turn a pencil into an emergency light.

[i_am_jim]

a very good use for a pencil, i would only do it as a last resort, could give you a nasty burn or worse. http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=pl ... IyTMvH4wJU

[nickdutch]

Interesting. But how much power would it take? If you are going towards off grid, you need to know fuel / energy consumption.
Thats the only real downside.

[maddriver]

Okay, that's pretty cool, but I have to ask:

If you have a tool kit (which you presumably need to fix the problem, unless you macgyver that too), and you're carrying a knife (to split the pencil and extract speaker wire) why don't you have a torch?

For that matter I'm far more likely to be carrying my mobile than a pencil, torch in mobile, sorted. Also I normally have at least 2 torches in the car too, a work light that runs from cigarette lighter and a cheapy wind up torch.

But yeah cool trick to know.

[i_am_jim]

i to would have a torch or some other form of light, was just trawling through some survival vids on youtube and this caught my eye in the side bar. wouldn't fancy doing it myself unless i really had to and couldn't wait for the sun to come up.

[maxilaura]

honestly think I would be sitting in the dark until sun up - that is, if my 3 torches in the car don't work

[Selfsufficientwoman]

Isn't burning the lead giving off a poisionous gas though??? What happens if you don't have a car???

[Squirrel hunter]

Isn't burning the lead giving off a poisionous gas though??? What happens if you don't have a car???

The lead is actually Graphite, so not sure if this gives of any toxic fumes in sufficient quantities to cause any long term harm, any power source that produces enough power to heat the graphite should do,

http://www.stevespanglerscience.com/exp ... it-science

Though some of the comments below are a bit odd

[Selfsufficientwoman]

will have a look at the link maybe later. - thanks for that - interesting though about turning a pencil into an emergency light.

[Lomast]

if you are going to all that hassle why not pull out the interior light bulb and stick it between the battery and any grounded chassis part

[dreamcatcher]

Isn't burning the lead giving off a poisionous gas though??? What happens if you don't have a car???

I guess if you don't have a car you would not have broken down......