Fuel and light from animals - Tallow

[Steve]

If you're looking for an easy to store, reliable fuel and candle then look no further than Tallow. It's from hard fat that forms around animals internal organs, and it burns very well indeed. You can render it, which means separating the very best parts from the fat, or you can just throw the fat onto a small fire and get a real blaze going, that lasts a long time too.

I slaughtered and butchered a large sheep today, and to get rid of the head, guts, skin and waste I started a small wood fire and threw some fat from around the organs onto it. It soon blazed up hot enough to ignite the fat in the skin and totally cremated all the guts. It's still burning out there now, hours later, as the fats that soaked into the ground burn off.

A very impressive fire that is 99% animal origin, so if you ever find yourself freezing to death near some sheep, cows, pigs or deer you'll know what to do. Plenty enough heat to have cooked the rest of the sheep if need be.