Survival Gear: 5 Handy Uses for Paraffin Wax

By A Mystery Man Writer

Last updated 26 May 2024

Survival Gear: 5 Handy Uses for Paraffin Wax

A block of wax may not seem very exciting. In fact, a dull white chunk of paraffin probably wouldn’t make it onto the gear list for most survivalists. But as it turns out, you can actually do a lot of important tasks with this common grocery store item. Petroleum-based paraffin wax has been around for a little over 100 years, and its discovery may have kept some whale species from being hunted to extinction. Popular lamp oils and candle waxes in the late 1800’s were made from whale fat, which also served many other household and industrial purposes. Whale numbers dropped at that time, due to the high demand for their fat. When a much cheaper petroleum substitute was invented, the whales caught a much-needed reprieve. Today, paraffin is used in home food canning and candy making; but it also has plenty of survival uses.

With our KeroDry paraffin-wax infused hemp wick, it literally can’t get any easier than this. Meet the Tindår Wick + Bellow. Simply fluff the end, spark it with a ferro rod, and maneuver your flame wherever the heck you want it. Like a matchstick, but this'll burn for an hour. And if you need a quick vortex of oxygen to stoke your fire, don’t let the 3” size fool you. Just pull the wick out and blow into your new micro bellow. Seriously.