In this particular case some small twigs were also added to the kindling which turned out to be a mistake as they blocked
the vertical air flow needed to ensure good ignition. After a slightly discouraging start these twigs were removed from the cuts and with just bark the result was much better. The original idea behind the fire log is to create a controllable fire which can be lit on snow as the base does not heat up and can be packed into the snow to keep the log vertical. Once the fire is burning well, a billy can, kettle or skillet can be placed directly on the top for cooking or heating.
This is an interesting technique if you have a chainsaw, but a similar effect can apparently be produced by splitting the trunk with an axe and packing the sections carefully apart. |