# Self Sufficiency/Living off the Land or Off the Grid > Making Stuff >  Torches

## aviator survivalist

What is the best way to make a good torch and how long do they last??? i've been trying for a while but they always break, dont light, or just go out in about 5 minites.  :Mad:

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## Tony uk

If you get a good sized but thin stick and make a sharp point on the end and attach any slow burning things that you have as tho you where making something like a cabab and light it, It depends on what you use how long it lasts i would say 5 mins at least or if you use man made then it depends on how long they are ment to last 

Small tip: If your are planning to light a candal outside and have a freezer handy then stick it in for about 1 hour untill it becomes cold, It will still burn like normal but will last longer  :Smile:

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## nell67

I found this,not sure how long it burns,but might be worth a try  to see how well it does http://www.wwmag.net/barktorc.htm

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## kid

i tried the birch bark torch once ecept tht it was a long piece folded over once ans crammed into a split stick and you would move out more bark as it burned
 it worked pretty well

or you can try this and i know that it works great

http://www.therangerdigest.com/Tips_...___tricks.html

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## rusty_oxydado

The traditional crazed villager with torches were a club at one end a wicking material wes tied on the the club, a barrel or nail knot can be used so the line ends are tucked under the wraps, and trimmed flush with the wraps on the club.
  have some kerosine in a coffee can, being sure not to cause the can to over flow, allow the fuel to soak into the wicking. The torch is done, all is left is the ignititing of the torch. 
  Then there is the wick in a bottle, simply put the bottle holds the fuel, a length of braided cotton rope is the wick, a hole is punched into the center of the bottles cap, and the wick is threaded through. A bottle lamp. Tape the bottle to the end of a pole and it is a tiki lamp.
  Diesel will work too, it is much cheeper, bit it stinks, and soot's everything up.

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## Strider

What kinda torch do you mean? Like one you can make in the wilderness, or one you can make at home? At home, I soak an old shirt in gasoline for a few minutes and them wrap it around a 1-2 inch thick (and a few feet long) stick. This lasts a long time because the gasoline is burning on the cloth not actually burning the cloth itself. If you are in the wild, look for pine trees. Get a good sized and thick (NOT rotten anywhere) stick, and take off the branches till its nice and ... well, branchless. Then, look for a hole in a tree or a sapling or a fresh fallen (green) pine cone and get a lot of the sap. Smear the sap all over the end of the torch and wait for a while letting it dry. Then, give it another coat, then another until it is thickly coated. (This method takes a while, but it works) Then, just light it, or stick it over the fire (make sure to turn it around so the sap doesn't melt off).

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## rat31465

I've made torches by tightly wrapping Sisal braid rope around a pole then soaking it with Kerosene.  Allow it to dry for 1/2 hour or so before lighting it. Burns well.

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## Rick

Cattails (stems with tops attached) soaked in wax. Also rushes.

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## snakeman

I have made one by suffiing pine straw and dry grass into a cone of dry sticks, and then tie it up aevery few inches. I would't use it where things could catch on fire, because it litters burninf pieces. a few simple resonis pieces of pine splits will burn for a few minutes. Erunkisurvival made a nice one with pine sap.

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## Trouble

Get the sap of a pine tree and glaze the top of a large branch. Voila, insta-torch!

(I just noticed that someone already psoted this... but I guess for good measure, I'll post it anyway to give the OP a second opinion.)
Should burn for a good while.

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## Ravnari86

A method I've found to help keep the pine sap from melting off is to coat the stick in sap, wrap it in t-shirt material, then put a second coat of the sap over it. I don't suggest repeating it more than 3 times with a good coat on each layer or it will melt off anyways. Just be sure to give it a good full coat, both under and over each layer of cloth. It's a simple way to extend your resin torch's burn time.

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## panch0

Lots of great ideas here.

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## panch0

Here are some made out of fat wood, made by a fellow I know. I am going to try and make some with my kids one of these days.

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## crashdive123

That'll work.

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## COWBOYSURVIVAL

Awesome, I'd of liked to have seen these before my last trip! Great tip!

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## panch0

I got a few pieces of fatwood that a buddy sent me. I don't think it grows down here. I am going to make them with my sons as soon as we get a chance.

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## Justin Case

> Here are some made out of fat wood, made by a fellow I know. I am going to try and make some with my kids one of these days.
> 
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Awesome !   great for night fishing !  :Smile: 
(although it looks like its about to start a forest fire  :Innocent: )

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## hunter63

> The traditional crazed villager with torches were a club at one end a wicking material wes tied on the the club, a barrel or nail knot can be used so the line ends are tucked under the wraps, and trimmed flush with the wraps on the club.
>   have some kerosine in a coffee can, being sure not to cause the can to over flow, allow the fuel to soak into the wicking. The torch is done, all is left is the ignititing of the torch. 
>   Then there is the wick in a bottle, simply put the bottle holds the fuel, a length of braided cotton rope is the wick, a hole is punched into the center of the bottles cap, and the wick is threaded through. A bottle lamp. Tape the bottle to the end of a pole and it is a tiki lamp.
>   Diesel will work too, it is much cheeper, bit it stinks, and soot's everything up.


LOL, sorry, but I was having visions along the same lines, and wondered how they kept them going.........Seem to burn for ever.

Sounds like a experienced "traditional crazed villager" speaking, with the answer, but I still wonder where the coffee can came from......?

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## Rick

Would you look at that? All that fatwood looks like an add for Photobucket. Now that's weird.

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## Justin Case

> Would you look at that? All that fatwood looks like an add for Photobucket. Now that's weird.


They (pics) were there when I quoted them ?   Shame, They were Pics of a good looking torch Idea, ,Maybe panch0 will repost them,,,,

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## Rick

He said he was running out of space. Looks like he did. It's dangerous on the edge of the cyber world.

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## crashdive123

Sure they were.  And some say Christmas has become too commercialized.  Ha!

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## hunter63

The "traditional crazed villager", The "traditional crazed villager", I wanna hear more about the "traditional crazed villager"............

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