Vegetable Oil Burners and Lamps

My guilt about the oil in my food storage going rancid drove me to find a way to recycle it rather than tossing the investment out the window. I found some interesting ideas on how to use it for fuel to cook indoors and for lighting a shelter. It may give off a slight odor, but in an emergency with no power, I will appreciate the light and cooking it offers. By the way, Buddy Burners (tuna cans stuffed with a roll of cardboard and filled with wax or animal fat) if used indoors will set off your smoke detectors. I needed to improvise a type of indoor burner using the old oil that didn't put off a ton of smoke.

Oil & Sand Burner
This burner is made from a tuna or cat food can by pouring oil into a can half full of sand. Using a toothpick for a wick you wrap it with cotton and stick it into the sand filled can of oil. I used a can with a low profile and inserted three wicks. It boiled water fairly quickly.



Vegetable Oil Lamp
This is as simple as placing a wick into a bottle, filling it with oil (or shortening) and lighting it. Wicks can be purchased at a hobby store, or made from twine wrapped around a thin piece of wire. I used a couple of nails and wired them together criss-crossed to create a stand for the bottom of the bottle and then attached the homemade wick. You can even wrap wire around the lip of the jar and make a handle to hang or carry it. Who says guilt is a bad thing?