How to make a rocket stove

Stoking up the rocket stove with a few twigs

What is a rocket stove? It’s a hollowed out log with a fire inside, that has a hole in the side to direct the breeze which fans the fire, and hence it burns like a rocket!

There are a few ways to make a rocket stove, you can cut a log and drill holes into it, make one from a bundle of sticks, and this version where we split a log and do some sawing and chopping.

It’s a lot like the Swedish Fire Log, a log split or cut, then set on fire in the gaps between the segments of the log. However, this version, the rocket stove, will burn hotter, because of the airflow directed into the heart of the fire through the hole at the bottom of the log!

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The making of char cloth tinder

There are many ways to light a fire and some of the basic deliver the most satisfaction. So have you ever tried to light a fire from a simple spark using a piece of flint and a steel? This should not be confused with a firesteel, one of those ferro or ferrocerium rods. When a firesteel is scraped properly it provides a shower of bright, white and extremely hot sparks to ignite a tinder bundle. Chipping away at a piece of flint with a steel by contrast creates paler sparks that are a cooler orange and far more sensitive to the tinder used.  Continue reading “The making of char cloth tinder”

What’s happening at Camp Wildfire?

Whittled spoons and cups from the woodlands

Last year’s Camp Wildfire was a great success, half adventure camp and half music festival for adults only. Located at a secret woodland location in Kent, with easy access from London, there was a huge range of activities to engage with; zip wires, archery, sword fighting, knife throwing, horse riding, yoga, painting, crafts and loads more and then music, dance and partying into the small hours. Continue reading “What’s happening at Camp Wildfire?”

Ready to connect with nature?

Ready to connect with nature? Put the kettle on, make yourself a cuppa, relax for a couple of minutes in this peaceful woodland setting in the Chilterns, where the oak, ash and sycamore trees reach high into the sky, there’s the rustle of squirrels, a hint of wild garlic still lingers in the air and the birds are singing – this is where I work, join me in the woods… (play the video) Continue reading “Ready to connect with nature?”