Weathers Cold

[zigs]

Been fed up of freezing in the past few days so I made a Spirit Burner

2 soft drink can bottoms, one with holes in and filled with vermiculite.

Fill it with Bio Ethanol via the holes in the middle, and when its fired up, put a penny over the filling holes.

Heats the concrete block up for about 30 minutes, which warms the caravan

 

[R.R.]

Nice!

 

[Chuck]

Been fed up of freezing in the past few days so I made a Spirit Burner

View attachment 3924

2 soft drink can bottoms, one with holes in and filled with vermiculite.

View attachment 3925

Fill it with Bio Ethanol via the holes in the middle, and when its fired up, put a penny over the filling holes.

View attachment 3926

Heats the concrete block up for about 30 minutes, which warms the caravan

Zigs....Have you tried the toilet paper and alcohol heater? I think you will find that it lasts longer, smells better, puts out more heat and is a tad safer. This is an old and tried heating method when out in the winter hunting deer in Texas

 

[ChanellG]

Zigs....Have you tried the toilet paper and alcohol heater? I think you will find that it lasts longer, smells better, puts out more heat and is a tad safer. This is an old and tried heating method when out in the winter hunting deer in Texas

I think we need to hear a bit more about this one. How do you make it? And How do you use it?

@zigs, shall I air mail a blanket? Perhaps you need to let the firewood fairy know you've relocated and see what can be done.

 

[Rosyrain]

Is this a heater you use to warm up your home? How creative, but I would not imagine that would make a lot of heat. I am not a master of heat though so I am sure you would know much more than me.

 

[Chuck]

I think we need to hear a bit more about this one. How do you make it? And How do you use it?

@zigs, shall I air mail a blanket? Perhaps you need to let the firewood fairy know you've relocated and see what can be done.

It is real simple. Just get a tin can that a roll of toilet paper will fit in easily. Remove the cardboard tube, place the toilet paper inside the can and pour in a pint of rubbing alcohol. When the toilet paper has absorbed or wicked up the alcohol just light it

 

[Chuck]

Is this a heater you use to warm up your home? How creative, but I would not imagine that would make a lot of heat. I am not a master of heat though so I am sure you would know much more than me.

It puts out quite a bit of heat but its not for a house. It would be mainly used for outdoor events like fishing or hunting and in emergencies

 

[headfullofbees]

Have you tried pot-in-a-pot?

Get some tealights, three bricks, 2 clay pots 1 larger than the other, a tray, a bolt and three nuts.
Place the bolt through the bigger pot, so that the head of the bolt is sticking out the bottom of the hole, then fasten to the pot with two nuts. (If the nuts/bolt are small enough to go through the hole in the bottom of the clay pots, you will have to use washers too [4])
Put the bolt through the second pot, and fasten that with the remaining nut.
You should now have two pots with an air chamber between.

On a flat surface, arrange the bricks on the tray in a triangle, such that your pots will stand on the bricks.
Place tealights within bricks and light, and finally place the pots, upside down, on the bricks.
Doesn't give a huge amount of heat, but hopefully keeps the frost down.

 

[Rosyrain]

Thanks Chuck, so it is more if a small space heater for like a tent or something? Good idea and I will keep it in mind next time I go camping. I saved the picture so I can try to construct one...or have my husband do it.

 

[zigs]

Have you tried pot-in-a-pot?

Get some tealights, three bricks, 2 clay pots 1 larger than the other, a tray, a bolt and three nuts.
Place the bolt through the bigger pot, so that the head of the bolt is sticking out the bottom of the hole, then fasten to the pot with two nuts. (If the nuts/bolt are small enough to go through the hole in the bottom of the clay pots, you will have to use washers too [4])
Put the bolt through the second pot, and fasten that with the remaining nut.
You should now have two pots with an air chamber between.

On a flat surface, arrange the bricks on the tray in a triangle, such that your pots will stand on the bricks.
Place tealights within bricks and light, and finally place the pots, upside down, on the bricks.
Doesn't give a huge amount of heat, but hopefully keeps the frost down.

Yep, tried that Bees, too many tea lights give off too much fumes, woke up feeling like I had a cold

The alcohol burns clean, smells a bit like a brewery, but I can live with that

 

[zigs]

Is this a heater you use to warm up your home? How creative, but I would not imagine that would make a lot of heat. I am not a master of heat though so I am sure you would know much more than me.

I live in a small caravan, so it's good enough to heat that

 

[zigs]

I think we need to hear a bit more about this one. How do you make it? And How do you use it?

@zigs, shall I air mail a blanket? Perhaps you need to let the firewood fairy know you've relocated and see what can be done.

Got several duvets ta

Got plenty of firewood too, just no where to burn it in the van

 

[Chuck]

Thanks Chuck, so it is more if a small space heater for like a tent or something? Good idea and I will keep it in mind next time I go camping. I saved the picture so I can try to construct one...or have my husband do it.

You don't need to construct anything. Any tin can that a roll of toilet will fit in will work. Just make sure that the can is tall enough. The toilet paper can't be taller than the can. When you want to put out the fire just put a lid on it, like a glass or metal dinner plate or a pot. You can also cook on it if you have something that won't burn and still lets in oxygen, like a couple of metal tent stakes or metal camping dinner knives

 

[ChanellG]

Got several duvets ta

Got plenty of firewood too, just no where to burn it in the van

Does the van have a cooker?

Couldn't you burn it down and then bring the coals inside? I've quite a few ideas, but some might involve making adjustments to the caravan.

 

[ChanellG]

It is real simple. Just get a tin can that a roll of toilet paper will fit in easily. Remove the cardboard tube, place the toilet paper inside the can and pour in a pint of rubbing alcohol. When the toilet paper has absorbed or wicked up the alcohol just light it

That's really interesting. I wonder how it would burn if you introduced candle wax instead of alcohol. (I'd be concerned about the fumes with the alcohol.) I've been looking into ways to heat a greenhouse at night, but I don't think I'd want anything with a flame. Too many things could go wrong with that.