THE ULTIMATE CAMPFIRE JUST NEEDS ONE PIECE OF WOOD

Developed by Swedish soldiers during the Thirty Years’ War of the 17th century, this Swedish fire log is easy to create and is loaded with perks.

A NO-BRAINER BUILD

Find a log at least 20 cm in diameter and 40 cm long (make sure both ends are flat) and stand it upright. Using an axe or chainsaw, make two or three cuts down the length of the log as if you were slicing a pie, stopping 12 cm above the base (some wire will hold the log together if it starts to fall apart). Stack kindling atop the log at the intersection of the cuts, and light it. It will fall through the cracks as it burns, lighting the log from the inside.

AN ULTRA-FOCUSED FLAME

Traditional fires can take hours to produce embers suitable for cooking or warming your camp. But a Swedish fire log’s contained heat makes it hot enough for cooking in as little as 20 minutes. It’s less smoky and safer than classic campfires, too.

A MAKESHIFT STOVE

The log’s flat top makes it the closest thing nature can give you to an actual stovetop, ideal for your coffee pot, cast-iron pot or pan, or Dutch oven. If you use a hardwood such as oak, it’ll burn longer and hotter than a softwood fire log, such as pine.

SELF-FEEDING

Fires require constant resource management and maintenance, but a Swedish fire log’s inside-out design makes it self-ventilating and self-sustaining. A substantial single log can last as long as four hours.