Homemade heater

[JONOV]

So, today, faced with the prospect of fishing without a heater, I remembered an old trick I was taught and actually tried it. My buddy made fun of my hobo heater at first, but after 45 minutest in the clam he was a believer too.

Step 1: empty a coffee can.

Step 2: pull the cardboard roll out if the center of a roll of toilet paper.

Step 3: stuff the to into the cab and add rubbing alcohol til it stops absorbing.

Step 4. Light and enjoy! If you notice the to starting to burn, add more alcohol.

[NKLCOLT1911]

i have actually seen this used about 15 yeas ago, slick little heater

[Pleasant]

father in law used them years ago when he was ice fishing, works well in a pinch

[leech~~]

So, today, faced with the prospect of fishing without a heater, I remembered an old trick I was taught and actually tried it. My buddy made fun of my hobo heater at first, but after 45 minutest in the clam he was a believer too.

Step 1: empty a coffee can.

Step 2: pull the cardboard roll out if the center of a roll of toilet paper.

Step 3: stuff the to into the cab and add rubbing alcohol til it stops absorbing.

Step 4. Light and enjoy! If you notice the to starting to burn, add more alcohol.

Just don't let a big pike knock it over when pulling it in! Or it could get a heck of a lot hotter in there!

[Sandmannd]

You don't carry a heater but you carry all the items to make that homemade one?

[broman]

You don't carry a heater but you carry all the items to make that homemade one?

I was wondering the same as well.

[Esox_Magnum]

My uncle taught me this about 35 years ago, tried it once and it works well... I do carry the materials to make one when hunting out west as part of my survival gear...Also works well to keep holes open when outside and it's cold, drill part of a hole next to your hole your fishing and spud a trench between the 2 holes, put the heater in the shallow hole and it will warm the water to prevent holes from refreezing....Remember to use a metal coffee can or similar and dont forget to remove the cardboard spool....

[pikerliker]

I think I saw this on an old McGiver episode.

[JONOV]

You don't carry a heater but you carry all the items to make that homemade one?

I had all the items to make one between my kitchen and bathroom.

I don't have a propane heater, and the guy who normally brings the sunflower heater bailed, so we had to improvise.

[merkman]

I hope you had an extra roll of toilet paper.....

.

[gonefishing70]

My dad taught me this years ago. He always had a box stand for hunting he would use the heater in it, the rest of us thought he was nuts for having heat in the deer stand now we all do. It worked really well.

[Gordie]

That is a trick my dad talked about for keeping hands warm in the deer stand many years ago. Back when it was cold

[bobbymalone]

Pretty sure I saw some dudes cooking with something like that on one of those inside the prison shows.

I made a filet knife by sharpening my toothbrush on the floor.

[Ryan_S]

I don't mean to sound nit-picky, but I wanted a little clarification. When you said take the tube out of the roll of toilet paper and then "stuff the to into the cab", was that a typo that should have read stuff the t.p. into the can? Assuming that is correct, this sounds like it would make a rather large flame.

Just hoping to understand this a little better because it sounds like we could have used it on Sunday when we had problems with the sunflower heater.

[MNCPRGUY]

Anyone got a picture of this? Sounds to me like a great winter survival kit. Coffee can with a rollof tp and a bottle of alcohol in it. Multiple uses for all three items.

[JONOV]

Ryan,

I did mean stuff the Toilet Paper into the CAN. The bottom one shows the heater lit. It was not too much of a flame in the portable we were using. The sides are touchable about 3/4's of the way up. The top picture shows the can after about 4 hours of constant burning. It used roughly on bottle of the CVS brand rubbing alcohol.

Here is a picture of it in use. We used it in an old school Clam on Saturday afternoon on the Horseshoe Chain.

[JeffB]

Was it clean burning, any head ache, and how much heat does it put out compared to a sunflower heater. I'll stick with the store bought heaters, but I appreciate the info. In an emergency knowledge is power. I'm impressed that after four hours the t.p. was hardly burned.

[student]

Nice, i like it.

[student]

Probably an obvious question, but do you add the rubbing alcohol while the heater is going with a flame present? I'm not sure how the rubbing alcohol will rect, that's why I'm asking. Probably save someone else's eyebrows too.

[MNCPRGUY]

Step 3: stuff the tp into the can and add rubbing alcohol til it stops absorbing.

I'm curious how much alcohol will the tp absorb? Did you pour in the intire bottle, or did you extingusih the flame mid-burn and add more alcohol?

Also, any lighting suggestions? Seems to me like there will be some singed arm hairs if you try to use a standard Bic lighter. Perhaps make a bit of a wick out of the tp?

[JONOV]

Nope, I add the rubbing alcohol before lighting it. The stuffed 16 oz coffee can will absorb nearly an entire bottle of the larger size sold at CVS. I stopped pouring when the alcohol started to pool/stopped absorbing, and poured out the little bit pooling on top. I Don't know what would happen if you tried to add it with an open flame going, but I don't recommend it.

I used a small regular bic. It worked fine. I still have hair on my knuckles.

The flame is very clean burning and there is no headache, no smoke to speak of, it seemed that there was no difference in the emission output than a sunflower/buddy heater.

[CrappieAttitude]

Im curious as to if the flame stays that big, or does it eventually die down. I would be a tad nervous with that large of a flame in my portable.

CA

[JONOV]

The flame is consistently that size. I might try using the 78% alcohol versus the 91% alcohol to see if the flame is smaller.

I used it in a taller, straight walled older clam style tent with two guys fishing it. I don't know if I would use it in some of the smaller flip over houses as the space is limited that the flame could hit the sides of the house.

[CrappieAttitude]

Thanks for the clarification.

CA

[tsande00]

How many BTUs? :-)