Anyone who loves outdoor recreation (especially not picnic, but active - hunting, fishing, hiking) knows how relevant a properly lit bonfire is. If you do not drag a barbecue after yourself, you need to worry about security so as not to run away from a forest fire later and not feel like a criminal. And to make a fire in the snow, and so that it doesn’t go out every minute, it seems to many that the peak of bonfire skill. However, experienced travelers know how to build a fire-safe fireplace so that it burns for a long time, not to go out even in slush, and does not require regular feeding. It is called differently by everyone: a Finnish candle, a taiga candle, Indian or Swedish, but the essence remains unchanged. There are even several ways to make it.
Maxi bonfire
The most successful Finnish candle is obtained if you “landed” near the sawn logs. No effort is required: pick up three saw cuts of approximately the same height and diameter, put in a circle tightly against each other and light a fire in the middle. In order for the bonfire to burn evenly and the burnout to be the same in all directions, it is required to correctly select the log blocks in height. The Finnish candle lasts the longest; logs should be two diameters long. The capacity of such a fire is enough for a five-liter boiler to boil in a third of an hour, and it does not even need to be suspended - it will rely on the logs themselves. As it burns out, the logs as it were are formed by a hut. If you need a “Finnish candle” bonfire for a long time, at this stage you can support it like the most ordinary one by adding firewood.
If there is a chainsaw
In the absence of the need for such a large focus and the presence on the hands of the appropriate tool, you can do otherwise. A piece of a thick log half a meter long is taken and sawn crosswise (not to the end, about three quarters of a segment). If the saw’s diameter is large, you can work a little more with a chainsaw to get eight “slices”. You should not do more cuts, because the narrower the sector, the faster your Finnish candle will burn out. The log is firmly fixed on the ground (you can dig it or support it with stones), a kindling (from its sawdust, dry fuel or just liquid ignition) is laid inside - and a bonfire is at your service for several hours.
Field method
Suppose there is no saw, but you need a Finnish candle. How to make it in this case? Well, there’s an ax in nature anyway. A block of wood, considered for this purpose, is chopped, like ordinary firewood, only a little more diligently so that the logs do not differ too much in thickness. Then they gather in the original log, only around a thick branch - this will be the focus. Below, closer to the ground, and approximately in the middle, the Finnish candle is pulled over, preferably with a wire - it definitely will not overreact. But if it is not, twine, and fishing line, and flexible rods are suitable. Particularly reliably, it is necessary to pull it down, because in the middle the logs will burn out faster, and without good fixation near the ground, your fire will fall apart. The central branch extends three quarters from the bottom and is cut off, after which the Finnish candle is placed on the ground. By the way, if the original block is not too massive, you can use this branch as a leg and just stick it into the ground.
Hand candle
If there are no sawn trees nearby (or a suitable dry object for cutting, or a saw or even a normal ax), then a Finnish candle can be made differently with its own hands . Rather thick poles are gathered around the district, at least five centimeters in diameter, and are gathered in a bunch again around the center branch. The side of the poles, which will be inside, needs to be cut a little with a knife - it’s better to do it. The remaining manipulations are the same as when creating a “finca” from logs.
Primus Candle
It is used precisely as a stove for cooking. The main points - as in the manufacture of a bonfire-candle field method. There are two nuances:
- The original log should be partially hollowed out from the inside. Alternatively, you can not plan the core, but split it into poles and strip them already. Such a bonfire is assembled in the snow in the same way, around a branch, but the cavity inside should be made artificially, and the outer walls are closed, if possible, without gaps.
- From two opposite sides, the logs are either cut off less, or are more advanced upwards, by five to six centimeters. Due to this design in the center, the fire will be inflated with air, and its tongues will be directed mainly upward.
Such a Finnish candle is not suitable for heating - the whole fire is concentrated inside. But the food cooks much faster.
Why can a Finnish candle come in handy?
In addition to cooking and heating (except for the "primus"), such a bonfire is simply indispensable as a beacon. Experienced fishermen who go to the evening dawn leave this torch on the shore as a signal for those who are late - in the dark it can be seen from afar.
It is very convenient when using Finnish candles that almost until they are completely burnt, they can be easily moved and burns from place to place. A long-term bonfire can be considered a big plus: a medium-sized block of wood gives light and warmth for about four hours. A maxi-bonfire without additional fuel can perform its functions all night.
If you are not a fan of “wild” tourism and fishing, then you love to celebrate the New Year in the country, the Finnish candles placed along the paths will bring romance and a festive mood and decorate the garden no worse than garlands and Chinese lanterns.