Have you ever heard of a “Canadian Candle” or “Swedish Fire Torch”? The two are one and the same and are regional names for a method of creating a contained, self-sustaining fire that can burn for up to eight hours under the right conditions. Wicked easy to make, you begin by first quartering a log that is a minimum of 12” tall, then space the quarters within an inch of one another, and start a fire inside. Because it lives inside of the quartered pieces, the fire is contained, impervious to weather conditions, and fuels itself. Not only do you get a charming fire to warm yourself by, but you also end up with the basis for the perfect camp stove too.
Capitalizing on this method, Filson has introduced their MITI Camp Stove which is a round stainless steel plate designed to sit on top of a “Canadian Candle” and act as a reusable cooktop that won’t burn through your pots and pans. The MITI Camp Stove has four legs that you push down into the gaps in the quartered logs, and four tabs on the outside of its diameter that you insert along the outside of the wood as well. A set super long nails is included with the stove to help fasten it securely. These features essentially capture the “Swedish Fire Torch” to give it structure and maintain the proper spacing for the ultimate, long-term burn.
The MITI Camp Stove is 11” in diameter, weighs 2.5 lbs, and retails for $85. Which makes it lighter, more compact, and generally less expensive than most other base camp stoves on the market. Additionally, it doesn’t require any specific types of fuel – you simply bring along a solid hatchet, axe, or splitting maul (which you should be carrying anyway).
When you consider all of this, it seems like the MITI Camp Stove is a no-brainer for your culinary interludes while you’re out there in the thick of it. The one drawback I could see is if you didn’t have a 12” diameter log that you could split and use to build up your “Swee-nadian Torch Candle of Fire”. On the other hand, your chances of finding a log of wood is still a lot higher than discovering a canister of white gas.
