Saturday 28 December 2013

Keeping warm

While I am waiting for the possibility of someone capable of installing my woodstove – and with time to do it – in between winter storms, I am thinking about heating Komorebi.  Hmm.   

I’ve been reading about camping heaters and camping cookers.

From what I’ve read of capacity and precautions, it seems to me that (as usual) simple is best.

Here’s the combo I think will work without getting cluttered with lots of gubbins I then have to store and maintain.


  • A flowerpot heater – this is effective of taking off the chill if 4+ nightlights are used – or a tin of bio-ethanol fuel gel would do the job nicely.
  • Bio-ethanol fuel gel for boiling kettles and cooking. 
  • Hot drinks and hot water bottles for staying personally warm.

Also, I think a plate chandelier would do for both space heat and light.  I wish I’d taken a photo, I made this by mistake.  For Christmas someone gave us a set of short  stubby candles – there were about ten in the box.   I set them all in a ring in a deep dinner plate, thinking they’d look pretty all burning in a ring.  They did, but in no time at all their combined heat caused them to turn into one ginormous multi-wick shallow plate chandelier.  It kept going all day and all evening and used up all the wax most efficiently.  It was pretty and gave out excellent ambient warmth and light.

As with all living flames, one has to remember they are a breathing being and ensure adequate ventilation.  Komorebi has one opening window.

At the moment the Badger is off work and I’ve had a lot of commitments keeping me out and about or with family or earning money, but once life settles down to normal in the new year, I can experiment.

But I don’t think I will need any other gizmos.


6 comments:

Unknown said...

Yes, this time of year always throws us of kilter. It will be Feb before we settle again..

Re Komorebi: A hot water bottle well insulated for personal warmth may be useful. One tucked at one's feet under a blanket generates an awful lot of warmth. Just a thought. Though here does not get as cold as there.

Out here also we can buy very large slow burning candles used as insect repellents ~ they are scented with citrus or eculypt or pyrethium ~ but they don't do what your did. Our hardware stores carry them. Probably irrelevant to your situation but another idea. ☺

Pen Wilcock said...

I am a big fan of hot water bottles, preferring to warm myself rather than the space. The issue about ambient heat is more to do with keeping damp at bay in the relentless English rain (and you know a bit about rain too!!)
This is a problem with bio ethanol, in that I think like propane gas it generates moisture. The wood stove will be important.

Anonymous said...

I just wanted to tell you that I so admire your Komorebi. Some of us need that womb like comfort. I know that you will spend many wonderful hours there.

I am posting under Anonymous because my Gmail account lapsed and I am trying to simplify and never used that account. Sherry (Tribble) Boesch

Pen Wilcock said...

Hi Sherry! Waving! So lovely to hear from you :0) xx

Anonymous said...

It's minus 7 degrees Fahrenheit here in Minnesota today!Even if I had a treehouse for my own remote little space, I would not be in it, even with a heater!(I think in Celsius that's -21.6667)
DMW

Pen Wilcock said...

Brrr!!