Quick Q for the inventor types:

H

HM

Joined
Dec 11, 1999
Messages
641

To my seasoned fellow forumites:
Can we come up with a universal, ‘one-cures-all’ substance that could serve as:
- high energy survival food
- waterproofing material
- tinder or some other help for fire starting
- skin ointment (potentially sunscreen)
- light source
- carbon steel corrosion protectant
- trap lure
- mosquito repellent at some extent?
??????????????????????????????????????????????????

I am thinking of something like a petroleum jelly, beeswax or some other high energy substance in a semi-hard form that would be packed in a thick glue-stick-like tube with sealed cap. It would have a candle wick in its core so you could anytime use it as candle and heat your snow cave. If smeared on tinder it would help ignition. It might have ethanol in it to facilitate burning (like hand disinfectant gels) and help disinfection.
All additives (sunscreen, glycerol for hand lotion, antibiotics, citronella scent) should be non-toxic or bellow toxic concentration even if consumed as high-energy bar. It does not have to taste great (so you would not eat until emergency) but acceptable. So please leave out rotten fish no matter what a heck of a coon lure it is
smile.gif

Might sound crazy but let’s see if there is any taker.
Inputs are appreciated,

HM
 
Didn't you just describe bear grease?

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It's not the pace of life that concerns me, It's the sudden stop at the end.
 
<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by sgtmike88:
Didn't you just describe bear grease?

</font>
Click to expand...
Sgt. Mike is right. Buffalo tallow also works, as does beaver fat.
TWO HAWKS
http://www.mcn.net/~twohawks
P.S. Buffalo tallow tastes better, but beaver stew is better than elk!




[This message has been edited by Two Hawks (edited 05-23-2001).]
 
Wow, that did not take long!

Buffalo tallow, bear grease, and beaver fat. All sound like traditional solutions for a non-conformal approach.
Sgtmike88 and Two Hawks, do you use it or have read/seen it? Where? If you use it, how do you store, carry the fat? Have you tried burning it, how did it work?
Thanks,

HM

BTW, nice hawks, Two Hawks.

 
BCB? or one of the survival kit producers made an edible long shelf life candle.
I know Tallow can be made of several types of fats. I don't know what works, but making your own has the problem of containing material that might go off. Nuts have can work too, as they contain high levels of oil too.

I wouldn't mind the real answer/whole story on this one as well.
 
BCB? or one of the survival kit producers made an edible long shelf life candle.
I know Tallow can be made of several types of fats. I don't know what works, but making your own has the problem of containing material that might go off. Nuts have can work too, as they contain high levels of oil too.

I wouldn't mind the real answer/whole story on this one as well.
 
Not only have I read about this, but I've seen it as well. Many of my ancestors used the lining (I believe) of a boars or bears stomach to store the bear grease (lard.) In more modern times, a tin was used. The grease was used as a body rub to ward off mosquitos, cook, grease patches for musketballs, grease over the cylinder for black powder revolvers, etc etc etc.

Many years ago I was shown how to make the lard into a soap like cake, make soap from it, and make a crude candle from it, but I can't for the life of me remember how now.

If I find my old notes I'll post them, but it's going to be a while, I'm headed south for 10 days in a couple hours.

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It's not the pace of life that concerns me, It's the sudden stop at the end.
 
See Sgt. Mike's reply (and thanks for the compliment on the hawks).
A standard tribal storage container for pemmican (tallow with berries, powdered buffalo or elk meat etc. mixture) was a PARFLECHE made from rawhide. A tin works better nowadays.
In the 1600's and 1700's they used a lamp called a BETTY LAMP which burned any kind of grease/tallow (including bacon grease). Yes, they do work (have used them) but don't burn very well at high altitudes. Alaska natives used stone lamps to burn whale and seal blubber (hey, I forgot to add that one to the list). TWO HAWKS
 
If the substance is naturally combustable enough that it can help with ignition if smeared on wood (like Eco-Fuel, for instance), there would be no need for a wick, as the exposed surface would burn on its own once ignited.

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Molon Labe
 
I would have to reccomend Q-Tips as an off-the-shelf answer to most, if not all of those needs, and then some. The only thing they can't really do under ordinary circumstances, at least in the hands of a novice, is inhibit rust.

Q-Tips coated with blubber or lard could be even better!

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http://schoolofarms.tripod.com
 
Thanks you all for your replies.

Greenjacket, edible candels? Sounds good to me… Beeswax have been certainly used for candles.

Sgtmike88, Lewis and Clark mentioned in their journals that they got lot of grease from bears they shot. How is it used as mosquito repellent? Regarding making soap from lard, see Fox Fire ISBN# 0-385-07353-4 page 151. That is the volume about hog dressing, cabin building, mountain crafts etc.

Two Hawks, thanks for the info.

X-Head, that is right. However, lanterns and candles both have wicks suggesting that wicks might have and advantage. Maybe it increases the oxygen to fuel ratio on the tip of the wick for a better burning?

Snickersnee, I store cotton balls soaked with petroleum jelly in my kit but would hesitate to eat them. I would leave out the stick from the Q-Tip and use some natural animal grease

Plainsman, have you tried to ignite them? Any brand recommendation
smile.gif
?

Probably, the best use of any edible fuel is to eat it or start the fire with but not burning it as a fuel.
No matter whether we talk about food or fuel, it looks like lipids (grease, tallow, fat, oil) come up as most compact high energy source for both. That is not even surprising. Though not the most doctor recommended food fat is still the highest energy survival food.
We also have to keep in mind that food might serve as fire starter.

HM
 
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