I have been seeing a lot of information and pictures across social media lately about the Swedish Torch and thought I would test it out before attempting to use it in a survival situation. First let me say don't waste your time trying this if you only carry a Laplander and a knife in your pack. I spent about an hour messing around with a larger log and those tools to see how feasible it would be to make one with my personal EDC cutting tools. To say the least I would not even attempt this again with my EDC as it was way too time consuming and not an effective means to getting the job done. Without an axe, chainsaw or larger saw I just wouldn't attempt this type of fire. So without further delay lets get down to the meat and potatoes of the post.
1) Log selection is critical. I tried with both hard and soft wood and by far this works much better with a pine, cedar or other soft woods. As an added bonus I got a little Fat Wood out of the pine on the left. Another side note... a log with moisture is not good, both log were quite moist after three days of rain.
2) Cut the log into 6 sections for added air space for the fire. The thicker the cuts you get the quicker you will get the log on fire.
3) Get a nice tinder bundle and a ton of smalls to get a hot sustainable fire going on top of your log (I didn't get any pictures of this step as I was fighting rain at the time). Picture was just a test on a new 6" fire steel to see if it would ignite the wet saw dust from the wood and it would not do so (to give you an idea of how wet the log I was working with).
4) Allow as many of the coals as you can to fall into the slots in the log, helping them down into the log if needed.
5) Get to cooking before you run out of log! I highly recommend you throw a frying pan on the log or something else flat to become your cook surface to keep whatever you are cooking from tipping over.
Notes: While it looks extremely effective and cool in pictures and videos I found it to be no more than novelty bushcraft/homestead trick as it requires tools which are not in your EDC, It also takes a whole lot of calories just to make this cooking platform when you could easily build a fire and fashion some other means of cooking (tripod etc.) and expend a lot less calories to do it. While I it was neat to try, I just don't find it practical and don't believe it is effective to build in a survival situation.
I have to agree with the conclusion notes.. in a survival situation, a chainsaw is probably the last thing you'll have operable..
ReplyDeleteYou could pre-fab a bunch, but then you'll have a finite number..
This should be looked at more as an overnight camping technique.
I agree but for me personally I usuallydo lightweight/miminimalist or primitive camping ao it isn't even practical for that in my situation. I was told about an alternative method using a bundle of wrist size logs I plan to try soon.
DeleteI have done this several times. First, you need wire. I laughed at myself for using paracord the first time. Second, if you don't have the tools to split a large log, use several smaller logs. Or you can make a tight bundle, then remove the center and stuff if with tinder and light er up!
ReplyDeleteOh yeah, make sure you use some wood that isn't quite completely dry or it will burn too fast.
DeleteGood to know. I won't waste my time on it then.
ReplyDeleteSomeone commented that I should try a bundle of smaller logs tied up with bank line. So I will try that out this week and see if its better. Expect a follow up post soon!
DeleteWhile I respect the writer's opinion, this has worked for me. Also I would assume this would be made for a camping situation. When SHTF at first we might have access to a chainsaw but as time wears on we probably wont be so lucky.
ReplyDeleteIt worked for me just fine as I explained in the article but don't believe its practical for what I carry in my bushcraft pack (Mora bushcraft, Bacho Laplander and an axe if more than a couple day trip). I just to see where the calories expended to make this without a chainsaw provide any advantage over a traditional fire (which you still have to make on top of it). That said one of the comments left on another site said to try bundling multiple smaller logs together into a bundle to simulate the thing which can be made without a chainsaw which I will soon. I also do mostly lightweight or primitive style camping so no chainsaw in the woods with me.
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