On a hike or just on vacation, a log fire can perform more than one function, such as lighting, heating or cooking, scaring away animals, but several at the same time. You can light it traditionally or in an exotic way, while the most basic tools are needed. In addition, a type of fire such as a Finnish candle (other names are Indian, Swedish, wood-burning primus) replaces a tripod for a cauldron.
Step-by-step instructions for making a Finnish candle
Before making a Finnish candle, prepare a saw, wire or adhesive tape, nails and a log that will become a candle. And then to make an Indian candle, follow the instructions:
1. Find a dry log with a diameter of 10-40 cm without knots. The tree can be anything, just keep in mind that each type has its own characteristics. For example, spruce and pine sparkle when burned, so it is better not to use them for heating. You need to be careful with birch, because it burns very strongly, you can get burned, and it smokes a little due to the tar in the bark. Best option- well-dried aspen. When burning, its flame is even and colorless.
2. Cut it depending on the purpose of the candle (15-40 cm). If you will be lighting a fire for cooking, use a log that is thick and short so that you can place the dishes directly on it. The candle will be stable. For lighting, on the contrary, a long and thin candle that can be carried if necessary will be convenient. And for heating you need a thick and long one so that for a long time burn.
3. Split the dry log into four pieces. These will later be used to make a Swedish fire.
4. In each part, remove the middle so that when assembling the log you get a hole with a diameter of 5-7 cm, and make small notches. Ideal option, if you find a hollow tree. After cutting or splitting, you will need to scrape out the rotten middle of the hollow.
5. Fold 4 logs into a single log, wrapping them with wire, trying to leave as few gaps as possible. This way they will not disintegrate and quickly burn through large gaps. This way you should end up with a solid log with an empty middle.
6. Place the sawdust that remains after cutting off the middle or birch bark into the opening for kindling. The filling of a wooden kerosene stove and its location affects the degree of combustion. Located at the top of the hole, birch bark will burn for a long time, only weakly. This candle is more suitable for warming up food or for heating. Well, if you put the birch bark on the bottom, the fire will be very strong, which is good for cooking or lighting, but the candle will not last long. The best option is its location in the middle. Also make sure that there is draft for combustion. To do this, place the candle on stones or logs.
That's all the instructions on how to make a taiga candle.
Now you can use a Swedish fire, which will be very convenient for cooking. Convenience lies in the ability to adjust the strength of the flame by blocking the access of air from below with a lid, earth, snow, etc. The food will be cooked in hot smoke, since the Finnish candle will smolder from the inside and not burn.
Anyone who loves outdoor recreation (especially not a picnic, but an active one - hunting, fishing, hiking) knows how important a properly built fire is. If you don’t carry a barbecue with you, you need to worry about safety so that you don’t have to run away from a forest fire and feel like a criminal. And lighting a fire in the snow, so that it doesn’t go out every minute, seems to many to be the pinnacle of fire-making skill. However, experienced travelers know how to build a fireplace in a fire-safe manner so that it burns for a long time, does not go out even in slush, and does not require regular feeding. Everyone calls it differently: Finnish candle, taiga candle, Indian or Swedish, but the essence remains the same. There are even several ways to make it.
Maxi-bonfire
The Finnish candle is most successful if you “land” not far from sawn logs. No effort is required: select three saw cuts of approximately the same height and diameter, place them in a circle close to each other and light a fire in the middle. In order for the fire to burn evenly and the burnout to be the same in all directions, you need to choose the logs wisely in height. The Finnish candle lasts the longest; the logs should be twice their diameter in length. The power of such a fire is enough to boil a five-liter boiler in a third of an hour, and you don’t even need to hang it - it will rest on the logs themselves. As the logs burn, they seem to form into a hut. If you need a Finnish candle fire for a long time, at this stage you can maintain it as usual, by adding firewood.
If you have a chainsaw
If there is no need for such a large hearth and the presence of an appropriate tool on your hands, you can do otherwise. A piece of thick log half a meter long is taken and sawed crosswise (not all the way, about three-quarters of the length). If the diameter of the cut is large, you can work with the chainsaw a little more to get eight “slices”. You should not make more cuts, because the narrower the sector, the faster your Finnish candle will burn out. The log is firmly fixed on the ground (you can dig it in or support it with stones), kindling is placed inside (from sawdust, or just liquid ignition) - and for several hours the fire is at your service.
Field method
Suppose there is no saw, but do you need a Finnish one in this case? Well, there is an ax in nature anyway. The log of wood chosen for this purpose is split like regular firewood, only a little more diligently so that the logs do not vary too much in thickness. Then they gather into the original log, only around a thick branch - this will be the hearth. Below, closer to the ground, and approximately in the middle, the Finnish candle is tied, preferably with wire - it will definitely not burn out. But if you don’t have it, twine, fishing line, and flexible rods will do. It is necessary to tighten it especially securely at the bottom, since in the middle the logs will burn out faster, and without good fixation near the ground, your fire will fall apart. The central branch is pulled out three-quarters from below and sawed off, after which the Finnish candle is placed on the ground. By the way, if the original log is not too massive, you can use this branch as a leg and simply stick it into the ground.
Hand candle
If there is no nearby (either a suitable dry object for sawing, or a saw or even a normal ax), then the Finnish one is made a little differently. Quite thick poles, at least five centimeters in diameter, are collected around the area and gathered into a bunch, again around the center branch. The side of the poles that will be inside needs to be cut a little with a knife - it will work better. The rest of the manipulations are the same as when creating a “finca” from logs.
Primus candle
It is used specifically as a stove for cooking. The main points are the same as when making a fire-candle using the field method. There are two nuances:
- The original log must be partially hollowed out from the inside. Alternatively, you can not plan the core, but split it into logs and peel them. Such a fire is assembled in the snow using the same method, around a branch, but the cavity inside must be made artificially, and the outer walls are closed, if possible, without cracks.
- On two opposite sides, the logs are either trimmed less or pushed upward more, by five to six centimeters. Due to this design, the fire in the center will be fanned by air, and its tongues will be directed predominantly upward.
Such a Finnish candle is not suitable for heating - the fire is all concentrated inside. But the food cooks much faster.
What can a Finnish candle be useful for?
In addition to cooking and heating (except for the Primus stove), such a fire is simply irreplaceable as a beacon. Experienced fishermen who go out at dawn leave it on the shore as a signal for those who are late - in the dark it can be seen from afar.
It is very convenient when using Finnish candles that almost until they burn out completely, they can be moved from place to place without difficulty and without causing burns. The long-lasting nature of the fire can be considered a significant advantage: a medium-sized log provides light and heat for about four hours. And a maxi-fire without additional fuel can perform its functions all night long.
If you are not a fan of “wild” tourism and fishing, but you like to meet New Year at the dacha, Finnish candles placed along the paths will bring romance and decorate the garden no worse than garlands and Chinese lanterns.
Every person who from time to time gets out of the house into nature should be able to make a fire to cook food and warm up. However, not everyone can make a “Finnish candle” - a fire that never goes out on its own, even if there is snow, slush and gusty winds around.
Advantages of the Finnish candle
The main advantage of such a fire is that you don’t have to worry about it, even if there is dirt and slush around. In winter, you don’t have to worry that the snow under the fire will begin to melt and thereby extinguish the fire. Finally, a “Finnish candle” is safer than a regular fire in places where there is a lot of dry grass and leaves. Finally, such a fire can simply be moved from place to place. The “candle” will burn all night, and it will only require one log. And the shape of the fire is such that it is convenient to use when cooking - after all, pots or a kettle can simply be placed on top of a log, like on a burner.
How to make a “Finnish candle”
In order to make a “Finnish candle”, you need to have a log 30-50 cm thick, as well as a saw. The height of the log is not that important. The cut is made approximately three-quarters deep. Most often they cut into 4, 6 or 8 parts. After this, a small hole will appear in the log. Kindling will be placed and lit in it.
If you don’t have a saw at hand (and most likely you won’t have one on a hike), you can use an ax. In this case, it will be more difficult to make such a fire. The log needs to be split into four parts with an ax. Each piece will have to be ground down in the middle so that when they are put together, a hole will form. After this, all that remains is to tie the logs with a strong rope, or better yet, with wire.
Finally, a “candle” can be made by simply stacking several logs side by side. Each should be 5-15 cm thick. Uses 3 to 8 pieces of wood.
Fly in the ointment
Finally, it is worth mentioning the disadvantages of the “Finnish candle”. Preparing such a fire requires a certain skill and experience. Also, as has already become clear, you need tools. " Finnish candle» not very good for heating. You also need to take into account the fact that if the fire has been extinguished, then lighting it again will be extremely problematic, almost impossible. It’s easier to prepare a new candle.
Continuing the topic, which will help in the country and in the forest.
A Scandinavian or Finnish candle is a very common fire design among experienced hunters, fishermen and lovers of outdoor activities. This design good because it is represented by one single vertically installed log. Moreover, such a fire is ideal for cooking.
1. Make a Finnish candle with an ax
For this method you will need an ax and a log with even fibers without knots. First, we split the log into 6-8 logs. The wedge of each log is cut off with an ax so that when reassembled, a tube is formed. We lay out the logs in a “daisy” pattern, take the wire and put the log back together. The wire will hold the entire structure. The chain left over from the logs can be used to kindle a Finnish candle.
2. Make a Finnish candle with a chainsaw
One of the simplest ways. We take our chainsaw and divide the log into 6 segments, making cuts approximately 2/3 of the height of the piece of wood. That's all that needs to be done before ignition. All that remains is to place some dry wood chips in the very center and set it on fire. The only “but” is that there is not so much fuel to fit into such a Scandinavian candle. Therefore, you can add a little gasoline directly from the saw’s tank.
3. Make a Finnish candle with a drill
Here we need feather drill on wood with a diameter of 20-30 mm. The length of the drill must exceed 2/3 of the height of the log. First, drill one hole exactly in the middle. After this, you have to make another side hole so that it connects with the first one made along the core of the log. Lighting such a candle does not cause any difficulties.
How the candles burn
If a Finnish candle was made with an ax or chainsaw, then it will burn very quickly and will give off a lot of heat and fire. This candle will burn out in about 3-5 hours. There is no fundamental difference between fires created by the first two (described here) methods. Another thing is the Finnish candle, created by drilling. This will burn almost twice as long, but the heat will be less. The latter also flares up the slowest.
Video
Continuing the hiking theme to the delight of the traveler.
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.
