Finnish candle with their own hands. Three logs placed side by side
Hello dear users of this site. It's summer outside. The most convenient and good time for hiking, picnics, fishing. In general, the most best time for an active holiday.
Every time, leaving for nature, many people take with them a bunch of firewood or coals, on which food will be cooked. It is not always possible to find dead wood at the place of recreation to use it as combustible material. Therefore, I want to tell you how you can make the so-called Finnish candle. It is good because it does not take much time to make it and it burns for a long time. To make such a device, you only need a piece of log, a drill with a drill and a chainsaw.
The author of this master class initially took a small log and got confused about making it convenient to cut it. 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 is already sawing. Here's how it happens and what comes out of it.
Further, he takes an ordinary paraffin candle and dips the cuts with paraffin from the inside.
Then he takes a newspaper a few centimeters longer than the depth of the cut 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 lit and the candle flares up.
It's just one of the options. Usually in nature, I and my friends, having prepared a candle blank in advance, a thicker log and no candles with a wick. Extra waste of time. In our slot, already in nature, small wood chips, dry grass are poured and set on fire. Much faster and more convenient. The author, according to him, this candle burns no more than half an hour. And the production time is twenty minutes. In our case, the manufacturing time is not more than five minutes. And it burns longer. But it depends on the thickness of the log. It is easy to install - either it stands on its own, if the lower part of the log is wide enough, or it is dug into the ground. It is enough to prepare an ear and boil tea. So like this. But in general - quite convenient and useful thing. Saves time and effort!
Before you make a Finnish candle, prepare a saw, wire or sticky tape, nails and a log that will become candles. 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 species has its own characteristics. For example, a Christmas tree and a pine sparkle when burned, so it is better not to take them for heating. You need to be more careful with birch, because it burns very strongly, you can get burned, and it smokes a little because of the tar in the bark. The best option is a 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 make a fire for cooking, take a thick and short log so that you can put dishes directly on it. The candle will remain stable. For lighting, on the contrary, a long and thin candle will be convenient, which can be carried if necessary. And for heating, you need a thick and long one so that for a long time burn.
3. Split a dry log into four pieces. Of these, a Swedish bonfire will later be assembled.
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. Perfect option if you find a hollow tree. After cutting or splitting, you will need to scrape out the rotted middle of the hollow.
5. Fold 4 logs into a single log, winding them with wire, trying to leave as few gaps as possible. So they do not fall apart and do not quickly burn out through big gaps. Thus, you should be able to solid log with an empty center.
6. Put the sawdust that remained after cutting the middle or birch bark into the formed opening for kindling. The filling of a wooden stove and its location affects the degree of combustion. Located at the top of the hole, the birch bark will burn for a long time, only weakly. Such a candle is more suitable for heating food or for heating. Well, if you put birch bark on the bottom, then 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, put a candle on stones or logs.
That's the whole instruction on how to make a taiga candle.
Finnish candle - simple and effective for boiling water and cooking in the field.
Its essence lies in the fact that two longitudinal cuts are made in the log, perpendicular to each other, as a result of which an X-shaped crosshair is formed at the end. The depth and number of cuts depends on the desired time and intensity of burning. The good thing about this configuration is that you can choose the overall length of the log and the depth of the cuts, so you have the ability to raise the burning part of the log above the ground or snow to the desired height if you don't want your fire to sink into the snow, or left noticeable scorch marks on the ground. Commercial and field representatives of this configuration are often cut with a chainsaw, the chain of which is wide enough to make such a Finnish candle easy to ignite later.
Nevertheless, my attempts to make it with a folding tourist saw were unsuccessful, and I see the reasons for this as follows:
- The small thickness of the saw, due to which the existing cuts do not provide the proper air flow to ignite the insides of the log.
- The inability to influence the processes occurring inside the log. A log with cuts is a kind of monolith that cannot be moved apart or looked inside. Everything that falls into the cut back is unlikely to be removed, again due to their small width. If you make a mistake, there is no way to fix it and, most likely, you will have to break the existing one or cut another log.
- Smooth cuts of wood inside the cuts, which is why it does not flare up well. For tangential ignition, the flame emitted by kindling in the early stages of combustion is not enough, and the combustion temperature is still not enough to burn the fibers deep.
- When the cuts are densely filled with kindling (sawdust, leaves, bark fragments, etc.), the air flow is even more blocked, thereby disturbing the balance.
In addition to trying the primary ignition (by igniting the kindling inside the cuts), I also tried the secondary one (with the help of coals from another fire), but although the success is increasing, such a Finnish candle requires another fire, as well as an impressive amount of time to burn and inflate. Not that it was a pleasant and 100% reliable option.
In general, I consider this configuration not the best. If you have a chainsaw - yes, but only with tourist saw- it is better to use other configurations. Wider holes can theoretically be obtained by making not one, but two cuts on each side at a distance of about a centimeter from each other, with further removal of the wood between them. But in this case, I consider the labor costs too significant and ineffective to start doing this at all. In addition, for this configuration, you generally need to have a saw with you, otherwise it is not at all possible to make longitudinal cuts in a log.
Finnish candle - configuration 2
This configuration eliminates most of the problems with narrow kerfs and the need for a saw. to create it, you can get by with an ax, or even just a knife, if you didn’t have other tools with you. Moreover, for this configuration, not only an evenly sawn log will fit, but also its chopped off analogue, which will not have such a flat surface.
With an ax, or a knife using and / or, the log is split into quarters. If they are not quite even, it is not critical, because. we are interested, first of all, in the possibility of installing dishes on top of a Finnish candle, and not in appearance.
Further, on the inner surfaces of each quarter, using the same ax or knife, a lot of notches should be made, exfoliating part of the wood in the form of chips and feathers. Their direction must be opposite to the direction of fire movement, i.e. the fire inside the log should flare up not along the chips, but "against the wool." This wood chips will later play the role of kindling for the Finnish candle, significantly speeding up and simplifying its ignition.
In the next step, the processed quarters are usually dug into the ground, pulled together with wire or rope at the bottom, which ensures necessary support and stability when placing dishes on top of a log. After fixing, the gaps between the quarters are filled with kindling and small combustible materials (sawdust, leaves, pine needles, bark fragments, etc.)
A significant advantage of this configuration over the previous one is the following positive aspects:
- The ability to influence the width of the gap between the quarters of the log. They stuffed too much kindling, and blocked the flow of air - the quarters can always be moved apart and some of the materials removed, then compact the soil again and go back a step. Such a Finnish candle forgives some mistakes that the previous configuration does not allow.
- Notches on the inner surface of the quarters flare up much faster and easier than even walls from the previous configuration due to the increased contact surface. Due to this, less third-party kindling is required.
Among other things, this configuration ignites equally well using primary (ignition of tinder and kindling) and secondary ignition (coals from another fire). So, in the photo above, a few coals were simply thrown inside the Finnish candle, and then everything happened by itself. It was not necessary to inflate anything, tk. to control the flow of air, simply push the quarters to the required width. Notches inside the log quickly raise the flame above its surface, and the Finnish candle goes into its working mode.
Finnish candle - configuration 3
This configuration will require the most materials to create, but it has the highest efficiency and run time in my experience.
For the third configuration of the Finnish candle, you will need as many as three logs of approximately the same length. Fortunately, it is almost always possible to cut them from one tree trunk. The length and diameter of the logs are selected based on the desired working time and the duration of cooking certain dishes.
Try to choose a log without bark, or additionally debark it before continuing. The bark is the natural protection of the tree from many negative factors, including fire, because logs with bark, due to their increased density, flare up much worse. On the outside of three of the six halves of the logs, you will need to make notches that you already know from the previous configuration. They, as in the previous case, will play the role of kindling and help with the spread of flame to large area inside the future Finnish candle.
After the notches are made, place the halves with them in the shape of a triangle, notches inward. Remember also that the flame inside the Finnish candle must go against the "wool" formed by the notches. With the remaining three halves, support the notched halves as shown in the photo above.
Next, the channel inside the three halves should be filled with tinder and kindling and ignited. Until the moment when the logs themselves ignite, you will get some kind of semblance inside the logs, therefore in the early stages you will observe mainly a large amount of smoke coming out of the bowels of the Finnish candle.
But as the temperature rises and the coal base accumulates, the logs themselves will light up, and your Finnish candle will go into its operating mode, accompanied by a high flame. This design is reminiscent of Eternal flame, with long flames and a clearly distinguishable rumble during operation. But this configuration is good not only, and not so much for this, as for the possibility of replacing logs as they burn out. It is not a monolith (like configuration 1), there are no connected or twisted elements (like configuration 2), so you can almost at any time replace any of the burned-out internal logs with one of the strut halves. All that is needed for this is to lift the dishes from the Finnish candle, take one of the supports, place it in place with the burnt inner log and lower the pot or pan back. The place of the support can be taken by the next half, prepared for the next change of logs.
According to the degree of labor costs, efficiency, success and flexibility of the organization, the Finnish candle in this configuration seemed to me the most effective. You do independent choice, and feel free to share your experience of organizing a Finnish candle in the comments.
Lovers of outdoor activities, as well as hunters and fishermen, know how important it is to properly make a fire in order not only to keep warm, but also to cook camp food on it. This is especially important in winter or in slush, 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, as well as provide fire safety in nature, a Finnish candle will allow, other names of which are taiga, Swedish, Indian. This design of the fire is easy to move without fear of burns, and it can burn all night. How to make a Finnish candle will be detailed below.
Finnish candle cooking
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 - long and thin for ease of carrying, and for cooking a candle should be thick and short.
Finnish cooking candle Finnish candle: how to make, video
by the most in a simple way is the so-called camping, or - the manufacture of a Finnish candle from a finished log, if any were found in the forest. You need to pick up three saw cuts of the same size, put them around tightly to each other. A fire is kindled in the middle. Uniform burning in all directions will be ensured the right choice chock in height, which should be two log diameters in width. If you put a three-liter pot on these logs, it will boil in less than half an hour. As the logs burn through, they will need to be placed in a "hut", and then just put firewood on.
If it is possible to use a chainsaw, a Finnish candle is made with your own hands as follows: a thick log no less than 50 cm long is taken, and it is sawn through in the middle crosswise by about three quarters of its height. If the log is too wide, cuts can be made in such a way that the log is divided into eight "slices". If you make more of them, then the Finnish candle will burn out faster. The log must be well fixed on the ground, propped up with stones or dug a little into an earthen depression. Sawdust, dry fuel or ignition mixture are placed inside the cuts.
If there is no chainsaw, a Finnish candle can be built with an ax. The chock splits as in the usual chopping of firewood, only into identical logs. Then they are gathered together, tied from below with wire. A thick branch is inserted into the middle of the hearth, which serves as a kind of wick for 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 a fire.
If there is no tool nearby, a Finnish candle is assembled with your own hands. Thick poles with a diameter of at least 5 cm are assembled, installed around the branch in the same way as described above. On inside poles, located in the center, you need to make notches with a knife so that they catch fire faster.
You can watch the video on how to put 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 there is not enough heat to heat it. Its difference from the usual Finnish candle is as follows:
- The log should have a notch inside if it is solid. If the fire is made from separate logs, they can be planed in the middle, then joined as described earlier, fixed with rope or wire so that they fit snugly together, forming an outside side without gaps.
- Logs located opposite each other are cut or pushed up a little more than the rest by 5-6 cm. Made in this way, they form a structure that allows the fire to be inflated with air, while the flame will be directed mainly upwards.
Thus, the fire is concentrated inside the structure, giving off heat for fast food food. For cooking, it is better to cut a log into four parts, and not into eight. If there is such an opportunity, it is better to put a fire on stones or poles so that there is a gap for air from 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 long time, but not too intense, and when ignited from below, the fire will be stronger, but the candle will burn out faster.
Finnish candle at work
Finnish candle is the most common name for several fires of similar design, bred inside a specially prepared log or between several combined logs standing upright.
The design of the Finnish candle allows you to kindle a full-fledged fire with the least amount of fuel, in some cases using only one log. In addition, these candles are well tolerated by windy weather, and some of them - and precipitation when using dishes that cover the combustion source.
All versions of the Finnish candle are designed for cooking and lighting the area, and some of them are also used for heating and drying things.
This type of fire is economical, compact, easy to transport, its design can be built in advance, compared to many other types of fires, it leaves only a small fire on the ground, and in some cases it does not leave it at all.
Being invented in the 30s of the last century by a citizen of Finland, the Finnish candle has gained wide popularity among hunters, tourists and other outdoor enthusiasts and is actively used to this day.
Its popularity is evidenced by the many names that this fire is called. Among them: fire-candle, forest candle, hunting candle, Indian candle, Indian torch, Swedish candle, Swedish fire, Scandinavian candle, taiga candle, canadian candle, Roman candle, wooden stove, wood stove, volya, vertical bonfire from logs.
Finnish candle options
The popularity of the fire could not leave the Finnish candle unchanged. As more and more people used the fire, the fire was bred with various design changes and additions, in different conditions. And if the classic bonfire was two halves of a log split with an ax, placed with the chipped sides one to the other, then modern designs differ not only in structure, but also in the number of logs used.
I know the following options for a forest candle:
- The classic version of the log split in two. This option consists of two halves of one log, placed with chipped surfaces to each other. A fire is kindled between the halves of the log. This option is easy to manufacture, burns for a relatively long time and requires only one log. The space on the sides of the fire, where the gap between the halves of the log is located, can be used for heating or drying things.
- Log split into four pieces. This option is similar to the previous one, but instead of two halves, four quarters of one log burn in this fire. Due to the larger burning surface, such a fire burns more intensively, but not so long. Thanks to more crevices engulfed in fire, almost on any side of the fire, you can dry things or get warm. However, such a torch is less stable and quickly falls apart when the logs burn out.
Swedish candle made of four pieces of logs.
- Split log, fastened with wire. This option is similar to the previous one, but all parts of the log are fastened together with wire. Such a fire burns less intensively, but longer. Due to the almost complete absence of heat on the sides of the fire (with a tight connection of the parts of the log), it can be freely transferred from place to place, but for the same reason this option cannot serve as an effective heater. Also, the disadvantage of this fire is the need to tie quarters of logs, because the wire may not always be at hand. And it’s not always possible for a beginner to kindle such a fire on the first try.
- Log with longitudinal cuts. Here, inside a thick log, two to four longitudinal cuts are usually made to a depth of 2/3 or 3/4 of the length of the log. These cuts serve to supply oxygen to the combustion site and at the same time are this same site. This version of the stove is compact, easy to transport and can be recommended for organizing a fire with a chainsaw. Without a chainsaw, the construction of such a Swedish candle is impractical, although, of course, cuts can be made with an ordinary saw. This is a one-time type of forest candle, since it is difficult to put out the fire for a while if necessary. As this stove burns, the middle in the upper part burns out first, the distance between the burning surfaces increases - and the fire goes into smoldering mode. This is not always convenient for cooking, but it is quite suitable for heating, especially since the gaps that radiate heat become much larger than during the ignition of a fire. Among other things, this fire can be moved to a new place even in the process of burning and, unlike most other variants of the Swedish candle, does not leave a fire on the ground, unless the burned-out top part falls to the ground. However, starting this fire without oil, gasoline or other flammable liquids requires some skill and can be problematic for a beginner.
When using a chainsaw, such a fire is not only stable, but also beautiful.
The compactness and simplicity of this type of wood stove made it very popular. On the Internet, on various sites, there are ads offering to buy such a wooden primus wholesale and retail, and on Youtube there are many videos on its manufacture and use. However, as for me, this torch is not quite suitable for a hiker, and even more so for someone who has an emergency in the wild. natural environment, due to the complexity of manufacturing the described design without proper tools. This option is not for a person surviving in nature, who needs to make a fire with his own hands, but for a tourist who goes to nature to rest with all the necessary equipment.
These are the main four ways to create a campfire candle, but there are other options:
The classic version of a log split in two is good if you have brushwood, which needs to be thrown into the fire from time to time, and a thick log. It is simple and can be recommended for cooking and boiling water in survival conditions with a saw and an ax.
A log split into four parts can be recommended for short-term illumination of the area in those situations in which the classic version is made, but if necessary, warming a group consisting of more than two people. However, if the fire is made specifically to warm the group, it is better to use one of the taiga options, for example, a nodya.
A split log tied with wire is useful in situations that require cooking or lighting without the need for heating. Of course, it is used only when there is a wire or other material available that allows you to securely fasten all parts of the log.
A log with longitudinal cuts is made with a chainsaw and a sufficient amount of gasoline. It is also convenient to use it in the presence of pre-prepared logs in case of a picnic, fishing and other outdoor activities.
A log with two holes, like a candle with cuts, is convenient for outdoor use in a prepared form in a warm and rainy season.
Three logs placed side by side, as for me, along with the classic one, are one of the the best options Finnish candles in conditions of emergency survival. But unlike the classical one, this option requires the use of logs of smaller thickness, which means it is most appropriate in the presence of a saw and the absence of an ax.
The classic version of a log split in two
For classic version you can use a log with a diameter of 20–30 cm. The height of the log should be twice as large as the diameter. It is this ratio of diameter and height that is most acceptable for stability and uniform burning of not only the classic version, but also other types of fire-candles.
The log is split in two, and one part should be thicker than the other. Chips for kindling are chipped from the thicker part and crushed for faster ignition. Both parts of the log are installed at a small distance from one another with cuts facing each other. For stability, they can be propped up with sticks or stones. Kindling is placed in the middle. The kindling is ignited, after which the fire gradually enters the operating mode.
The photo shows the beginning of the manufacture of such a fire:
When sufficient embers have formed on both parts of the log, this Finnish candle can burn without throwing additional brushwood into the middle. To do this, it is enough to adjust the gap between the parts of the log: too close location will reduce the flow of oxygen to the combustion center - the fire will go into smoldering mode, and too far away - will not allow the coals to heat each other until the fire appears, and the fire will go out.
If necessary, cooking dishes with food are placed on the ends of both parts of the log. Additional tricks, as in some cases, which will be discussed a little later, in this case not required. How it looks like, you can see in the photo or in the video.
If the fire is temporarily not needed, parts of the log move away from one another - and the fire goes into a smoldering mode, and after a while it finally goes out.
A log split into four pieces
This Finnish candle is prepared, kindled and extinguished by analogy with the previous version, only in this case the log is split into four identical parts.
With good kindling, such a fire is relatively easy to make.
Kindling for this candle is collected separately or cut from the core of another log split into pieces, where it is usually dry even after prolonged rains.
For cooking, the dishes are placed directly on the upper end of the chopped log.
Split log tied with wire
For this Finnish candle, a sawn log is split into four equal parts. All parts are marked on the outside with a knife so that after that it is possible to assemble all parts of the log together with the smallest gaps between them. For each of the resulting parts, a corner is cut off, which in the log was adjacent to the core. The formed shavings are used as kindling.
The core of the logs is usually drier than the outer fabrics, and therefore kindling from it is easier to kindle. Photo survival.com.ua
Also, for future ventilation, you can cut off the lower edges of the log parts at an angle.
All parts of the log are connected in accordance with the marks on them and form a cylindrical structure with a square hole in the middle and triangular gaps in the lower part (if, of course, they were cut out), which are connected to the central hole.
The central hole formed after the excavation of the core will act as a focus.
In this position, the log is fastened with wire. A small stick is inserted under the wire and rotated until the wire securely fastens all parts of the log. How it looks like in the end is shown in the photo:
If there were no lower gaps for ventilation, this version of the Finnish candle can be installed on a small groove so that fresh air can freely penetrate from below into the central hole where the fire will burn.
At the upper end of this candle, a small fire is bred, the coals of which fall into the hole and gradually kindle the entire structure.
According to some unverified data, such a candle can also be lit from below, if wood chips are loosely placed in the hole so as to provide free passage for air. Be that as it may, this version of the fire-candle remains one of the most inconvenient to kindle.
To cook on such a candle, three or four small identical flat pebbles are placed under the dishes, or two green sticks are placed in parallel. Sometimes, instead, 3-4 nails are driven into the upper end so that they rise above the wood. This is necessary so that the gases released as a result of combustion can freely escape through the upper opening and not interfere with the flow fresh air to burning coals. If this is not done, the dishes will close the top hole, and the fire may go out.
Log with longitudinal cuts
In the manufacture of this version of the taiga candle, a chainsaw is most often used.
In a block of wood, two to four longitudinal cuts are usually made, going deep into 2/3, and sometimes 3/4 of its length. Although, if it is supposed to make a torch, then on a long straight log cuts are made only in the upper part. Everything - the Finnish candle is ready.
Today, the production of blanks for Finnish candles put on stream due to their high demand among tourists and vacationers.
Such a candle is most often kindled using alcohol, gasoline, machine or sunflower oil or other flammable liquid. To do this, a small amount of the indicated liquid is poured into the center of the candle and, having removed the container with this liquid to a safe distance, the fire is set on fire.
Attention!
Pouring gasoline, alcohol and other flammable substances into an already burning or smoldering fire is prohibited! non-compliance this rule may cause burns and explosion of flammable liquid container.
For cooking, the dishes are placed directly on the top flat surface of the candle.
Such a candle is usually extinguished with water, after which it needs to be dried for re-ignition.
Log with two holes
For this candle, the log is placed on the end. In the center, to a depth of 3/4 of the height of the log, a hole is made with a gimlet or a drill.
After the log is placed on its side and a second hole is drilled in it, which should connect to the "bottom" of the first. Thus, a log with an L-shaped tunnel is obtained. Residual shavings are removed from the tunnel.
Such a candle is kindled in two ways: from above, or from below.
For kindling from above, a small fire is made at the working end of the candle, the coals of which, falling into the hole, lead to the ignition of a vertical tunnel along the entire length of the structure.
To kindle from below, a flammable liquid is dripped into the upper hole, and the fire is brought on a splinter from the side of the side hole.
The photo shows an already lit candle:
With a tool, such a candle can be made from a stump, which is difficult to use as fuel in an ordinary fire. An example is shown in the photo:
Like the wire version, such a candle is kindled with great difficulty compared to the same classic Finnish candle.
Under the dishes in this version of the oven, it is necessary to put stones or sticks so that the bottom of the dishes does not close the outlet.
Such a candle is extinguished by overlapping two holes at the same time.
Three logs placed side by side
To make this candle, three logs of the same height are cut. On each of the three logs, the bark is removed from one side and shallow notches are made that damage the wood fibers.
The logs are placed horizontally one next to the other so that the cleaned sides are as close as possible to each other and point upwards. Kindling is laid on the logs and a fire is made.
When the part of the logs under the fires is charred and begins to actively smolder, the logs are placed on the end and pressed against each other by the smoldering parts. The gap between the logs is filled with coals from the burnt brushwood and the brushwood itself. After this Finnish candle enters the operating mode, there is no need to add additional fuel: the coals of the logs heat each other, due to which a steady flame appears in the center of the structure.
An example of a candle made of three logs, not fastened to each other in any way.
The dishes are installed from above without additional tricks, since the gaps between the logs are enough to remove the burnt gases from the combustion source.
If the logs are slightly different in length and for this reason do not allow you to place dishes on top of them, small depressions are made in the ground for logs of greater length. Thus, when installing a fire, the tops of the logs are aligned and allow you to install dishes on them without any problems.
In order to put out such a fire-candle, you just need to move the logs away from one another.
Advantages and disadvantages
The Finnish candle, like other fires, has a number of advantages and disadvantages. Moreover, in view of the fact that there are many variants of this fire, here we list only those that are characteristic of most of them.
The advantages of such a fire include:
- Profitability. For a taiga candle, often just one small log is enough; you can make a stove with your own hands or buy it in a specialized store.
- Compactness. It is convenient to transport the blank for this fire in a car or put it under an awning, being in nature.
- Safety. Some options allow you to use fire even on peat bogs. However, in the absence of an urgent need, it is not worth risking once again, and it is better to make a fire far from the peat bog.
- Mobility. Some versions of the Swedish candle can be easily carried over considerable distances even while burning.
- Environmental friendliness and secrecy. Some variants of the Indian candle do not leave any traces of burning on the ground at all.
- Insensitivity to weather conditions. Almost all candle fires are resistant to strong winds and precipitation when using dishes that can cover the burning center.
- The ability to "preserve" the fire. Some variants of the taiga candle, being extinguished and stored in a place closed from precipitation, allow you to re-ignite the flame without much difficulty when the need arises. Often, this requires only a spark struck by striking a flint against a high-carbon steel knife, or sun rays concentrated to a point using a lens.
- The need for tools. It will be problematic to make a Finnish candle without a saw or an ax.
- The need for a tree trunk of a certain thickness. Not in every locality you can find deadwood of the right diameter suitable for the hearth. For example, in the tundra, in the field or steppe, such raw materials may not be available.
- Failure of the fire-candle as a heater. A Finnish candle often produces less heat compared to a more famous species fires, for example, "hut" or "well".
- Possibility of installation over Indian candles of only one utensil. Cooking food or boiling water at the same time in several large cauldrons is unlikely to succeed due to the small working surface of the fire-candle.
Since the survivalist usually does not have a chainsaw, this type of candle is not suitable for survival purposes.
It is useful to focus on this information when you know the conditions under which the fire will be made, and the tasks that need to be solved with its help.
Security measures
Despite the "accuracy" of the taiga candle during burning, as with any other fire, safety precautions must be observed when using it.
So, a place for a forest candle is chosen away from dry trees and thickets of dry reeds. This place is cleared of dry leaves and grass, coniferous needles and cones, in a word, everything that can cause the spread of fire.
When using flammable liquids to light a Finnish candle, canisters with these liquids must be removed to a safe distance.
In order for a pre-prepared candle not to get wet from precipitation, it can be placed under the awning of the tent or covered with a piece of polyethylene, pressing its edges to the ground with stones. If light rain started during the burning of this fire, the dishes in which the food is cooked will protect the candle from fading.
From the foregoing, we can conclude that Finnish candles are good for cooking and lighting the area, and in some cases, heating. These fires can be recommended for a group of several people who are in a forest area with a shortage of dead wood and with tools for processing it.
Interesting video: how to make a Finnish candle in the wild
