Trench candle: what is this useful "gadget" and how to make it yourself

Faced with a serious risk of being left without heating, gas, and electricity in winter, Ukrainians began sharing life hacks with each other on how to survive in extreme conditions. One of the most useful gadgets is the so-called trench candle.

The name speaks for itself: these candles are used by Ukraine's defenders at the front for a variety of purposes. They can serve as a source of light, they can also be used to warm your hands, dry something small, and heat food or a hot drink. And making such a candle with your own hands is not that difficult. To watch a detailed video instruction, scroll down to the end of the news.

What you need to make a trench candle

You will need items that can be easily purchased at the nearest supermarket:

• Any metal canning jar - from peas or corn, canned fruit, coffee, or even pet food. Taller cans will need to be trimmed so that their height does not exceed the height of a standard pea can;
• corrugated cardboard and plain cardboard;
• ordinary candles or paraffin, natural wax will burn faster, but it will also work.

How to make a candle

Cut the corrugated cardboard into strips a couple of millimeters narrower than the height of the jar. Then roll the strips into a "roll" - it should completely fill the volume of the jar.

To make a wick, you need to cut a strip of ordinary cardboard about one and a half centimeters wide and 4-5 centimeters long. This strip is inserted inside the candle. The wick should be 1-1.5 centimeters above the candle.

Paraffin or a regular candle should be grated on a coarse grater. Melt the resulting paraffin flakes in a water bath in a metal container and pour them into a jar with cardboard, filling it to the top edge of the cardboard filler.

In two hours, when the paraffin hardens, the candle will be ready. The burning time is about 8 hours. You can also make a device out of a larger jar that can be used to put a metal mug or ladle on to heat water or cook some simple food.