How to make an Indian candle from a log. Indian Candles. Homemade burner or cooking in field conditions. Three logs placed side by side

On a camping trip, a “savage” trip, on a fishing trip or on a picnic, one of the main questions is how to cook hot food. For some, this is even the most important question - they go on a hike in order to enjoy hot food in nature. Everyone deals with this issue differently. Some make a big fire, others carry a primus stove, others use dry fuel.

Tourist stove

It will certainly be useful for you to get acquainted with another universal device (in Russian - a camping stove), which allows you to cook hot food, keep warm, and illuminate the road in the dark. According to legend, this ancient device was borrowed by the team of Christopher Columbus from North American Indians. That is why it is called "Indian candle".

The principle of operation of the Indian candle

Understanding how it works is very simple. Combustion, as in a samovar, takes place in a firebox, and draft is provided by a pipe. But both the firebox and the pipe are the fuel itself - a log hollow inside. Its inner walls are on fire. According to experienced tourists, an Indian candle is a very effective and cheap device. It is easy to prepare in a few minutes. Any log is taken, preferably without knots, as it is to be split into pieces. Diameter from 10 to 40 cm. The type of wood does not really matter, but we must remember that the resinous tree “shoots” and gives a lot of sparks.

For this reason, spruce and pine candles are not recommended for heating. Birch does not shoot and burns hot, but gives a strong flame and therefore caution is required. In addition, the birch flame smokes a little due to the tar contained in its bark. The ideal material for an Indian candle is well-dried aspen. It burns very evenly, the flame is colorless and light. It is clear that it is good to have dead wood (but not rotten). Raw workpiece has to dry for a long time.

So, there is a log. A workpiece 15-45 cm long is sawn from it. If the candle is planned to be used as a plate, then a short thick workpiece is preferable. You can directly put dishes on it, and it itself stands steadily on its base. If the candle is more important for lighting, then it is better to make the blank thinner and more authentic so that it is more convenient to hold it in your hand. Well, if a candle is needed for heating, then you need both a thick and long blank that can burn for several hours.

The blank (which, as you remember, does not have serious knots) splits into pieces along the middle. With a hatchet, the core of each part of the workpiece is cut down so that after connecting the parts a channel 3-4 cm wide is formed. By the way, if a hollow log comes across, then this is great luck. It is enough to cut such a log into logs with lengths of 20-30 cm and clean the hollow from rotten entrails, and several Indian candles are ready.

The folded parts of the workpiece are fastened in any way (wire, nails, adhesive tape, etc.). It turns out a wooden pipe. It is important at the same time to ensure that the gaps at the joints of the halves are minimal. You can even caulk them with moss, grass or clay. Otherwise, it is along these cracks that the candle will burn out with unnecessary speed.

The candle is installed vertically with a small gap at the base for air access. You can set the candle on stones or on a couple of logs. To kindle a candle, pieces of birch bark or dry splinter are stuffed inside the pipe. This kindling must be positioned so that the free movement of air through the pipe does not overlap. If a traffic jam forms, then there will be no traction.

The kindling is ignited and pushed with a splinter approximately into the center of the pipe. If it is left at the top of the pipe, then the burning of the candle will be long with a weak flame. This mode is suitable if you need to heat up a small amount of food. The same mode is optimal for heating.

If you push the kindling closer to the bottom of the candle (or kindle it from below), then burning will be faster with a strong flame. It is good for cooking and for lighting. The strength of the flame of a camping stove is easily regulated by blocking the access of air through the gap at the base with earth or snow. For cooking, the flame should be 10-15 cm high.

A candle can serve as a torch. Wood is a good heat insulator, and you can safely take a candle in your hand, even if it burns strongly. You can also arrange a few burning torches to illuminate the tourist camp.

Heating, warming up food, as well as keeping food hot should take place in the mode of intense smoldering of the candle. Transfer to this mode is achieved by blocking the access of air through the base of the candle. At the same time, hot smoke comes out of the candle - a product of smoldering from the inside of the candle - smoldering with virtually no flame.

It takes several minutes to warm up, for example, cans of stew (even in winter). You just need to put the jar on the candle, leaving a small gap for smoke. If the food is in a saucepan or pot, then it can be put on a couple of chips, like on a home stove burner.

If the candles are thick (from 20 cm or more), then for air access and to ensure the release of gases, cuts can be made at the ends of the candle up to half the candle deep. But on tall and thin candles, cuts should not be made, as they are not stable. If the candle is used as a heater in a tent, then it is necessary to provide for the removal of combustion products. And quite the right heating is organized like this.

A burning candle is placed outside the tent outside. A short tin pipe is suspended above it with an inclination. The high end of the pipe is inserted into the tent. The burning candle heats the pipe and at the same time the air in the pipe, and this air rises into the tent. At the same time, the tent is heated not with smoke, but with clean hot air. A used camping stove does not need to be burnt to the end. It is necessary to extinguish it, blocking the access of air from above and below. You can, for example, close it with some non-combustible thing like a frying pan or a damp cloth.

One Indian candle will serve several times. You will say that an Indian candle is much heavier than packets of dry fuel or a stove. Yes, but dry fuel costs money, and as for the stove, you need to carry it in a backpack to both ends of your journey, and in addition to it - a fragrant canister of fuel. Unlike a primus, an Indian candle is endowed with a one-way ticket only; serving you, she dies. If you travel by transport through wild treeless places, then with the help of an Indian candle you will always be with hot food and always warmed up. Just don't be too lazy to make it ahead of time.

We emphasize once again that an Indian candle is just one log used for multiple uses. It does not form a fire, it can be carried while burning, it does not spoil the landscape. A pre-prepared candle can also help out a settled summer resident in an emergency situation when the lights are turned off or there is a problem with gas.

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On a hike or travel "savage", on a picnic or fishing, there is always a question of cooking hot food. Someone builds a big fire, someone drags a primus stove or a package of dry fuel with them.

I want to introduce you to one old method, or rather a device, with which you can cook food, heat yourself or light your way. According to legend, it was borrowed from the North American Indians by the colonialists Christopher Columbus. That's why it got the name "Indian candle".

The principle of operation of the Indian candle is extremely simple. As in a samovar, combustion takes place in the firebox, and the chimney provides draft. It's like a mini-oven. But in the Indian candle, the role of both the firebox and the pipes is performed by the fuel itself - a log hollow inside. The inner walls of the log itself are burning.

From my travel experience, I can safely say that an Indian candle is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to cook hot food.

Anyone can make an Indian candle in a few minutes.

For its manufacture, it is necessary to take any log with a diameter of 10 cm or more. Up to 30-40 cm. Preferably without knots, so that it can be split evenly enough. The type of tree does not matter much, but it should be remembered that resinous trees “shoot” and give a lot of sparks. It is not recommended to use a candle made of Christmas trees and pine for heating. The birch burns hot and does not shoot, but its flame is strong and one must be careful. In addition, there is a lot of tar in the birch bark and the flame smokes a little, especially at the end of burning. An almost perfect candle is obtained from well-dried aspen. It burns exceptionally evenly, the flame is light and colorless.

In any case, it is good to use dead wood (but not rot). Otherwise, the candle or its blank will have to dry for a long time.

So, we cut a blank 15-40 cm long from a log. If you plan to use a candle for cooking, then it is better to take short but thick blanks. Then it will be possible to put the dishes directly on the candle, and she herself will stand steadily on the base. If lighting is important, then it is better to take a longer and thinner workpiece. To make it comfortable to wear. And if heating is required, then you need to take both a thick and long workpiece. Such a candle can burn for many hours.

1. The log is split lengthwise approximately in the middle. That is why it is important to use a part of the log without knots. They are very easy to split. If you come across a hollow log - this is generally ideal! This is a ready-made Indian candle, it is enough just to cut it into pieces 20-30 cm long and clean out the rotten insides of the hollow.

With the help of a hatchet, the core of the tree is cut down so that a channel with a diameter of 5-7 cm would subsequently form.

2. Both halves are again folded and fastened together in any way. For example, wire, adhesive tape, nails, glue... Thus, we got a wooden pipe. It is important to ensure that the gaps at the junction of the halves are minimal. Otherwise, it is through these cracks that the candle will quickly burn out.

3. To kindle a candle, a little birch bark (bark) is stuffed into the pipe. At the same time, they make sure that the free passage of air through the pipe is not blocked, otherwise there will be no thrust. If there is no birch bark, you can use several torches. The candle itself is installed so that at its lower end there is a small gap for air to enter. For example, on stones or a couple of logs.

4. The birch bark is set on fire and pushed with a splinter inside the pipe approximately to its center. If it is at the top of the pipe, the candle will burn for a long time, but with a weak flame. This mode is good for heating or warming up a small amount of food. And if you push the birch bark almost to the very bottom (or kindle a candle from below), then the candle will burn out faster, but the flame will be strong. This mode is good for cooking or lighting.

5. When a candle is burning, it is enough to simply regulate the flame strength by blocking the access of air from below the candle (for example, with earth or snow). For cooking, a flame height of 10-15 cm is sufficient.

6. The candle can be used as a torch. Wood is an excellent heat insulator, and even a strong burning candle can be freely held by hand, illuminating your path, or you can install several of these torches to illuminate the tourist camp.

7. To heat food, keep it hot or for heating, it is important to be able to switch the candle to intensive smoldering mode. At the same time, the candle smolders from the inside with practically no flame. At the same time, hot smoke comes out of it. This is achieved by blocking the air from below the spark plug.

8. It takes only a few minutes to heat up, for example, canned food even in winter. It is enough to put the jar on the candle so that there would be a small gap for the smoke to escape. If you want to cook food in a saucepan, then it is placed on a couple of chips - gaskets, like on a burner gas stove. If there is a bowler hat, it is simply suspended above the candle at a height of 5-10 cm.

Sometimes, for air access and for the release of gases, they simply make the corresponding cuts at the ends of the candle. But this is possible only for candles with a diameter of 20-25 cm or more. Tall and thin candles are not stable and not worth the risk.

When using a candle as a heater in a tent, care must be taken to remove combustion products.

A completely correct heating looks something like this. The burning candle is left outside. Above it with an inclination is suspended a short metal pipe. The higher end of the pipe is inserted into the tent. The candle heats the pipe and, accordingly, the air in it, which enters the tent. Thus, the tent is heated hot, but fresh clean air and not smoke.

Once a candle is lit, it is not necessary to burn it out to the end, until it dies. As soon as the food is cooked, the candle is extinguished by cutting off the air from both below and above. For example, by closing it with some non-combustible object like the lid of a pot or by throwing on a damp cloth. Thus, with the help of one Indian candle, you can cook food several times.

Of course, such a candle is much heavier than a stove or a package of dry fuel. But dry fuel is quite expensive. And unlike a primus stove, which must be carried to both ends of the journey, as well as fiddling with a smelly canister of fuel for it, a candle has a one-way ticket. She dies, providing us with hot food, warmth and light.

This type of fire is also called Finnish or Taiga candle, allows you to use only one log or block of wood for multiple cooking or heating food in hiking conditions. Extremely economical and efficient in terms of fuel consumption.

The most important thing is to find a dry log and saw off an even piece from it - a log half a meter long. It is better that it be at least 12 cm in diameter, and a maximum of 30.

If use candle planned for cooking, it is better to take short but thick blanks. Then it will be possible to put the dishes directly on the candle, and she herself will stand steadily on the base.

If lighting is important, then it is better to take a longer and thinner workpiece. And if heating is required, then you need to take both a thick and long workpiece. Such a candle can burn for many hours.

Preferably without knots, so that it can be split evenly enough.

The type of tree does not matter much, but it should be remembered that resinous trees “shoot” and give a lot of sparks. It is not recommended to use a candle made of Christmas trees and pine for heating. The birch burns hot and does not shoot, but its flame is strong and one must be careful. In addition, there is a lot of tar in the birch bark and the flame smokes a little, especially at the end of burning. An almost perfect candle is obtained from well-dried aspen. It burns exceptionally evenly, the flame is light and colorless.

In any case, it is good to use dead wood (but not rot). Otherwise, the candle or its blank will have to dry for a long time.

We split the log along with an ax into four (or 8, if the log is very thick) parts, preferably identical.
Cut out the middle of each piece. Little by little. We are building.
We put the split parts of the log together, leaving a gap of a couple of centimeters. If there is a wire, then you can tie them. But not tight.
In the center of the log we lay a little birch bark and what was taken out of the middle. We set it on fire. Good liquid for kindling coals.
After the candle flares up, a small crater forms in the center of its star - a burning zone, a kind of firebox. In it, by the way, as in a samovar, you can put additional fuel - charcoal, chips, small cones, etc. This significantly extends the life of the candle.
The magnitude of the flame and burning is easily adjusted by moving and pushing quarters (or eighths) of logs, but this is if a wire tie was not used.
After a stable burning zone has formed in the crater, you can start cooking. As you can see, the combustion zone itself is not very significant and is located strictly under the dishes. No special stands, hangers or props are required for dishes. It is simply placed on a candle, like on an ordinary gas burner, for example, or a primus stove. The flame only occasionally breaks through the cuts. The pot on such a burner boils literally in a matter of minutes.
After cooking, the candle is extinguished. And then it can be used repeatedly. One such candle will allow you to cook food many times on a hike.

Basically, these Finnish (Indian, taiga) candles there are many variations - for example, the log does not split into pieces, but 4~8 longitudinal cuts are made not to the end of the log.

Here is the simplest option.

“On a hike or a “savage” journey, on a picnic or fishing, every time there is a task of preparing hot food. Someone makes a respectable fire, someone drags a primus stove or a bag of dry fuel with them.

I want to introduce you to one old method, or rather a device, with which you can cook food, heat up or light your way. According to legend, it was borrowed from the North American Indians by the colonialists Christopher Columbus. In view of this, it received the name "Indian candle".

The principle of operation of the Indian candle is very simple. As in a samovar, combustion takes place in the firebox, and the chimney provides draft. It's like a mini oven. But in the Indian candle, the role of both the furnace and the pipe is played by the fuel itself - a tree hollow in the middle. The inner walls of the log itself are burning.
From my travel experience, I can safely say that an Indian candle is one of the most effective and cheapest ways to cook hot food.

Anyone can make an Indian candle in a few minutes.

To make it, you need to borrow any log with a diameter of 10 cm or more. Up to 30-40 cm. It is necessary without knots, so that it can be split fairly evenly. The type of tree doesn't really matter, but you need to remember that resinous trees - "shoot" and give off a whole series of sparks. It is not recommended to use a candle made of Christmas trees and pine for heating. Birch burns hot and does not shoot, but its fire is strong and you need to be careful. In addition, there is an excess of tar in the birch bark and the fire smokes slightly, especially at the end of burning. In fact, the ideal candle comes from a well-dried aspen. It burns extremely evenly, the flame is light and colorless.

In any case, it's a good idea to exploit dead wood (but not rot). Otherwise, the candle or its blank will have to be dried for a long time.

So, we cut a blank 15–40 cm long from a log. When it is planned to use a candle for cooking, it is easier to take short but thick blanks. Here it will be possible to install the dishes directly on the candle, and she herself will stand firmly on the base. If lighting is important, then it is better to take a longer and thinner workpiece. To make it comfortable to wear. And when heating is needed, it is necessary to take both a thick and long workpiece. Such a candle can burn for many hours.

1. The tree is split lengthwise approximately in the middle. That is why it is of great importance to use a piece of log without knots. They are very easy to split. If you come across a hollow tree - this is generally the best option! This is a ready-made Indian candle, it’s enough to simply cut it into pieces 20-30 cm long and scrape out the rotten insides of the hollow.

With the help of a hatchet, the core of the tree is cut down so that after that a channel with a diameter of 5-7 cm is formed.

2. Both halves are folded again and fastened together in any way. Let's say with wire, adhesive tape, nails, glue... So we got a wooden pipe. It is important to ensure that the gaps at the junction of the halves are minimal. Otherwise, right through these cracks, the candle will burn out in an instant.

3. To kindle a candle, a little bit of birch bark (bark) is stuffed into the pipe. At the same time, they make sure that the unoccupied air access through the pipe is not blocked, otherwise there will be no thrust. When there is no birch bark, you can use several torches for your own purposes. The candle itself is installed so that at its lower end there is a small clearance for air to enter. For example, on stones or a couple of logs.

4. The birch bark is set on fire and pushed with a splinter inside the pipe approximately in its middle. If it is at the top of the pipe, the candle will burn for a long time, but with a weak flame. A similar mode will be for heating or heating a small amount of food. And if you advance the birch bark approximately to the very bottom (or light a candle below), then the candle will burn out faster, but the fire will be strong. A similar mode will be for cooking or lighting.

5. When burning a candle, it is quite simple to adjust the flame strength by blocking the access of air at the bottom of the candle (say, with earth or snow). For cooking, a flame height of 10-15 cm is sufficient.

6. The candle can be used as a torch. Wood is a brilliant heat insulator, and even if you can hold a burning candle with all your might, you can freely hold your hand, illuminating your path, or put a decent amount of such torches to illuminate the tourist camp.

8. To warm up, say, cans of canned food, even if winter time, need a total of several minutes. It is enough to place the jar on the candle so that there is a small gap for the smoke to escape. If it is necessary to cook food in a saucepan, then it is placed on a couple of chips - gaskets, like on a gas stove burner. When there is a bowler hat, it is simply hung over a candle at a height of 5-10 cm.

Sometimes, for air access and for the release of gases, they simply make the corresponding cuts at the ends of the candle. But this is feasible only for candles with a diameter of 20-25 cm or more. Tall and thin candles are not stable and do not take risks.

When using a candle as a heater in a tent, care must be taken to remove combustion products.

A perfectly correct heating looks something like this. The burning candle is left outside. A short metal pipe is suspended above it with an inclination. The higher end of the pipe is inserted into the tent. The candle heats the pipe and, accordingly, the air in it, which enters the tent. Thus, the tent is heated with hot, but fresh, clean air, and not with smoke.

Once a candle is lit, it is not necessary to burn it out to the end, until it dies. As soon as the food is cooked, the candle is extinguished by cutting off the air from both below and above. For example, by closing with some kind of non-combustible object, it can be the lid of a pot or by throwing on a damp rag. Thus, with the help of one Indian candle, you can cook food several times.

Undoubtedly, such a candle is much heavier than a stove or a package of dry fuel. But dry fuel is quite expensive. And unlike a primus stove, which must be dragged to both ends of the journey, as well as to bother with a smelly canister of fuel for it, a candle has a one-way ticket. She dies, providing us with hot food, warmth and light.

But when traveling by car or other motorized trips through wild, and especially treeless and mountainous places, a candle will serve you faithfully. Spend a little time making it and you will always be full and warm." copy-paste from a travel site where google chrome found malware and doesn't recommend going there..

Updated 11/29/2019

India is a land of scents. And as soon as you step over the side of the plane, a stream of smells will follow you always and everywhere. Why so many rich aromas, from which it is impossible to hide in any corner of India? All the fault of Indian incense or incense sticks.

Where are incense used and what are they for?

The locals have been using incense in their lives for many years. Previously, They were used for various rituals and ceremonies in the form of roots, leaves, fragrant flowers, essential oils, as well as cake. They were thrown into the sacred fire in order to propitiate the gods and goddesses.

They cleansed the space of their houses with incense. Also in ancient times and in our time in India they are used in. It would seem, what could be the use of aromas? In fact, they have a very beneficial effect on the human body, but not like drugs. Yes, fragrance alone will not cure an advanced cold or intestinal problems, not to mention more serious diseases such as diseases of the heart, liver, lungs and many others.

When buying Indian incense, you should take into account their quality, you should not think that if they are from India, then they are of the highest quality. But if we are talking about quality fragrances, then we can emphasize that they still have some kind of effect.

The harm and benefits of aroma sticks, what you need to consider when buying

So what are the benefits of incense sticks? Indian incense exudes incredible exotic smells. It can be a pleasant, soft aroma of vanilla, or musk, sweet, spicy, minty, fresh, there are a lot of them.

Modern manufacturers have made sure that when buying people can choose the flavor that they like. Filling the room with the aroma of a loved one, sandalwood sticks create a pleasant atmosphere. They purify the mind, put thoughts in order, restore, soothe, create a spirit of peace. Especially often used during and others.

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But do not forget that aroma sticks can also harm your body. If, when buying incense, you did not take into account their quality, then the result will not be long in coming. Poor quality sticks exude too strong a flavor that can be felt without opening the package. Of course, it is not advisable to buy such a product, since artificial flavors are probably present in the composition of incense.

Ideally, quality incense is made from natural ingredients such as sandalwood, oils, aromatic herbs, flowers, spices, roots, and tree leaves.

Hence, of course, the conclusion is that you should not buy sticks with flavors such as strawberries, vanilla or roses.

Such Indian incense can lead to diseases respiratory systems, headaches, and also cause allergies, disrupt your sleep. Allergies can also be caused by using them too often. So don't overdo it.

Of course, the main indicator when buying incense sticks will be their price. Incense with a low price tag, of course, leaves much to be desired, because they use artificial flavors.

It is also worth considering that incense comes with a base in the form of a bamboo stick, and baseless. Baseless ones are much better because they exude a clean, natural scent.

Types of incense

Incense is different and the methods of their production too. There are both traditional and modern ones. It depends on where and how they will be applied.

indian incense with bamboo base. These are the most common types. They consist of a bamboo stick and a mixture of coal dust and sometimes some herbs. Of course, this type of sticks does not differ in special quality and they are used in bad-smelling dirty rooms. In addition, charcoal incense emits too much smoke, which often distorts the aroma that we expected to smell.
Chip incense. They are closer to natural and in their manufacture more often use natural oils. They have a pronounced floral scent. Most often, such incense is used in temples.
Baseless. positive quality of this type is, of course, the absence of a bamboo base. The scent is clean and natural. Unlike other species, they are very fragile. Most often, this type of incense is used in Buddhist monasteries and temples.
Plasticine incense. They are very popular in India, as they exude an intense aroma and are able to fumigate large areas. Minus - they smoke a lot.

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How to use them

Everything is quite simple. But before you start using incense sticks, it is important to take care of the so-called coasters. A bamboo stick needs a horizontal holder (pictured on the left), while a baseless version (cone) needs a different type of holder (pictured right). It is extremely important to be able to quickly ventilate the room if you suddenly feel that the smell is too much for you.

To date, the use of incense in the life of Indians is considered commonplace, as well as sleeping and eating. And what to hide, we all are well aware that the aroma of incense perfectly covers the unpleasant smells that are present on the streets of India.