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The Best Long-Log Fire

Description

I head into the boreal forest of northern Sweden to create one of the classic long-log fire types, one that some old-timers in this part of the world call "the best log fire"...

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Tags: bushcraft,fire,wilderness,camping,survival,backpacking,outdoors,long log fire,nuorssjo,boreal,boreal forest,northwoods

Video Transcription

in a Swedish book on traditional fire skills there is a type of fire described as the best log fire and I'm in Sweden to make one the wood here is tough and tight grained and I've selected a good quality dead standing pine to provide the logs that I need for this classic fire of the north the front cut finished I stick with my axe to make the back cut note that this is less controlled than using a saw but with a very straight dead standing tree like many times before I'm happy to do this but if you've no experience of felling please get some good instruction before you attempt anything in this video [Music]

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the closer you build this fire to where you failed the tree the better these logs are heavy they need to be about 30 centimeters or a foot in diameter as a minimum and have chosen the length based on my height [Music]

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initially the flames will be quite large as your kindling and fire lighting material burns off but you need this in order to ignite the logs properly after a little while things will settle down and here's the end product a steady candle like burn with flames of two to four centimeters one to two inches it's mesmerizing

and now the fire settle down so can I when you're moving around this fire above its level it doesn't actually feel that warm of course you're shielded by that top log but once you lay down in front of it you get down parallel to it you feel it's gentle heat warming you through warming your bones and it's very very pleasant indeed unlike some other long log Arrangements particularly those with three or more logs it doesn't go off in a blaze of glory leaving you cold later on the secret of this bit of northern bushcraft is its steady gentle heat and that's why some of the old-timers of this part of the world call it the best log fire [Music]

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About the Author

Paul Kirtley

Paul Kirtley

Bushcraft, survival skills and outdoor safety with professional instructor Paul Kirtley.

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