Wood Primus. a.k.a. "Indian Candle". Bonfire Finnish candle, options for its manufacture and methods of breeding Indian candle
This type of fire is also called Finnish or Taiga candle, allows you to use only one log or block of wood for multiple cooking or heating food V field conditions. Extremely economical and efficient in terms of fuel consumption.
The most important thing is to find a dry log and saw 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 use candle planned for cooking, it is better to take short but thick blanks. Then it will be possible to put the dishes directly on the candle, and she herself will stand steadily on the base.
If lighting is important, then it is better to take a longer and thinner workpiece. And if heating is required, then you need to take both a thick and long workpiece. Such a candle can burn for many hours.
Preferably without knots, so that it can be split evenly enough.
The type of tree does not have of great importance, but it should be remembered that resinous trees - "shoot" and give a lot of sparks. It is not recommended to use a candle made of Christmas trees and pine for heating. The birch burns hot and does not shoot, but its flame is strong and one must be careful. In addition, there is a lot of tar in the birch bark and the flame smokes a little, especially at the end of burning. An almost perfect candle is obtained from well-dried aspen. It burns exceptionally evenly, the flame is light and colorless.
In any case, it is good to use dead wood (but not rot). Otherwise, the candle or its blank will have to dry for a long time.
- We split the log along with an ax into four (or 8, if the log is very thick) parts, preferably identical.
- Cut out the middle of each piece. Little by little. We are building.
- We put the split parts of the log together, leaving a gap of a couple of centimeters. If there is a wire, then you can tie them. But not tight.
- In the center of the log we lay a little birch bark and what was taken out of the middle. We set it on fire. Good liquid for kindling coals.
- After the candle flares up, a small crater forms in the center of its star - a burning zone, a kind of firebox. In it, by the way, as in a samovar, you can put additional fuel - charcoal, chips, small cones, etc. This significantly extends the life of the candle.
The magnitude of the flame and burning is easily adjusted by moving and pushing quarters (or eighths) of logs, but this is if a wire tie was not used. - After a stable burning zone has formed in the crater, you can start cooking. As you can see, the combustion zone itself is not very significant and is located strictly under the dishes. No special stands, hangers or props are required for dishes. It is simply placed on a candle, like on an ordinary 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 then it can be used repeatedly. One such candle will allow you to cook food many times on a hike.
Basically, these Finnish (Indian, taiga) candles there are many variations - for example, the log does not split into pieces, but 4~8 longitudinal cuts are made not to the end of the log.
Here is the simplest option.
Part 1. Indian candle or wooden primus candle. Campfire in a backpack. How to cook food on a hike
On a hike or travel "savage", on a picnic or fishing, there is always a question of cooking hot food. Someone builds a big fire, someone drags a primus stove or a package of dry fuel with them.
I want to introduce you to one old method, or rather a device, with which you can cook food, heat yourself or light your way. According to legend, it was borrowed from the North American Indians by the colonialists Christopher Columbus. Hence the name " Indian candle».
The principle of operation of the Indian candle is extremely simple. As in a samovar, combustion takes place in the firebox, and the chimney provides draft. It's like a mini-oven. But in the Indian candle, the role of both the firebox and the pipes is performed by the fuel itself - a log hollow inside. The inner walls of the log itself are burning.
From my travel experience, I can safely say that an Indian candle is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to cook hot food.
Make an Indian Candle maybe everyone and in a few minutes.
For its manufacture, it is necessary to take any log with a diameter of 10 cm or more. Up to 30-40 cm. Preferably without knots, so that it can be split evenly enough. The type of wood doesn't really matter, but remember that resinous trees "shoot" and give off a lot of sparks. It is not recommended to use a candle made of Christmas trees and pine for heating. The birch burns hot and does not shoot, but its flame is strong and one must be careful. In addition, there is a lot of tar in the birch bark and the flame smokes a little, especially at the end of burning. An almost perfect candle is obtained from well-dried aspen. It burns exceptionally evenly, the flame is light and colorless.
In any case, it is good to use dead wood (but not rot). Otherwise, the candle or its blank will have to dry for a long time.
So, we cut a blank 15-40 cm long from a log. If you plan to use a candle for cooking, then it is better to take short but thick blanks. Then it will be possible to put the dishes directly on the candle, and she herself will stand steadily on the base. If lighting is important, then it is better to take a longer and thinner blank, so that it would be comfortable to wear. And if heating is required, then you need to take both a thick and long workpiece. Such a candle can burn for many hours.
1. The log is split lengthwise approximately in the middle. That is why it is important to use a part of the log without knots. They are very easy to split. If you come across a hollow log - this is generally perfect option! This is a ready-made Indian candle, it is enough just to cut it into pieces 20-30 cm long and clean out the rotten insides of the hollow. With the help of a hatchet, the core of the tree is cut down so that a channel with a diameter of 5-7 cm would subsequently form.
2. Both halves are again folded and fastened together in any way. For example, with wire, adhesive tape, nails, glue ... Thus, we got wooden pipe. It is important to ensure that the gaps at the junction of the halves are minimal. Otherwise, it is through these cracks that the candle will quickly burn out.
3. To kindle a candle, a little birch bark (bark) is stuffed into the pipe. At the same time, they make sure that the free passage of air through the pipe is not blocked, otherwise there will be no thrust. If there is no birch bark, you can use several torches. The candle itself is installed so that at its lower end there is a small gap for air to enter. For example, on stones or a couple of logs.
4. The birch bark is set on fire and pushed with a splinter inside the pipe approximately to its center. If it is at the top of the pipe, the candle will burn for a long time, but with a weak flame. This mode is good for heating or warming up a small amount of food. And if you push the birch bark almost to the very bottom (or kindle a candle from below), then the candle will burn out faster, but the flame will be strong. This mode is good for cooking or lighting.
5. When a candle is burning, it is enough to simply regulate the flame strength by blocking the access of air from below the candle (for example, with earth or snow). For cooking, a flame height of 10-15 cm is sufficient.
6. The candle can be used as a torch. Wood is an excellent heat insulator, and even a strong burning candle can be freely held by hand, illuminating your path, or you can install several of these torches to illuminate the tourist camp.
7. To heat food, keep it hot or for heating, it is important to be able to switch the candle to intensive smoldering mode. At the same time, the candle smolders from the inside with practically no flame. At the same time, hot smoke comes out of it. This is achieved by blocking the air from below the spark plug.
8. It takes only a few minutes to heat up, for example, cans of canned food even in winter. It is enough to put the jar on the candle so that there is a small gap for the smoke to escape. If you want to cook food in a pan, then put it on a couple of chips - gaskets, like on a burner gas stove. If there is a bowler hat, it is simply suspended above the candle at a height of 5-10 cm.
Sometimes, for air access and for the release of gases, they simply make the corresponding cuts at the ends of the candle. But this is possible only for candles with a diameter of 20-25 cm or more. Tall and thin candles are not stable and not worth the risk.
When using a candle as a heater in a tent, care must be taken to remove combustion products.
And quite proper heating looks like this. The burning candle is left outside. Above it with an inclination is suspended a short metal pipe. The higher end of the pipe is inserted into the tent. The candle heats the pipe and, accordingly, the air in it, which enters the tent. Thus, the tent is heated hot, but fresh clean air and not smoke.
Once a candle is lit, it is not necessary to burn it out to the end, until it dies. As soon as the food is cooked, the candle is extinguished by cutting off the air from both below and above. For example, by closing it with some non-combustible object like the lid of a pot or by throwing on a damp cloth. Thus, with the help of one Indian candle, you can cook food several times.
Of course, such a candle is much heavier than a stove or a package of dry fuel. But dry fuel is quite expensive. And unlike a primus stove, which must be carried to both ends of the journey, as well as fiddling with a smelly canister of fuel for it, a candle has a one-way ticket. She dies, providing us with hot food, warmth and light.
But when traveling by car or other motorized trips through wild, and especially treeless and mountainous places, a candle will serve you faithfully. Spend a little time making it and you will always be full and warm.
Konstantin Timoshenko
Part 2. Indian Candles or fire without a fire. Cooking in extreme camping conditions
I have already described one of the options for the so-called. "Indian candle", which is made either with an ax, or simply found in the forest in the form of a tree without a core. This article describes another version of the Indian candle, which is easy to make with a chainsaw or power saw. Let me remind you that such a candle allows you to use only one log or block of wood for multiple cooking or heating food in field conditions. In addition, it does not form a fire, like a fire, can be carried during combustion, is very economical and efficient in terms of fuel consumption. It does not leave behind any traces, no fire and, accordingly, does not spoil the landscape.
Being prepared in advance, it can also help out a "stationary" summer resident in the event of a power outage or problems with gas. It will allow you to cook a full meal, heat the room and give some light.
How to make such an Indian candle and how to use it is clear from the photo.
1. We take a dry log of the desired diameter and make cuts 10-15 cm deep at its end in such a way that a kind of asterisk forms from the cuts. They will provide air access to the burning zone, so if you need a candle for lighting or intensive cooking, cuts are made more often. If for long economical burning - less often.
2. In the center of the log we lay a little birch bark and set it on fire. Good liquid for kindling coals.
3. After the candle flares up, a small crater forms in the center of its star - a burning zone, a kind of firebox. By the way, as in a samovar, you can put additional fuel into it - charcoal, wood chips, small cones, etc. This significantly prolongs the life of the candle.
4. After a stable burning zone has formed in the crater, you can start cooking. As you can see, the combustion zone itself is not very significant and is located strictly under the dishes. No special stands, hangers or props are required for dishes. It is simply placed on a candle, like on an ordinary 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.
5. After cooking, the candle is extinguished. And then it can be used repeatedly. You can see a candle in the photo, how economical it is. One such candle will allow you to cook food many times on a hike.
Make yourself such a candle, and you will forever save yourself from the possibility of being left without hot food or tea on a hike or in the country.
Konstantin Timoshenko
This wooden device, with the help of which in the field you can both cook food and heat or light your way. According to legend, it was seen and borrowed from the North American Indians by the colonizers of Christopher Columbus. That is why the Indian candle got its name, and now it is also called - wooden stove, Swedish fire, Finnish candle and the like. On the features of the manufacture and kindling of such Finnish candle and will be discussed below.
For such a Finnish candle, as in the photo below, with a diameter of 8 cm and a length of 10 cm, it will take about 15-20 minutes to make, and it will work for 30-35 minutes. During this time, due to good efficiency, this wooden stove allows you to boil up to 2.5 liters of water. In general, in such small sizes this product is controversial and not for everybody. A diameter of 12 cm and a length of 18 cm will be much more efficient for the work of a Finnish candle. However, in this case the dimensions were chosen based on the fact that only the knife was available. It would be possible for them to do something more, but somewhat difficult.
The type of wood from which the wooden primus will be made does not really matter. However, it should be remembered that, for example, spruce or during burning “shoot” and give a lot of sparks, so using such a Finnish candle for heating will not be very convenient and comfortable. Birch burns well and hot, does not “shoot”, but the flame smokes a little, especially at the end of burning. Dry aspen, which burns with an even and colorless flame, is most suitable. In any case, when making an Indian candle, you should use, if possible, as dry as possible, but not rotten wood.
Features of the manufacture of a wooden primus stove, Indian candle, Finnish candle.
The external proportions of a Finnish candle depend on the intended use - for example, for cooking, a short but thick one is best, for lighting - long and thin, so that it is comfortable to wear. But for heating - thick and long, it will burn for several hours. The process of making a wooden stove is very simple. First, we saw off the workpiece of the desired length.
We split the wooden round timber in half and then the halves in half again. I would like to note that splitting the workpiece into four parts is not at all necessary. The fewer slots there are, the later it is through these slots that the Indian candle will burn out. However, cutting the core of the two halves of the workpiece is long, more tedious and more difficult than cutting the corners of the quarters.
We cut the core of the quarters and make notches on them to make it look like this.
We firmly connect the wooden quarters of our future Finnish candle with wire, achieving the tightest possible fit to each other, and stuff the middle with small pieces of birch bark, a torch or sawdust left over from planing so that the free passage of air through the channel is not blocked, otherwise it will not there will be traction. If possible, the Indian candle should be placed on stones or poles so that there is a small gap at its lower end for air to enter. If not, then a small side air duct should be cut in advance at the bottom of the workpiece.
A small video of a finished Finnish candle.
Features of kindling a wooden stove, an Indian candle, a Finnish candle.
We kindle the made wooden stove. It should be borne in mind that if the main focus of fire is concentrated in the upper part of the channel of the Indian candle, then it will burn for a long time, but with a weak flame, and if you kindle a candle from below, it will burn out faster, but the flame will be strong. The process of kindling itself requires some skill and practice, but each time it will get faster and faster.
A small video of kindling a wooden stove.
Adjusting the flame strength of a wooden primus stove, an Indian candle, a Finnish candle.
The strength of the flame of a wooden primus stove is quite simple to regulate by shutting off the air supply from below. For cooking, a flame height of 8-10 cm is sufficient. When using a Finnish candle as a torch, you can hold it in your hand, even if it is burning strongly, the tree is a good heat insulator.
A small video of burning wood stove..
When air is completely blocked from below the Indian candle, it goes into intensive smoldering mode, which is convenient for heating already prepared, but cooled food. In addition, an Indian candle does not have to be burned out from beginning to end. As soon as the need for it disappears, it is simply extinguished by blocking the access of air at the same time from below and from above. But for example, the same wooden stove, but made in larger sizes.
On a camping trip, a “savage” trip, on a fishing trip or on a picnic, one of the main questions is how to cook hot food. For some, this is even the most main question- they go on a hike to enjoy hot food in nature. Everyone deals with this issue differently. Some make a big fire, others carry a primus stove, others use dry fuel.
Tourist stove
It will certainly be useful for you to get acquainted with another universal device (in Russian - a camping stove), which allows you to cook hot food, keep warm, and illuminate the road in the dark. According to legend, this ancient device was borrowed by the team of Christopher Columbus from the North American Indians. That is why it is called "Indian candle".
The principle of operation of the Indian candle
Understanding how it works is very simple. Combustion, as in a samovar, takes place in a firebox, and draft is provided by a pipe. But both the firebox and the pipe are the fuel itself - a log hollow inside. Its inner walls are on fire. According to experienced tourists, an Indian candle is a very effective and cheap device. It is easy to prepare in a few minutes. Any log is taken, preferably without knots, as it is to be split into pieces. Diameter from 10 to 40 cm. The type of wood does not really matter, but we must remember that the resinous tree “shoots” and gives a lot of sparks.
For this reason, spruce and pine candles are not recommended for heating. Birch does not shoot and burns hot, but gives a strong flame and therefore caution is required. In addition, the birch flame smokes a little due to the tar contained in its bark. The ideal material for an Indian candle is well-dried aspen. It burns very evenly, the flame is colorless and light. It is clear that it is good to have dead wood (but not rotten). Raw workpiece has to dry for a long time.
So, there is a log. A workpiece 15-45 cm long is sawn from it. If the candle is planned to be used as a plate, then a short thick workpiece is preferable. You can directly put dishes on it, and it itself stands steadily on its base. If a candle is more important for lighting, then better workpiece make it thinner and more authentic so that it is more convenient to hold it in your hand. Well, if a candle is needed for heating, then you need both a thick and long blank that can burn for several hours.
The blank (which, as you remember, does not have serious knots) splits into pieces along the middle. With a hatchet, the core of each part of the workpiece is cut down so that after connecting the parts a channel 3-4 cm wide is formed. By the way, if a hollow log comes across, then this is great luck. It is enough to cut such a log into logs with lengths of 20-30 cm and clean the hollow from rotten entrails, and several Indian candles are ready.
The folded parts of the workpiece are fastened in any way (wire, nails, adhesive tape, etc.). It turns out a wooden pipe. It is important at the same time to ensure that the gaps at the joints of the halves are minimal. You can even caulk them with moss, grass or clay. Otherwise, it is along these cracks that the candle will burn out with unnecessary speed.
The candle is installed vertically with a small gap at the base for air access. You can set the candle on stones or on a couple of logs. To kindle a candle, pieces of birch bark or dry splinter are stuffed inside the pipe. This kindling must be positioned so that it does not overlap. free movement air through the pipe. If a traffic jam forms, then there will be no traction.
The kindling is ignited and pushed with a splinter approximately into the center of the pipe. If it is left at the top of the pipe, then the burning of the candle will be long with a weak flame. This mode is suitable if you need to heat up a small amount of food. The same mode is optimal for heating.
If you push the kindling closer to the bottom of the candle (or kindle it from below), then burning will be faster with a strong flame. It is good for cooking and for lighting. The strength of the flame of a camping stove is easily regulated by blocking the access of air through the gap at the base with earth or snow. For cooking, the flame should be 10-15 cm high.
A candle can serve as a torch. Wood is a good heat insulator, and you can safely take a candle in your hand, even if it burns strongly. You can also arrange a few burning torches to illuminate the tourist camp.
Heating, warming up food, as well as keeping food hot should take place in the mode of intense smoldering of the candle. Transfer to this mode is achieved by blocking the access of air through the base of the candle. At the same time, hot smoke comes out of the candle - a product of smoldering from the inside of the candle - smoldering with virtually no flame.
It takes several minutes to warm up, for example, cans of stew (even in winter). You just need to put the jar on the candle, leaving a small gap for smoke. If the food is in a saucepan or pot, then it can be put on a couple of chips, like on a home stove burner.
If the candles are thick (from 20 cm or more), then for air access and to ensure the release of gases, cuts can be made at the ends of the candle up to half the candle deep. But on tall and thin candles, cuts should not be made, as they are not stable. If the candle is used as a heater in a tent, then it is necessary to provide for the removal of combustion products. And quite the right heating is organized like this.
A burning candle is placed outside the tent outside. Above it is suspended with a slope short tin pipe. The high end of the pipe is inserted into the tent. The burning candle heats the pipe and at the same time the air in the pipe, and this air rises into the tent. At the same time, the tent is heated not with smoke, but with clean hot air. Used camp stove you don't have to burn it to the end. It is necessary to extinguish it, blocking the access of air from above and below. You can, for example, close it with some non-combustible thing like a frying pan or a damp cloth.
One Indian candle will serve several times. You will say that an Indian candle is much heavier than packets of dry fuel or a stove. Yes, but dry fuel costs money, and as for the stove, you need to carry it in a backpack to both ends of your journey, and in addition to it - a fragrant canister of fuel. Unlike a primus, an Indian candle is endowed with a one-way ticket only; serving you, she dies. If you travel by transport through wild treeless places, then with the help of an Indian candle you will always be with hot food and always warmed up. Just don't be too lazy to make it ahead of time.
We emphasize once again that an Indian candle is just one log used for multiple uses. It does not form a fire, it can be carried while burning, it does not spoil the landscape. A pre-prepared candle can also help out a settled summer resident in an emergency situation when the lights are turned off or there is a problem with gas.
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On a hike or travel "savage", on a picnic or fishing, there is always a question of cooking hot food. Someone builds a big fire, someone drags a primus stove or a package of dry fuel with them.
I want to introduce you to one old method, or rather a device, with which you can cook food, heat yourself or light your way. According to legend, it was borrowed from the North American Indians by the colonialists Christopher Columbus. That's why it got the name "Indian candle".
The principle of operation of the Indian candle is extremely simple. As in a samovar, combustion takes place in the firebox, and the chimney provides draft. It's like a mini-oven. But in the Indian candle, the role of both the firebox and the pipes is performed by the fuel itself - a log hollow inside. The inner walls of the log itself are burning.
From my travel experience, I can safely say that an Indian candle is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to cook hot food.
Anyone can make an Indian candle in a few minutes.
For its manufacture, it is necessary to take any log with a diameter of 10 cm or more. Up to 30-40 cm. Preferably without knots, so that it can be split evenly enough. The type of tree does not matter much, but it should be remembered that resinous trees “shoot” and give a lot of sparks. It is not recommended to use a candle made of Christmas trees and pine for heating. The birch burns hot and does not shoot, but its flame is strong and one must be careful. In addition, there is a lot of tar in the birch bark and the flame smokes a little, especially at the end of burning. An almost perfect candle is obtained from well-dried aspen. It burns exceptionally evenly, the flame is light and colorless.
In any case, it is good to use dead wood (but not rot). Otherwise, the candle or its blank will have to dry for a long time.
So, we cut a blank 15-40 cm long from a log. If you plan to use a candle for cooking, then it is better to take short but thick blanks. Then it will be possible to put the dishes directly on the candle, and she herself will stand steadily on the base. If lighting is important, then it is better to take a longer and thinner workpiece. To make it comfortable to wear. And if heating is required, then you need to take both a thick and long workpiece. Such a candle can burn for many hours.
1. The log is split lengthwise approximately in the middle. That is why it is important to use a part of the log without knots. They are very easy to split. If you come across a hollow log - this is generally ideal! This is a ready-made Indian candle, it is enough just to cut it into pieces 20-30 cm long and clean out the rotten insides of the hollow.
With the help of a hatchet, the core of the tree is cut down so that a channel with a diameter of 5-7 cm would subsequently form.
2. Both halves are again folded and fastened together in any way. For example, wire, adhesive tape, nails, glue... Thus, we got a wooden pipe. It is important to ensure that the gaps at the junction of the halves are minimal. Otherwise, it is through these cracks that the candle will quickly burn out.
3. To kindle a candle, a little birch bark (bark) is stuffed into the pipe. At the same time, they make sure that the free passage of air through the pipe is not blocked, otherwise there will be no thrust. If there is no birch bark, you can use several torches. The candle itself is installed so that at its lower end there is a small gap for air to enter. For example, on stones or a couple of logs.
4. The birch bark is set on fire and pushed with a splinter inside the pipe approximately to its center. If it is at the top of the pipe, the candle will burn for a long time, but with a weak flame. This mode is good for heating or warming up a small amount of food. And if you push the birch bark almost to the very bottom (or kindle a candle from below), then the candle will burn out faster, but the flame will be strong. This mode is good for cooking or lighting.
5. When a candle is burning, it is enough to simply regulate the flame strength by blocking the access of air from below the candle (for example, with earth or snow). For cooking, a flame height of 10-15 cm is sufficient.
6. The candle can be used as a torch. Wood is an excellent heat insulator, and even a strong burning candle can be freely held by hand, illuminating your path, or you can install several of these torches to illuminate the tourist camp.
7. To heat food, keep it hot or for heating, it is important to be able to switch the candle to intensive smoldering mode. At the same time, the candle smolders from the inside with practically no flame. At the same time, hot smoke comes out of it. This is achieved by blocking the air from below the spark plug.
8. It takes only a few minutes to heat up, for example, canned food even in winter. It is enough to put the jar on the candle so that there would be a small gap for the smoke to escape. If you want to cook food in a saucepan, then it is placed on a couple of chips - gaskets, like on a gas stove burner. If there is a bowler hat, it is simply suspended above the candle at a height of 5-10 cm.
Sometimes, for air access and for the release of gases, they simply make the corresponding cuts at the ends of the candle. But this is possible only for candles with a diameter of 20-25 cm or more. Tall and thin candles are not stable and not worth the risk.
When using a candle as a heater in a tent, care must be taken to remove combustion products.
A completely correct heating looks something like this. The burning candle is left outside. A short metal pipe is suspended above it with an inclination. The higher end of the pipe is inserted into the tent. The candle heats the pipe and, accordingly, the air in it, which enters the tent. Thus, the tent is heated with hot, but fresh, clean air, and not with smoke.
Once a candle is lit, it is not necessary to burn it out to the end, until it dies. As soon as the food is cooked, the candle is extinguished by cutting off the air from both below and above. For example, by closing it with some non-combustible object like the lid of a pot, or by throwing on a damp cloth. Thus, with the help of one Indian candle, you can cook food several times.
Of course, such a candle is much heavier than a stove or a package of dry fuel. But dry fuel is quite expensive. And unlike a primus stove, which must be carried to both ends of the journey, as well as fiddling with a smelly canister of fuel for it, a candle has a one-way ticket. She dies, providing us with hot food, warmth and light.
But when traveling by car or other motorized trips through wild, and especially treeless and mountainous places, a candle will serve you faithfully. Spend a little time making it and you will always be full and warm.
