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A4 checklist with all illustrated steps. Tick the boxes on paper as you go.

FeatherSticks · Fire

Swedish Torch: How to Make a Swedish Fire Log (Log Candle)

One log, one fire, one stove: this is the Swedish torch.

Quick facts

Time
20–40 min to build, 10–15 min to get going
Difficulty
Easy to medium
Burn time
Roughly 1–5 hours, depending on log size
You need
Dry log, saw, axe, steel wire, tinder

What you need

  • Dry softwood or birch log, 20–30 cm thick
  • Folding saw or bow saw
  • Axe or hatchet, wooden baton and wedges
  • Steel binding wire, about 1 m per torch, and pliers
  • Tinder, feather sticks or a natural firelighter
  • Long matches or lighter, ferro rod as backup
  • Pot grip or leather gloves
  • Water container of at least 10 litres, small spade

Step by step

  1. Choose a dry log

    1 Choose a dry log

    Pick a seasoned, straight-grained softwood log, 20–30 cm thick and 30–50 cm long, with few knots.

  2. Saw both ends square

    2 Saw both ends square

    Cut both ends flat and at right angles, so the log stands without rocking and a pot sits level on top.

  3. Split it into quarters

    3 Split it into quarters

    Set the axe on the centre and drive it through with a wooden baton. Split the halves again into four quarters.

  4. Wire it back together

    4 Wire it back together

    Stand the quarters in their original order with gaps of 1–2 cm and bind them with steel wire around the lower third.

  5. Set it on a fire-safe base

    5 Set it on a fire-safe base

    Place the torch on bare mineral soil or a stone slab with 3 m clear around it, water within reach, and put tinder in the top.

  6. Light it at the top

    6 Light it at the top

    Light the tinder in the centre. After 10–15 minutes the fire has eaten into the gaps and burns down on its own.

Common mistakes

  • Using fresh or damp wood: a torch cannot dry itself the way a fed campfire can.
  • Gaps too narrow or a blocked centre channel, so the fire starves of air.
  • Binding with cord, or placing the wire too high, so the torch falls apart early.
  • Lighting from below, or giving up after two minutes instead of feeding kindling for 10–15 minutes.
  • Setting a pot flat on the top and choking the chimney.
  • Standing the torch on forest floor, roots, peat or dry grass.
  • Making it too tall and narrow, or loading it with a heavy pot.