A Swedish fire log, or Swedish torch, is a self-feeding campfire that burns from the inside out. Its origins can be traced back to the 17th century, invented by the Swedish army during the Thirty Years’ War as a way to provide both heat and light for several hours. The design is simple and effective, and may just be my new favorite way of making a campfire. This is how we did it:

Because softwood burns more easily than hardwood, we used a fallen pine tree to make our first Swedish torch. Erik used a chainsaw to cut vertical slits into the log as you would section a pie; the cuts should go about ¾ of the way down.

Then, we placed pieces of birch bark (a great fire starter!) on the top of the log, right in the center of the six cuts. Erik used a ferro rod to start the fire, but you can use matches or a lighter – the method doesn’t particularly matter unless you’re working on specific fire starting skills!

Everything was really wet from a recent rain, so we had to tend to the initial fire a bit more than we would have liked. But eventually, by adding dry oak pieces, it got going so we were able to let it burn by itself. The way a Swedish fire torch works is that the vertical slits allow air to feed the fire via the chimney effect. Then, as the fire burns at the top and embers drop down in the middle, the log is essentially burning itself from the inside out. Our Swedish torch burned for about an hour, but there are probably ways to extend this – such as using a wider log.

Also, the Swedish fire log is designed perfectly to cook on – place a cast iron skillet right on top of the log and it would be a really easy way to make camp food. We’ll have to try that next! It’s easy to see why this innovative method of fire building is popular among outdoor enthusiasts, and we’ll be making many more in the future.