run out of wax candles, so you’ll have to resort to what
you have stored in the house.

Chances are that you’ll always have a stick of butter and some toilet paper lying around. And these are all you need to create an emergency
candle.

• First, cut the stick of butter in half. Each piece should burn for
  about four hours.
• Then it’s time to make the wick. Grab a toilet paper square and
  fold it diagonally.

• Using a toothpick, make a hole in the top of the butter stick.
• Use the toothpick to reinforce the wick. Either stick it in the middle of the folded toilet paper or wrap the paper around the pick, then twist at the end. Rub the wick (at least the top) in butter to provide fuel for the burn.

• Now insert the wick into the hole you made in the butter piece and
  the work is complete.

It’s that simple. And it’s efficient as well.

What you need now is to preserve the emergency candle as long as
possible and also harness the heat.

For that, you’ll only need one more item.

Use either a jar or a metal can. In addition to extending the life of the
candle, the recipient will also soak up humidity in a tight room or space
and provide additional heat as the recipient heats up.

You don’t have to wait for an emergency to try this simple DIY.

And it’s a good idea to teach your children how to do it as well. It’s both
fun and practical.

Use it whenever you’re hosting a home event to make others aware of
this simple, yet effective lighting and heating strategy.

Of course, if you’re more a fan of stocking up on emergency items, you
can order enhanced emergency candles and ceramic canisters online.

These will do well not only in your home, but also in your car during the
cold season.

If you ever get stranded during a blizzard, lighting up an emergency
candle, until rescue arrives, will go a long way.

Congratulations! After reading this article, you’re now one degree more prepared for when shtf with this emergency candle trick.

I learned about this trick on familyhandyman.com.