6. & 7. Emergency Light and Warmth [VIDEO]

Rubbing alcohol, as you probably know already, is highly flammable. It’s also pretty inexpensive. Plus, it burns fairly clean. Put all of this together and you’ve got some readymade lamp/heater fuel.

Below are instructions for how to build a simple “Tin Can” Alcohol Heater:

1 – large tin or aluminum can
1 – Large container of rubbing alcohol (isopropyl alcohol)
1 – Extra roll of toilet paper (you can never really have too much)

Here’s how to build this simple heater/stove:

Step 1:

Remove the label from a 1-quart size paint can or large can of baked beans. Ideally, your can will be large enough to fit your roll of toilet paper inside.

Step 2:

Remove the cardboard cylinder from the center of a toilet paper roll, and cram the paper into the can. This will be your wick.

Step 3:

 Pour the alcohol into the can, filling it almost to the brim.

Step 4:

Light her up and enjoy your smokeless, off-the-grid heater. To extinguish, just place the lid back on the can (carefully).

These tin can heaters can be used as stoves, in addition to heaters, by using 3 taller cans to support your pan or skillet. The video illustrates this effect quite well.

But once again, the cool thing about these alcohol heaters are 1) The fact that they don’t create smoke (because they’re burning alcohol instead of coal or oil),  2) They’re quiet, 3) They’re hot enough to heat a small room all by themselves.

Obviously, you’ll need to take some fire safety steps since you’ll be dealing with an open flame. Don’t leave it unattended.