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May 11 2005
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How to Start a Fire Using a Pop Can and a Chocolate Bar

 

Start a Fire with a Pop Can and Chocolate BarApparently it's possible to start a fire with an aluminum soft drink can and a chocolate bar. The original concept behind the experiment was to discover unique and unusual ways of making fire using everyday objects that one might be carrying around, should they be stranded in the wilderness.

While no tools are necessary, sunlight and some tinder are needed to get the fire going. Now, on to the main ingredients ...

The Can

The key to the experiment is the bottom of the soft drink can, which is ideal for reflecting and concentrating sunlight and the sun's energy. In its usual condition, the can is not shiny enough to concentrate the sun's rays to ignite tinder, therefore it must be polished. Enter the chocolate bar.

The Chocolate Bar

Chocolate does an excellent job of polishing the bottom of the can so it is shiny enough to function as a reflector.

How? The process is to smear some chocolate on the bottom, and then use the wrapper or whatever is available as a "cloth" to do the polishing. It will most likely take anywhere from half an hour to an hour or more to completely finish the process. (Any type of chocolate will do, though a purer piece is preferable.)

A telltale sign that the can is polished enough is when an object is placed near the bottom and a clear, though distorted, image is seen.

The Fire

The next step is to hold a piece of suitable tinder (such as a fragment of tinder fungus) at the focal point of the can bottom, or about 1-1.25 inches away from the center of the bottom. It is important to orient the bottom of the can toward the sun.

After a very short time in the bright sun, the tinder fungus will be smoldering, which then should be transferred to a tinder bundle and blown into flame. The result: A blazin' fire.

Tracker Trail.com



Dr. Mercola Dr. Mercola's Comments:

If you read this newsletter with any regularity, you're well aware of my fascination with nifty tricks and interesting facts.

This nifty trick requires two items I hope most of you don't regularly have, but since Americans consume nearly 600 cans of soda a year, it won't be too difficult to find one handy, along with someone who has some chocolate.

While there isn't any good reason for anyone to ever drink soda, recent studies with the other main ingredient in this little experiment are beginning to reveal the brighter side of dark chocolate. It seems that everyone's favorite after-dinner treat can contain a rather high level of flavonoids.

Flavonoids have antioxidant properties and seem to be particularly beneficial to the cardiovascular system. Be aware, though, that high levels of these nutrients can only be found in very dark chocolate, not the sugar-filled candy available in most grocery and convenience stores.

Also, don't forget about the other options available for high-flavonoid foods. You can enjoy the benefits chocolate provides (via flavonols) by consuming fruits like apples and grapes and many vegetables, including broccoli, greens and onions. Blueberries are the top-rated food by the USDA as far as antioxidant capacity is concerned, and they have other chemicals like anthocyanins that are even more powerful than the polyphenols in cocoa in protecting against free-radical damage.

Related Articles:

Chocolate -- A Cure for Coughs?

Chocolate Consumption Linked to Longer Life

Finally -- A City Bans Soda in Schools

One Soda a Day Increases Diabetes Risk 85 Percent

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