I read somewhere that the trick is to not put too much tinder in the gaps of your sweedish fire log. The swedes just put bits of birch bark in the gaps with plenty of air gaps; too much tinder & it wont light properly. I have never tried it but it's on my ever gtowing list of things to try. There was a pic of some people at the Wildernes Gathering who had a 2 foot log standing upright in their BBQ, which looked like a good way of doing it, so you dont burn the ground around it. I like the BG stove idea of 4 sticks in the ground with tinder in the middle, must try that as well..