Your smartphone can save your life in a disaster situation in a number of ways. You can use it as a signaling mirror, send out an emergency asking for help, and search and rescue teams can track you down because of the GPS device inside your phone. If you can receive a signal you can just downright call for help, and even smartphones without a contract or service plan can place 911 calls. In a pinch, your phone could even be used as a weapon in a hand-to-hand combat situation. But in most cases, your smartphone is useless in a survival situation if it doesn’t have a charge.

Unfortunately, disaster usually has a really annoying way of striking when you are unprepared. So you may not have access to a phone charger, or even electricity for that matter. No problem, because in this case, as with so many others, mother nature can always provide versatile help if you just know what to do. If you have a new piece of innovative survival equipment, you can use heated water to provide the energy that charges the battery in your phone as a source of emergency power.

Here’s how it works.

A special device called the Candle Charger is in the Kickstarter stage of development. The company making it has currently reached 180% of their $30,000 goal. That means that very shortly you will be able to purchase a Candle Charger and turn heat and water into a fully charged cell phone battery.

You simply pour water into the Candle Charger reservoir. Place a candle, fuel cartridge or small fire underneath and in 6 hours you can fully charge 2 smartphones. The device is small enough to fit easily into the survival backpack of a disaster prepper, and charges any electronic USB compatible device. Smart watches, digital cameras, smartphones, tablets, laptops and some medical devices have USB ports.

That means that anything you can power via a USB connection can be re-energized through the 2.5 watt charge made by the Candle Charger.

Solar chargers are popular in the backpacking, camping, prepper and survivalist communities. But they do not work at night or on a cloudy day. The Stower Candle Charger provides quick charging both indoors and out, and can be used for any “lights out” situation or added to your bug out bag or emergency backpack.

The Candle Charger is one company’s answer to powering your devices when you have no access to electricity or your charger. The project is entirely funded through Kickstarter, and the details can be found at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/flamestower/candle-charger-emergency-power-generator-for-smart.

Considering emergency power supplies in your preparedness efforts is crucial, and not far behind securing your emergency food, water and shelter in priority.