A lot has been written about vertical fires, and as soon as they are called “Swedish fire”, “Finnish torch”, “Indian candle” and all possible combinations of these words, plus everything is the same only with the adjective “taiga”.
I decided to summarize their varieties and understand the pros and cons.
Types:
- Bonfire
- Torch
- Candle
A vertical fire is a fire in which the firewood is arranged vertically and acts both as fuel and as the walls of the firebox. Due to this design, good draft is formed in the fire. This makes the fire efficient and very voracious.
Another feature of it is that it upper part can be used as a burner when cooking on the go.
Vertical campfire type "Bonfire"
(a fire is a fire)
This type of fire can be made from three logs. The logs must be the same size and have cuts perpendicular to the axis. Then they will stand steadily.
As they burn out, it is fashionable to move the logs towards the center in order to continue using it as a stove.
For efficient work This type of fire requires the flame to exit from above.
This can be achieved in three ways:
- do not move the logs too tightly so that the flame comes out in the spaces between them
- put two small logs or branches on the logs
- make special cuts in the logs
The main disadvantage of this fire is that the coals from the fire fall to the ground. This can lead to a fire or damage the surface on which the fire stands.
Vertical fire "Torch" type
(aka "Swedish torch" or "Finnish candle")
The most popular and promoted type of vertical fire. To make it you need to take a long block of wood and make longitudinal cuts not the entire length of the log.
Longitudinal cuts provide good draft and high combustion efficiency.
During the burning process, a longitudinal channel is formed inside the log, which provides higher fuel combustion efficiency than that of the “Koster” type design.
This design has many advantages:
- Easily made with a chainsaw
- high heat generation
- The dishes can be placed directly on the log, without creating additional cutouts or installing a wire rack
- the fire does not reach the ground and the “torch” can be placed on the lawn or paving slabs
It will not burn out naturally and must be disposed of somehow.
Experience using a torch
Vertical fire type "Candle"
(aka “Indian candle” or “taiga primus”)
This design is the most complex in manufacturing and use, but also the most powerful in terms of heat generation.
Technically, it's a jet stove.
To make it, you need to drill two channels in the block.
One is along the axis of the block, not the entire length.
The second is at the bottom of the first channel, from the edge to the center.
The advantages of this design are:
- high combustion efficiency
- very high combustion efficiency
- absence of coals outside, until the very last moment (in the Torch and Bonfire, the fire can escape along the entire length of the fire through the side gaps)
- the surface on which the “Candle” stands is not damaged
- unburned bottom (as in the case of the Torch)
- You need to install a grate on top or make cutouts so that the fire can be used for cooking.
Finnish/Swedish/Indian/taiga bonfires/torches/candles are almost not represented on the site.
There is only one dead topic - + several mentions in other topics.
This type of fire is also called Finnish or Taiga candle, allows you to use just one log or log for repeated cooking or heating food in hiking conditions. Extremely economical and efficient in terms of fuel consumption.
The most important thing is to find a dry log and cut off an even piece from it - a log half a meter long. It is better that it be at least 12 cm in diameter, and a maximum of 30.
If you use candle planned for cooking, it is better to take short but thick pieces. Then it will be possible to place the dishes directly on the candle, and it will stand stably on the base.
If lighting is important, then it is better to take a longer and thinner piece. And if heating is required, then you need to take a thick and long piece. This candle can burn for many hours.
Preferably without knots so that it can be split fairly evenly.
The tree type does not have of great importance, but you should remember that resinous trees “shoot” and give off a lot of sparks. It is not recommended to use a Christmas tree or pine candle for heating. Birch burns hot and does not shoot, but its flame is strong and you need to be careful. In addition, birch bark contains a lot of tar and the flame smokes a little, especially at the end of combustion. An almost perfect candle is made from well-dried aspen. It burns extremely evenly, the flame is light and colorless.
In any case, it is good to use dead wood (but not rotten wood). Otherwise, the candle or its preparation will have to dry for a long time.
- Using an ax, split the log lengthwise into four (or 8, if the log is very thick) pieces, preferably identical.
- Cut out the middle of each part. Little by little. Let's plan it.
- Place the split pieces of log together, leaving a gap of a couple of centimeters. If you have wire, you can tie them together. But not tight.
- In the center of the log we put a little birch bark and what was taken out from the middle. Let's set it on fire. Charcoal lighter fluid works well.
- After the candle flares up, a small crater forms in the center of its star - a combustion zone, a kind of furnace. By the way, you can put additional fuel in it, like in a samovar - charcoal, wood chips, small cones, etc. This significantly extends the life of the candle.
The size of the flame and combustion is easily adjusted by moving and pushing apart the quarters (or eights) of the log, but this is only if a wire tie was not used. - Once a stable combustion zone has formed in the crater, you can begin cooking. As you can see, the combustion zone itself is very insignificant and is located strictly under the dishes. The dishes do not require any special stands, hangers or supports. It is simply placed on a candle, like on a regular gas burner, for example, or a primus stove. The flame only occasionally breaks through the cuts. The pot on such a burner boils literally in a matter of minutes.
- After cooking, the candle is extinguished. And subsequently can be used many times. One such candle will allow you to cook food many times while camping.
In principle, these Finnish (Indian, Taiga) candles there are many variations - for example, the log is not split into pieces, but 4~8 longitudinal cuts are made not to the end of the log.
The simplest option is shown here.
On a trip to Lake Chepolshevskoye in July 2012, I decided to make that famous stump with vertical cuts, which a young Finnish woman used to surprise experienced Siberian lumberjacks (funny story!). It turned out exactly like in that story: first I was subjected to public ridicule and criticism, and then the critics themselves used a chainsaw, making more and more logs with cuts...
Take a piece of DRY pine or spruce log at least half a meter long and from one end with a chainsaw two cuts are made “crosswise” along the log at about three-quarters of its height. A certain amount of gasoline or other flammable mixture is poured into the center of the cut and set on fire. The flame spreads upward in the center of the log; the side slots serve to supply oxygen to the combustion zone. The log burns for a long time, several hours, and during this time you can not only warm the kettle, but also prepare serious dishes...
Some people call this type of fire a Finnish candle, some an Indian candle, and some a Swedish candle. Sometimes you can hear the word Volya or even "turbopen".
My main mistake in making the first Finnish candle in my life was that I took a damp pine log, almost completely soaked by rain. After several unsuccessful attempts to set fire to its center from below, under the ridicule of friends, I placed this log on a regular fire with the sawn end facing the fire. It only took a couple of minutes for the wood in the cut to dry out, start fire, and my first Finnish candle started working, and how it worked!.... Laughter gave way to exclamations of surprise and approval, people immediately began to offer options with a large number of cuts, even eight
While former critics were extolling the simplicity and genius of this human invention, I cooked food for my fox terrier Bundy, and called out to the camp; “Hey, people, who needs a new stove?!”
It should be noted right away that the pot or kettle stands on the end quite securely and conveniently; putting dishes on and off the fire is also convenient. These are the advantages. The downside is that the dishes still get dirty
We remembered that we need to boil the crayfish while they are still alive
And now the main critic of my idea with the log - Viktor Lobachev - with undisguised pleasure he cooks lake crayfish for dinner on a Finnish candle
It seems that later our women also heated water on a candle for washing dishes. When it got colder, a candle that continued to burn was used for heating.
We’ve just run out of ideas on what else can be cooked on one log.
Already in Obninsk, they told me that one wonderful company has long been going to the forest in winter to make dumplings, having only one pre-prepared log. You don’t have to trample snow in search of firewood, or destroy trees in the forest near the city, but it’s light, hot and the whole company feels good around a big cauldron of dumplings
The more side slots, the more intense the supply of oxygen to the combustion zone, the stronger the flame and the shorter the life of the candle. The picture shows how big the flame is on the Finnish candle with 8 side cuts. One such Finnish candle replaces an entire fire. And pay attention that behind Dasha’s back there is a smoldering old fire that no one needs anymore - everyone has enough light and heat from one pine log
In the near future I will write a note about an Indian candle - a fire based on one log, but with a slightly different design
The original mini-bonfire is also called a taiga, Indian, or Swedish candle. Thanks to the peculiarities of making Finnish candles and the use of intense flame, they successfully replace traditional fires on hikes, at picnics and evening gatherings in the yard. You need a minimum of tools and skills, 5-20 minutes of simple effort, and you will get a source of vertical flame with a burning duration of half an hour to 7 hours.
4 ways to make a Finnish candle
Using any method, a Finnish candle is made with your own hands from chock, sometimes replaced with a block of wood logs. Acceptable use small stumps, if only one piece of log is required. The duration of combustion depends on the length and diameter of the workpieces.
Method 1. Candle with paraffin wick
- Burning time: from 30 minutes.
- Production time: 20 minutes.
Tools and materials:
- drill with drill 20-30 mm;
- saw (manual, electric or diesel engine);
- sawing sawhorses;
- lighter;
- block for a candle;
- a block of larger diameter for counterweight;
- paraffin or wax;
- paper or newspaper.
To get a fire with vertical burning, just light the wick. We recommend installing Finnish candles away from trees on paved or concrete areas, cleared ground, fire-resistant tiles, or a metal stand to prevent the surrounding vegetation from catching fire.
Method 2. Candle made from logs
- Burning duration: up to 2.5 hours.
- Production time: 7-10 minutes.
Tools and materials:
- axe;
- a log or four logs.
Manufacturing sequence
The whole lump is split into four equal parts. The logs are installed vertically in the form of the original log. When a Finnish candle is made from ready-made firewood, logs of the same length and cross-section are selected, which together form a solid log. The design provides good air flow, but is not wind resistant enough.
Method 3. Three logs
- Burning time: from 7 hours.
- Production time: 5 minutes.
Required materials: 3 logs of the same height. No tools required.
Manufacturing sequence
The simplest a way to make a long-burning Finnish candle with your own hands. The blocks are installed in a circle with a small gap between them. Then a fire is built in the inner “well.” Unimpeded access to oxygen contributes to an intense flame, and thanks to large diameter the burning time is extended.
More heat is generated than with other taiga candle designs. It also ensures the greatest stability of a disposable oven. Disadvantage (the flame can be blown out by the wind. Tip: as it burns out, move the logs towards the center to maintain the burning intensity.
Method 4. Primus
- Burning time: up to 3 hours.
- Production time: 20 minutes.
Tools and materials:
- axe;
- saw (optional);
- wire;
- a log or several logs.
Manufacturing sequence
This design provides intense hot flame. In the first two hours after ignition, you can cook or boil water on the mini-oven. The optimal size is considered to be when the length of the block is twice the diameter. You can create mini-bonfires with a height of 20-30 cm.
Tip: if you plan to cook, then make a Finnish candle with two shorter logs to improve air flow to the flame. Useful uses of a disposable stove in the household
The design represents a vertical furnace pyrolysis combustion. The peculiarity of this type of flame is the simultaneous combustion of both wood and the resulting wood gas. As a result, less soot and ash are formed, and the heat transfer of the flame is higher. Even a two-hour use of a Finnish candle helps solve many problems of arrangement and relaxation.
Culinary uses of Finnish candles
In the absence summer kitchen and on hikes, disposable stoves can be easily adapted for the following tasks:
- cooking in cauldrons;
- singeing carcasses poultry, game;
- boiling water;
- heating food.
Unlike a stationary summer kitchen, a Finnish candle can be used anywhere on the site, or taken with you on a picnic or on a trip.
Landscape decoration
Mini fire pits are useful for temporarily illuminating dark areas without landscape lights. They create a warm, inviting atmosphere and can complement the decoration of outdoor seating areas for special events. Finally, the spark plugs will be replaced street fires and fireplaces will help you relax by the fire during your evening relaxation.
Repair and construction use
Concentrated combustion has determined the advantage of using a Finnish candle compared to conventional fires for the following work:
- firing, heating of metal;
- melting of roofing felt or lump bitumen;
- firing and drying various surfaces and blanks.
Easy to manufacture, disposable ovens are compact, simple device, intense combustion and easy transportation. This enhances the attractiveness of Finnish candles for home or tourist use.
Video instructions for making a Finnish candle
Lovers active recreation in nature, as well as hunters and fishermen, know how important it is to make a fire correctly in order not only to keep warm, but also to cook camp food on it. This is especially important in winter or in slushy conditions, when you constantly need to add firewood and make sure that the fire does not go out. Give warmth and light for a long time, and also provide fire safety in nature, a Finnish candle will allow, other names of which are taiga, Swedish, Indian. This fire design is easy to move without fear of burns, and it can burn all night. How to make a Finnish candle will be described in detail below.
Cooking with a Finnish candle
An effective candle for burning is a log with a diameter of 12 cm and a height of more than 18 cm. When building a fire, the type of wood used does not matter, but it is better not to use conifers due to the release of resin, which sparks and cracks. In other cases, the main thing is that the wood used is dry, but not rotten. The proportions of a Finnish candle depend on its purpose: for heating it is more convenient to use a thick and long log, for lighting it is more convenient to use a long and thin log for ease of carrying, and for cooking the candle should be thick and short.
Finnish candle for cooking Finnish candle: how to make, video
The most in a simple way is the so-called camping, or - making a Finnish candle from a ready-made log, if any were found in the forest. You need to select three cuts of the same size and place them in a circle close to each other. A fire is lit in the middle. Uniform burning in all directions will be ensured the right choice chock in height, which should be two diameters of the logs in width. If you place a three-liter pot on these logs, it will boil in less than half an hour. As the logs burn out, they will need to be placed in a “hut”, and then simply add firewood.
If it is possible to use a chainsaw, a Finnish candle can be made with your own hands as follows: take a thick log at least 50 cm long and cut it crosswise in the middle to about three-quarters of its height. If the log is too wide, you can make cuts so that the log is divided into eight “slices”. If you make more of them, then the Finnish candle will burn out faster. The log needs to be well secured to the ground, supported by stones or slightly dug into an earthen depression. Sawdust, dry fuel or a mixture for ignition are placed inside the cuts.
If you don’t have a chainsaw, you can make a Finnish candle using an axe. The log splits like a regular wood splitter, only into identical logs. Then they are gathered together and tied at the bottom with wire. A thick branch is inserted into the middle of the hearth, which serves as a kind of wick for a Finnish candle. If the log is not too large, a branch can be stuck into the ground, then it will act as a leg for the fire.
If there is no tool nearby, you can assemble a Finnish candle with your own hands. Thick poles with a diameter of at least 5 cm are collected and installed around the branch in the same way as the method described above. On inside the pole located in the center needs to be scored with a knife so that it ignites faster.
You can watch the video on how to place a Finnish candle correctly.
How to make a Finnish Primus candle with your own hands for cooking
The Finnish Primus candle is used only for cooking, since its heat is not enough to heat it. Its difference from a regular Finnish candle is as follows:
- The log should have a notch inside if it is whole. If the fire is assembled from separate logs, they can be planed in the middle, then connected as described earlier, secured with rope or wire so that they fit tightly to each other, forming outside no gaps.
- The logs located opposite each other are trimmed or pushed up a little more than the others by 5-6 cm. Made in this way, they form a structure that allows the fire to be fanned by air, while the flame will be directed predominantly upward.
Thus, the fire is concentrated inside the structure, giving off heat to instant cooking food. For cooking, it is better to chop the log into four parts, not eight. If possible, it is better to place the fire on stones or logs so that there is a gap for air below. Otherwise, you can cut a small air duct from the bottom of the logs. It should be borne in mind that the hearth concentrated in the upper part of the logs will burn for a long time, but not too intensely, and when ignited from below, the fire will be stronger, but the candle will burn out faster.
