Uploaded December 2017 | Updated September 2026, 1 week ago
I saw a really cool video from Taromovies (link below) showing a torch design that I wanted to try out. I chose a little Douglas fir sapling for my pellets and they were not ideal. I didn't get nearly the burn time out of the fuel that he did, but the torch itself held together for almost an hour, with me refueling it every ten to fifteen minutes.
Original video link
youtube.com/watch?v=ozhDdl8aZng
I used the torch for a while to navigate through the woods off-trail. It wasn't pitch black, but darker than you would walk to walk through without a light source. While it was a poor substitute for a modern flashlight, I could see where I was going well enough to stay upright the whole time.
A pure fatwood torch would have burned brighter and more easily, but would also have been dripping hot sap everywhere, so I like the idea of a torch that feeds on wood with fatwood to keep it going.
I was dropping flaming bits of fatwood and charcoal chunks along the way, but the forest is thoroughly soaked and there was no danger of any accidental fires spreading. I would consider this a wet season only option .
I think this design would work well with better quality pellets, but you could always fill your pockets with them if you needed extra burn time.
Thanks to Taromovies Swiss Survival & Bushcraft for the great idea!
I saw a really cool video from Taromovies (link below) showing a torch design that I wanted to try out. I chose a little Douglas fir sapling for my pellets and they were not ideal. I didn't get nearly the burn time out of the fuel that he did, but the torch itself held together for almost an hour, with me refueling it every ten to fifteen minutes.
Original video link
youtube.com/watch?v=ozhDdl8aZng
I used the torch for a while to navigate through the woods off-trail. It wasn't pitch black, but darker than you would walk to walk through without a light source. While it was a poor substitute for a modern flashlight, I could see where I was going well enough to stay upright the whole time.
A pure fatwood torch would have burned brighter and more easily, but would also have been dripping hot sap everywhere, so I like the idea of a torch that feeds on wood with fatwood to keep it going.
I was dropping flaming bits of fatwood and charcoal chunks along the way, but the forest is thoroughly soaked and there was no danger of any accidental fires spreading. I would consider this a wet season only option .
I think this design would work well with better quality pellets, but you could always fill your pockets with them if you needed extra burn time.
Thanks to Taromovies Swiss Survival & Bushcraft for the great idea!
