The Swedish Fire Torch definitely grabs you with its name. Certainly the Nordic countries were on our fire-related radar last year when we highlighted an innovative Finnish axe called the Vipukirves.
This invention delivers exactly what you’d want from a DIY project. It’s simple, efficient, and best of all, it works.
Rather than starting a fire using a traditional log cabin or teepee shape, a single log of wood is split into four pieces. Those pieces are then loosely bundled together using wire, then the area in between is filled with tinder and small wood.
The result is a reliable, easy-to-start, contained campfire that burns remarkably like a candle. It’s also excellent for cooking on, and less of a fire hazard than traditional fires, as the logs holding the fire together create a natural container.
For those of you that can’t believe we North Americans didn’t come up with this ingenious invention, you should know that in some circles it goes by an alternate name: “The Canadian Candle.”
We’ll let history decide which snow-covered country deserves the naming honour for this fun fireplace hack, but in the meantime, who’s got the hotdogs?
