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 most simple 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 a feather drill for 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, another side hole needs to be made 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 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.
There are many types of fires, and we need them, like the fire itself, in the forest for various purposes - for cooking, heating, illumination in the dark and scaring away wild animals. Let's look at the main types of fires and talk about how to light them.
It is important to light a fire with care to prevent the possibility of a fire. It’s best to use the previous fire pit. Make sure there are no stumps, dry grass, leaves, or bush branches nearby. Clear the area thoroughly. Do not leave the fire, but carefully extinguish it. To do this, pour a bucket of water over the fire and cover it with earth.
Bonfire - hut
You will need: kindling, tree branches, matches or other ignition material.
This known species fire. Small branches are placed in the shape of the hut, and kindling is placed in the center. As it burns, larger branches are added.
This type of fire is good for cooking, heating and lighting. The downside is that it requires constant addition of fuel.
For kindling, birch bark is suitable - the “paper” bark of a birch tree, which is spaced from the trunk. It happens both on standing wood and on fallen wood. If there is none, then bark that fits tightly to the birch trunk will do. In this case, in order not to injure the tree or expose the trunk, remove only upper layer birch bark To do this, a longitudinal cut is made, and half of the birch bark is easily removed. Also suitable for kindling are spruce bark with resin, dry grass, small twigs, moss, etc.
Bonfire star
You will need: an axe, kindling, up to 10 long logs, matches or other means for lighting.
Such a fire does not burn intensely, but is economical and does not require frequent addition of new branches. It requires up to 10 long logs. The logs are laid in the form of an asterisk, so that they diverge from one point in a circle. The center of the star is set on fire, and as it burns, the logs are moved towards the center.
Bonfire well
You will need: axe, kindling, logs, matches or other kindling material.
The logs are stacked in a log house. We put kindling - wood chips, twigs, dry grass, chopped small firewood - inside the log house and set it on fire. After some time, the logs themselves are engaged.
In such a fire, the logs burn slowly, and a lot of coals will be created, releasing high temperatures. It is suitable for cooking, heating and lighting.
The advantage of this fire is good air circulation and oxygen access to the burning wood.
Log fire - Finnish candle
You will need: saw, axe, log, kindling, matches or other kindling device.
Another simple way to start a fire, which will also allow you to easily cook food. Take a log, 15-35 cm in diameter, or saw off part of the log. It is important that the log is cut from the log clearly vertically, so that it can stand securely on its base, and on top there is a horizontal surface on which to place a saucepan or kettle.
Chop the log with an ax or saw into four to six pieces. Gather the pieces back into the log so that they stand vertically, but slightly apart, about two centimeters. In the resulting space, place kindling - twigs, dry grass and birch bark. Place the twigs and wood chips horizontally, in different directions, in the space between the parts of the log, and then set fire to the resulting filler. The kindling will burn out, and then the firewood itself will take over. You will get a reliable, upward-pointing flame. Since the logs are vertical and bunched together, high temperatures are generated on top. Adjust the temperature by moving the logs apart and moving them apart. And since there is space between the firewood, this promotes air circulation, as a result of which the flame does not go out. Place a pot or frying pan on top of this firewood for cooking, or place a kettle and boil water.
U this method there are variations. Instead of splitting the log into pieces, you can make cuts to the middle of the log. Another option is to use several whole logs instead of parts of one log; this will increase the operating time of the Finnish candle.
Bonfire Pyramid
You will need: axe, kindling, logs various sizes, matches or other igniter.
It's a slow fire, but long burning. It is useless when the logs are damp, since they are stacked tightly and there is very little air circulation. However, in dry weather this is great guy fire, allowing you to practically not worry about its maintenance.
The fire pyramid consists of several layers. At the bottom there are two large logs laid parallel. Several logs of smaller diameter are placed on them, in a continuous layer across the bottom two logs. The third layer is even thinner logs and the same across the second layer, and then we continue in the same spirit up to 8-10 layers. Kindling is placed on top, which is set on fire.
Bonfire Dakota
You will need: a shovel, kindling, firewood, matches or other means of ignition.
It is done in the ground. A hole is dug 30-50 cm deep and 30 cm in diameter. After the cylindrical hole has been dug, step back 10 cm from the top and expand the bottom of the hole so that the hole takes the shape of a light bulb. And then, stepping back 30 centimeters from the dug hole, dig another hole with a tunnel to the first one. Dig the second hole in relation to the wind: if the wind blows from the left, then dig a hole to the left of the first, if the wind blows from the right, then dig a hole to the right. This is needed for traction. Next, we put kindling in the first hole and set it on fire, and then gradually add larger branches and logs.
This type of fire is suitable for windy areas where it is difficult to light a fire on the surface. Such a fire does not smoke and is hardly noticeable, therefore, if you want to hide your presence, it is better to place the fuel no higher than the edges of the pit, otherwise the fire will smoke. At night, this fire is also not noticeable, since the flames are mainly concentrated below the surface of the earth.
On a Dakota fire you can quickly boil water or cook food in a pot. It is convenient to regulate the draft of this fire by opening and closing the second pit.
Bonfire in the winter forest – Nodya
You will need: an axe, kindling or coals from another fire, two logs same size- 2-3 m in length, two poles - 4-5 meters in length, two twigs-hooks, matches or other means for ignition.
This is actually not even a fire, but a smoldering powerful source of heat. It is reliable, long lasting, warm and discreet as it does not burn brightly. This good way making a fire in the snowy winter. Nodya heats for a very long time, but it is better to take into account that it is designed to heat only one person.
The node looks like two logs 2-3 m long, laid on top of each other horizontally, with a wall with a small gap of 2-2.5 cm. To prevent the top log from rolling off, a special one is made suspension system from two poles and two hook branches.
For nodes, it is better to take standing wood, as it is important that it be dry. Two large logs of equal length are required. You also need 4-5 meter poles with a fork at the end. It is important that the poles are elastic. We insert them into the snow or under a tree trunk at an angle to the top log. You also need two hook branches.
We hang the top log. We make a nick from the top of the edge of the log with a strong blow and hammer the hanger hook into the nick. We do the same on the other side. We take a log and hang it on poles by the hangers. The poles should rest against the hooks. To do this, you can support the poles from below with logs, branches, etc. The poles hold the top log, preventing it from rolling down during the burning process.
There are two ways to light a node.
- IN bottom log Wedges are driven into the sides, on which the pole is placed. It turns out to be a shelf on which coals from a regular daytime fire are placed. And the node flares up from these coals.
- Second way. We need to stuff kindling between the logs. To do this, initially create a gap between the logs using support sticks. Having stuffed the kindling, we set it on fire, the knot flares up, and we remove the supports.
Nodya should burn along the entire length of the logs, this is very important. If you do not use the ends of the logs, the middle will burn out, the gap between the logs will increase and the node will go out. If it smolders throughout the log, it will work for up to 15 hours.
Important! You won't be able to install the node the first time! In order to start winter sleepovers with Nadia, you will need a lot of training setups first.
Fire in a wet forest
You will need: axe, knife, logs, branches different diameters, matches or other source of fire, tarpaulin or awning.
To light a fire in a wet forest, you will need to get dry wood chips. How to do it?
Wet twigs are not suitable for this. Take thick log, split into pieces and plan dry shavings from the core, which will turn out to be dry. You can cut the lower branches from the trees, and by cutting away the damp upper wood, you will get to the dry center. Thin, dead spruce trees are also suitable, and for the fire you need fragments of trunks coated with resin, because It protects the wood from moisture penetration, and it is also possible to plan dry chips from this wood.
The process of collecting shavings and wood chips is long – an hour or even two. However, if you have a lot of fine wood shavings, the fire will burn quickly and easily. During rain or snow, to prevent the shavings from getting wet, cover yourself and the shavings with a piece of polyethylene or tarpaulin, or collect the shavings under an awning.
When there are a lot of shavings, melt them and place small wet sticks around them - vertically, in the form of a hut. As they dry, they will start to burn. Next, install larger sticks, etc.
To maintain a blazing fire, collect spruce bark with resin, as well as birch bark, which contains flammable tar.
Gas burners instead of a fire for cooking
You will need: gas-burner and a balloon.
Gas-burner- an excellent source of fire for cooking; with its help you can easily and quickly heat up a kettle or cook food for 1-3 people. You don't have to waste time making a fire, getting coals, and after cooking, putting out the fire.
Also, by using a burner, you do not harm nature. Fires leave burnt circles for several years; a burner allows you to avoid this.
The disadvantage of a burner compared to a fire is that it weighs a lot, and you have to carry the cylinders on yourself. Also with low temperatures and in the mountains the burners do not work well. But the rest is good source fire. Especially if you go to nature reserves where fires are not allowed. Also, a gas burner is a good option for a fire source in a wet forest, where it is difficult to organize a fire, and you don’t want to spend hours preparing coals.
Hello, dear users of this site. It's summer. The most convenient and good time for nature trips, picnics, and fishing. In general - the most best time for an active holiday.
Every time, going out into nature, many people take with them a pile of firewood or coals on which to cook food. It is not always possible to find dead wood at a vacation spot to use as flammable material. Therefore, I want to tell you how you can make a so-called Finnish candle. The good thing about it is that it doesn’t take much time to make and it burns for quite a long time. To make such a device, you only need a piece of log, a drill with a drill bit and a chainsaw.
The author of this master class initially took a small log and worried about making it easy to saw. To do this, he drills a hole in a shorter log, drives a stick into it, and also makes a hole in a second, longer log. He puts on a small log and a longer one and already saws. Here's how it happens and what comes out of it.
Next, he takes a regular paraffin candle and drips paraffin into the cuts from the inside.
Then he takes a newspaper several centimeters longer than the depth of the slot in the log and crumbles candle shavings into it. The edges are also melted with molten paraffin. The resulting part is inserted into the slot of the block.
Then this wick is set on fire and the candle flares up.
This is just one of the options. Usually in nature, my friends and I have prepared a candle blank in advance, a thicker log and no candles with a wick. A waste of time. In our country, small wood shavings and dry grass are poured into the slots and set on fire. Much faster and more convenient. According to the author, this candle burns for no more than half an hour. And the production time is twenty minutes. In our case, the production time is no more than five minutes. And it burns longer. But this depends on the thickness of the log. It is easy to install - either stands on its own if the lower part of the log is wide enough, or is dug into the ground. All you need to do is prepare the fish soup and boil the tea. So there you go. But in general - quite comfortable and useful thing. Saves time and effort!
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 platforms, cleared land, fire-resistant tiles, a metal stand to prevent the surrounding vegetation from catching fire.
Method 2. Candle made from logs
- Burning time: 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 block. 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.
Necessary materials: 3 logs of the same height. No tools required.
Manufacturing sequence
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 due to the large diameter, the combustion duration is extended.
Stands out more heat than with other designs of taiga candles. 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 to 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 of 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-bonfires are convenient to use for temporary illumination of dark areas without landscape lamps. 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
Many tourists, hunters and fishermen, in order to boil water at a rest stop, had to decide how to light a fire in windy weather. More than once or twice they thought about how to make it so that they did not have to constantly adapt to the changing wind, placing firewood on the right side, or moving a stick with a pot hanging on it. And the way out of this situation is not difficult. It is enough to light a “Finnish candle”.
This memorable name hides a whole group of wood structures that allow you to warm up and cook food in hiking conditions with sufficient comfort. The ability to make a Finnish candle, both among tourists and among hunters, fishermen and simply lovers of outdoor recreation, is not common. Let's try to fix this. So, let's begin.
Today there are many names for this method of making a fire:
- Finnish candle;
- Swedish candle;
- Indian candle;
- hunting candle;
- wooden primus stove.
Underneath them are hidden fires that are fundamentally similar in design, built inside a specially prepared chock or between several combined chocks standing vertically.
Application area
Similar options Suitable for both cooking and heating.
Moreover, a full-fledged fire can be lit even with a lack of fuel, sometimes making do with just one log.
This long-burning fire tolerates windy weather well, it is quite compact, economical, does not require installation additional accessories for cooking and tolerates precipitation quite tolerably. Since even heavy rain, with the pot standing on the fire, will not be able to extinguish it.
During its use, many changes were made to the design, depending on the conditions of use. Classic bonfire " Finnish candle"originally consisted of a log, split into two halves, then fastened in places where they were chipped one to another using wire, rope or other available materials. Over time, for better combustion, the chock was no longer split into two halves, but into large quantity parts. Then, instead of splitting, they began to make cuts and even assemble a fire from several logs pressed vertically against each other.
How to make a Finnish candle
First of all, you need to decide on the design. This depends on several factors:
- the presence of thick logs at the resting place and good tools;
- the presence of wire for tying thin logs and split logs;
- soil composition;
- number of people in the group;
- the need to dry things.
Almost all options are divided into two groups according to manufacturing method:
- from one fairly thick piece of wood;
- from several logs with a smaller diameter.
Now let's proceed directly to manufacturing.
Solid block with cuts
To do this, take a piece of wood with a diameter of 20 cm. We make cuts in it so that we get several lobes. Usually their number ranges from two to eight. Then, in the center of the log, using wood chips and available materials, a fire is lit. To do this, you can lightly chop off the central parts of the lobes.
Gradually the fire spreads down the cuts. The fewer cuts, the longer burning, the more there are, the hotter the fire. The cuts are made to a depth of up to 3/4 of the height. Oxygen penetrates through the cuts to the combustion site. Over time, this version of the Finnish candle burns out the upper middle part, and the open fire turns into smoldering. After this, cooking will be quite difficult, but for heating it will be quite suitable.
Split Wood
This option is very similar to the first. In it, all parts of the initially chopped lump are tightly connected with wire to each other. First, the central parts of the lobes are slightly planed. This will provide enough wood chips for ignition and create channels for air draft. After this, the parts of the chock are tightly tied together with wire, starting from the middle.
You need to tighten the bottom especially carefully, otherwise your fire will fall apart as it burns out. You can also use rope instead of wire, but this option is less reliable. Please note one nuance: unlike sawn wood, the chips are pressed very tightly. There is practically no fire coming through the sides, so this option cannot be used as a heater. But it burns longer without disintegrating, it can be moved quite easily from place to place if necessary, and it has a fairly strongly directed flame.
Chock with two holes
As the name suggests, a couple of holes are made in a vertically standing block. One from top to bottom, to the same length as the cuts in the first option, at 3/4 of the height. The other is at right angles to the first at a height of 1/4 from the bottom of the block, so that the holes are connected.
You can ignite both through the top hole and through the bottom. This method is the most effective for cooking, but also the most difficult to make due to the need to use additional tool.
Assembly of thin logs
This option Suitable if you don't have any tools. In this case, three to five logs are placed on their ends and tied in a vertical position.
Such a stove is easier to manufacture and ignites much easier, which is important if you have insufficient experience.
The first three options require a log with a diameter of 20 to 30 centimeters. Large diameters are not advisable. The height should be approximately twice the diameter. With this ratio of diameter and height, your hearth will be the most stable.
Now let’s take a closer look at perhaps the most important issue. How to light a fire, which is described above. Even for experienced tourists, this problem will arise during their first attempts. How can you make a Finnish candle burn faster? Yes, very simple. It is enough to remember the elementary laws of nature:
- the flame burns only if there is a sufficient supply of oxygen;
- heated air always tends upward.
Therefore, for successful combustion it is necessary to ensure that these two conditions are met. Namely, there must be at least a small gap between the parts of the chopped wood so that the flame moves freely upward, and there must be a free flow of air from below. This can be achieved in the following ways:
- slightly cut off the central parts of the chopped logs with a knife or an ax;
- using available means (for example, stones or a pair of thin sticks) raise the fire above the ground;
- chop off the lower parts of at least two adjacent parts so that a small channel for air flow is formed into the center of the fire.
The second option is not very successful, since a fire lit in this way will not be stable enough.
Cooking
Finally, let's move on to the most “delicious” part. How to cook on a Finnish candle? It turns out that it’s also nothing complicated. Any cookware that can withstand cooking over a fire will do.
But we must not forget that the fire must be provided with a way out. If you place a saucepan or kettle directly on the chock, the fire will stop burning normally and the water will not boil. This issue can be resolved as follows:
- place a stand on top of the log in the form of two freshly cut sticks up to 5 cm thick;
- When assembling, two or three parts of your candle should be higher than the rest by the same distance.
In the second case, this can be achieved different ways. If we assemble a candle from several thin logs, then in advance, when cutting, two of them are made longer than the others. When placed vertically, they will provide the necessary gap between the dishes and the surface. Or, when assembling, you can move two logs slightly upward compared to the rest. You can do the same in the case of chopped logs. This method allows you to simultaneously provide two channels for air supply from below. And the fire will burn more steadily and hotter.
Happy travels!
