I believe I may have started this thread inadvertently so I hope you won't
mind me saying a few more words. It has nothing to do with QRP but it does
concern survival and there are some good lessons to be learned.
I read a thread about winter survival and offered advice about carrying a
candle along in the car. Note: I am no expert in winter survival, except
that I do live in Saskatchewan and have some experience ;-) What I
suggested seemed to be on the level of common knowledge. I have heard
radio stations recommend candles. Canadian Tire even sells survival
candles.
My suggestion was quickly corrected by someone with a medical background.
Although I felt embarrassed I was glad to have the information because it
could save lives (maybe even mine) and for that payoff I don't mind
looking like a fool ;-)
This leaves me with both a lesson and a frustration:
Lesson: Just because a product (survival candles) is available and it has
been recommended in the media (and not just advertisements but
normally reputable programs providing information) does not mean
that the product is either a good idea or even safe.
Frustration: How did these things get on the market anyway, and why are
so-called experts promoting them?
Personally, I have never used survival candles. I have often thought
about buying them when I go to Canadian Tire but have always talked myself
out of it by reasoning that I stick to well traveled roads, I have an HT
and I ALWAYS carry tools, blankets and old parkas. I always worried that
I was not doing enough to protect myself. I guess I was on the right track
all along :-)
On Fri, 14 Feb 1997, Daniel C Winkler wrote:
>
> On Mon, 10 Feb 1997 10:36:54 -0500 (EST) "James C. Owen, III"
> > Several of the TV stations here in the Washington DC area
> > are telling us to carry candles and a 5 lb coffee can.
> >Then if stranded we can keep from freezing by burning the candle in
> >the coffee can.
>
> Hi again.
>
> Here's the short form.
>
>
> A candle can produce 5 liters of carbon monoxide, raising the level in a
> car to roughly 0.1%. That is 30 times the maximum allowed by NIOSH.
> One candle probably won't kill you, just make you sick (nausea,
> headache, dizziness). Two candles...
>
>
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Brian Buydens, Computing Services, University of Saskatchewan |
| email: Brian.Buydens@usask.ca http://duke.usask.ca/~buydens |
| VE5RDV |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
| Keep Cool, but Don't Freeze |
| - Hellman's Mayonnaise |
+---------------------------------------------------------------------------+
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