# Introduction Book progress: ◼▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭▭ 1% ## Mökki Elämä for foreigners ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LUaBndlnNzHkMBJNL1C%2F-LUaBoKaz1LvuISb4WUR%2Fcover.jpg?generation=1545755379984251\&alt=media) ### Background I have arrived to Finland in mid-2014. I came as an exchange student but, similarly to many other expatriates, one thing lead to another resulting in me making Finland my home country . Among the things that tied me to this amazing country, is my fascination for Mökkielämää (Cottage life) and the nature surrounding it. However, unlike native Finns, I did not have the privilege of growing up in such environment. Never before I had setup sauna, picked mushrooms and berries in the forest, fish in the lakes, or driven a motor boat. I was(am) basically a child fascinated about everything new, and the amount of new things to learn. This "book" is both a personal registry of how to do things, but also a way of sharing with others the amazing world of the Finnish cottage and its surroundings. Specially to foreigners moving to Finland, who will find limited resources available. ### Open Source All these materials are open source, free for copying and non-commercial distribution. Contributions are welcome. # Structure # Water # Well One of the most common way of getting fresh drinking water at the mokki, is to have a well. A well is just an excavation or structure in the ground to access water, and they can be broadly classified into one of two categories * Shallow well (or unconfined) - If you ever dug a hole in a sandy beach, you might have reached a point when water starts accumulating at the bottom. This is how shallow wells work. These wells get their water from unconfined aquifers closer to the surface. The water from rain, lakes, rivers and sea permeates the soil, creating a layer of water saturated soil. Once a well is dug bellow the water level a pool of water will accumulate. * Deep wells (or confined) - If the region you're in does not have any body of water nearby, is too high above wate level, or does not have a layer of soil to retain the water, it's likely that no unconfined aquifer exists. However it is possible that deeper, confined aquifers exist. These underground bodies of water, somtimes the size of countires, can be accessed with deeper excavations. ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LhWSqKet7rdCTuYwrz5%2F-LhWSrdK8UCkImVcmBsp%2FAquifer_en.svg?generation=1560708351014514\&alt=media) In finland it's very common to use shallow wells, given that most mokki are located near a lake (or at reasonable distance from one). So we'll focus on this type. ## Well placement Wells should be build on slopes, so that water from melting snow runs away from the well. If water melts (meting first around the walls of the well), and re-freezes it can damage its structure. Roots of big trees can also damage the structure of the well. Given that shallow wells get their water from the surface and surrounding bodies of water, they are especially vulnerable to contamination. This means the well should be as far away from contaminating activities as possible. Here are some common contamination sources ### Pathogens **Toilets** - Pit latrines, or toilets in which their "contents" are in direct contact with soil can run off and permeate the soil, effectively contaminating the surrounding unconfined aquifer with dangerous bacteria/algae or promoting their growth with nutrients. **Gargening, agriculture and composting (fertilizers)** - Fertilizers pose a similar threat as the toilets. Nitrogen rich fertilizers promote the growth of bacteria and algae, which can pose a health threat. Storage of these materials is also problematic. ### Chemicals **Workshops and storage** - In workshops and storage it is common to use or store paints, solvents, and other dangerous substances that can fall to the ground and permeate the soil into the aquifer. **Car parking** - Cars and other veichels leak. If there is a oil / battery leak it can contamine the surrounding aquifer for the years to come **Gardening, agriculture (pesticides)** - Usage or storage of pesticides should be avoided for the same reasons. In genral avoid actitities with pollutants around the well, and place the well as far away from as possible from these areas. ## Maintenence and prevention ### Don't * Don't open the lid of your well. It is very likely that materials will fall in to the well, and contaminate it. * Avoid inserting foreign objects into the well. Use a pump installed by a professional, and avoid using buckets that might be dirty. * Don't pile snow or laves close to the well ### Dos * **Before winter** - Check that there are no depressions around the well that could accumulate melted snow. If water accumulates and re-freezes it can damage the structure of the well. * **Before and after winter** - Check the lid of the well to ensure it closes properly, and that no materials can get in (eg. dead leaves, small animals). Check ventilation pipes to ensure they are clean and unobstructed. * **After winter** ensure there are no problems created by ice and snow melting. Carefully vaccum clean the ventilation pipe, and clean the lid and surroundings of the well from branches and dead leaves. * **After winter** Empty the well fully after winter before use. This way new and fresh ground water will be available. * **Every couple of years (during summer)** do a home kit water test. Some contaminants might be tastless, odorless, and invisible to the naked eye. If anyone who uses the water well has recurrent gastro-intestinal issues, the water should also be tested immediately. * **Every 5-7 years** contact a professional to do well inspection, maintenece and cleaning. ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LhWSqKet7rdCTuYwrz5%2F-LhWSrdSEiSpMOygaGFu%2FWater_well_types_wiki.svg?generation=1560708351172846\&alt=media) By Confuciou - Own work, CC BY 3.0, # Energy and Fire # Firewood ## Choosing Firewood and Tree species ### Type of wood The three most common in Finnish trees have the following heat content per kilo, and density. This translates in different amounts of energy per kilo (effort of carrying) and storage space. | Tree Species | Scientific name | Density | Energy (bark)1 | Energy (Stem)1 | Energy (Stem+Bark)1 | Stacked wood 2 | | ------------ | ------------------------ | --------- | -------------------- | ------------------- | ------------------- | ----------------- | | Pine | Pinus Silvestris | 510 kg/m3 | 19.53 MJ/Kg | 19.31 MJ/Kg | 19.33 MJ/Kg | 4896 – 5652 MJ/m3 | | Spruce | Picea abies | 430 kg/m3 | 19.02 MJ/kg | 19.05 MJ/Kg | 19.02 MJ/Kg | 4680 – 4752 MJ/m3 | | Birch | Betula pendula/pubescens | 670 kg/m3 | 22.52 / 22.27 MJ/Kg | 18.61 / 18.68 MJ/Kg | 19.15 / 19.19 MJ/Kg | 6120 – 6516 MJ/m3 | 1 [Source](http://www.woodenergy.ie/woodasafuel/listandvaluesofwoodfuelparameters-part2/)\ 2 [Source - Manual for Firewood production](/basics/energy-and-fire/firewood) Birch, being extremely common, is only beaten by Ash trees, Beech, Oak and Robia tress in terms of heat content. This makes birch the obvious choice for most people in Finland, depending on the regional forest composition. But both Pine and Spruce have reasonable energy content and are suitable for use for firewood. ## Moisture content Moisture is obviously an enemy for igniting wood, but it also presents a major inefficiency and waste of energy. Freshly cut wood can have up to 60% water content, depending on the time of year the tree has been cut down, and the species of the tree. Because water does not burn, or contribute to combustion process, a lot of energy otherwise used in the combustion chain reaction goes to heating and evaporating the water content of the wood. The ideal water content of wood for burning is bellow 20%, or ideally bellow 15%. **You can get up to 15% more heat when burning correctly dried wood.** That translates into 15% less cutting trees, 15% less chopping and transporting wood. Another downside of burning moist wood, is smouldering (wood burning slowly with smoke but no flame). This leads to accumulation of flammable residue in the chimneys, that in worst case scenario can lead to a chimney fire See how to properly dry and store wood bellow. ## Cutting down a Tree ### Timing & drying As we've seen before, moisture content is a major problem when it comes to firewood. So we want to time the cutting down trees so that we minimise their time of drying. This means considering the following factors: * Choose a time when the tree has the least amount of water when cut down * Maximise the amount of summer months the wood will have to dry * Use the tree leaves to evaporate moisture if impossible to cut the tree in appropriate schedule ![Moisture content](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LUaHL6Yxd3Bbu0lZAAC%2F-LUaHM71UjuzMNlIjQzs%2Fmoisture_content_year.png?generation=1545756833782940\&alt=media) The moisture content of deciduous trees (trees that shed leaves annually, like birch) peaks from April and May. These are the months after the snow has melted and the trees prepare for the rapid growth in spring. **We want to avoid these months most of all.** Note that evergreen trees differ less in moisture content throughout the year. ### Winter harvest The best months to dry wood are the summer months (April to July). To leverage these months the most, **trees should be cut down during the winter months, stored as straight long logs, and chopped in early spring to speed up the drying process**. The look and appearance of the firewood will also be the best if this method is used (assuming the wood is sheltered from rain) If it is not possible to chop the logs in the spring after the winter harvest, **the bark should be broken or peeled into strips**, for example with a chainsaw, during the harvesting process. This facilitates the drying during the spring. ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-Ld07BQZdIby0eNCwdj4%2F-Ld07CZmBgysW40TKOC_%2Fdebarking_1.jpg?generation=1555870834919773\&alt=media) ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-Ld07BQZdIby0eNCwdj4%2F-Ld07CZoHI_yXwmH0zvZ%2Fdebarking_2.jpg?generation=1555870834883571\&alt=media) ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-Ld07BQZdIby0eNCwdj4%2F-Ld07CZqCvp9TEYSDy9l%2Fdebarking_3.jpg?generation=1555870834989909\&alt=media) ### Leaf seasoning If it not possible to harvest firewood in the winter months, or if the purpose is to produce wood for the following year, the trees can be cut down by leaf seasoning. This means cutting down trees that already have leaves and letting them dry while intact in a cleared forest. The living leaves make the tree lose moisture content through evaporation. The tree will dry up to the saturation point of the cells (when the leaves eventually fall), which represents 27 to 30% moisture content in Finnish tree species. After the leaves fall down, the tree can be transported and chopped for further drying. ## Drying Wood that is cut during winter, chopped in early spring (May, the latest), and stored appropriately through a good summer can be sufficiently dry for use in the autumn. However it is advisable that wood supplies of one year are harvested and left to dry the previous year. **The first factor in drying wood is exposure to air.** And for that the tree bark is one of the main factors. Trees with their bark intact will deteriorate fast, as the high content in moisture and low exposure will foster the growth of fungi and other rotting agents. Decomposition will already be visible in the second summer after the tree has been harvested. ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LUaHL6Yxd3Bbu0lZAAC%2F-LUaHM75kS9Iu0t_djFl%2Flog_decomposition.jpg?generation=1545756835114817\&alt=media) **The second factor is weather and rain.** If not sheltered appropriately logs will absorb rainwater, which will slowdown or even revert the drying process. On the other hand, if sheltered too much, the covers can restrict the airflow and be equally counterproductive. Given these factors, and since maximising the surface area is the fastest way to dry firewood, it is recommended to follow the winter harvest method, chop the wood into it's final shape in early spring, and store them in an appropriate location (see Storage), sheltered from weather. > **Note that chopping wood with high moisture content is harder.** If you are not in a hurry to get firewood, appropriate debarking, and cutting logs to shorter length might be sufficient for the following year's batch. You can tell if wood is appropriately dry if: * There are cracks at the ends of the chopped wood pieces * The wood is significantly lighter * Ignites easily, and does not smoulder (smoke but no fire) ## Dry Storage ### Elevation. The storage of wood should be elevated from the ground. This prevents the moisture from the ground to rise, enhances air circulation under the woodpile, and to prevent rainwater to pool around it. Elevation can be achieved, for example, using wood pallets ### Post-chopping storage - Stacking vs Piling Is it really worth the effort to neatly stacking wood? and if yes, how worth is it? According to the [Manual for Firewood production](/basics/energy-and-fire/firewood), a neatly packed pile of wood has 68% more wood than a loose pile of the same volume. If you are letting your logs dry in a covered area, and space is a restriction, then **yes**. **So far we have not found significant information regarding drying effectiveness of stacking vs lose piles of wood** ## Chopping wood ### Old school ### The tire method ### The hammer method ## Before burn storage # Starting a fire ## Basics of combustion Fire is a chemical chain reaction between a fuel and an oxidiser (usually oxygen in the air). For this reaction to initiate, fuel needs to be heated until the "flash point", the temperature at which the reaction initiates. This is usually done with another flame, such as a match or a lighter. After the initial ignition, the reaction needs to generate enough heat to ignite the surrounding fuel, have enough oxygen, and have enough fuel. This is not always an easy balance to achieve. ### Too much air More air is usually good and means accelerated combustion, faster fuel burn and more heat generation. In most stoves, fireplaces and bonfires increasing the amount of oxygen means opening air intakes, or spread logs apart to allow air circulation. However, if there is too much airflow, temperature will drop due to the passing cold air - Especially if the area is cold, like when you first arrive to the cottage on a cold day. The excess airflow will cool down the wood, and put out the fire, very much like blowing out a candle. ### Too much fuel Adding lots of wood makes sure there is enough fuel, and heat will likely be well kept in between the logs. However this comes at the cost of having insufficient airflow. Too much fuel will likely result in insufficient oxygen for the combustion to be sustained. ### Fuel moisture and temperature As mentioned before, wood needs to reach the flash point to burn. Everything that makes this harder is a problem for starting and sustaining a fire. If the wood is cold, or the area has significant a cold mass (like cold water in water boilers), it's going to be harder for the the wood to reach the flash point. Another factor is wood moisture. If the wood has high moisture content, and since water does not burn, all water needs to be heated and evaporated before the wood can ignite. If you combine high moisture content and low temperatures, you will likely struggle at starting and maintain a fire **Note Carbon Dioxide (C02) and Carbon Monoxide (CO)** Whenever fire burns with insufficient oxygen it produces carbon monoxide, instead of the usual carbon dioxide. Carbon monoxide is odourless (it might not smell like smoke) and is toxic to animals, including humans. Any fires burning in living spaces should be monitored. ## Starting a Fire ### Tepee *To do* ### Log Cabin *To do* ### Lean to *To do* # Health and Safety # Fishing # Bank fishing # Casting and Trailing # Net fishing # Fly fishing # Crayfish traps # Hunting # Gathering # Berry picking # Mushroom picking # Wild Tree resources # Summer # Autumn # Winter # Spring # Winter # Ice lanterns Snow and Ice lanterns are not a tradition exclusive from Finland, the Nordics or Scandinavia. Places like Japan also have this tradtion, with the city of [Hirosaki having an anual snow latern festival](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Harbin_International_Ice_and_Snow_Sculpture_Festival). But some sources point to the tradition of making snow lanterns in honour of fallen soldiers of WW2, during the 1940s in Finland. Since it's a common traddition to visit loved one's graves during the Christmas season, it is plausible that it migh have became a Christmas tradition of itself. Regardless, it is a really nice activitiy to bring a bit of light to the darkness of winter, specially during Christmas. ## Lumilyhty - Snow lanterns ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LUa20s9LvQR-pv0vP6w%2F-LUa21QHfiV2Y6Y6RUY-%2Fsnow_lantern.jpg?generation=1545752816731969\&alt=media) Snow laterns are extremely easy to make and activity to make with kids. In order to make a snow lanter, the snow conditions need to be favorable to making snow balls - Ideally nuoska type - packing snow (See snow types). If it's too cold and the snow is too dry the snowballs won't hold. 1. Make snowballs of about the size of a fist (or smaller) and lay them on the ground in a circle with a bit of space in between. ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LUa20s9LvQR-pv0vP6w%2F-LUa21QJBJ_B3PXEp6j_%2Fsnow_building_1.jpg?generation=1545752817635907\&alt=media) 2. Add new layer of snowballs in between the snowballs of the first layer. ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LUa20s9LvQR-pv0vP6w%2F-LUa21QLoBviClLJB8Bo%2Fsnow_building_2.jpg?generation=1545752817678364\&alt=media) 3. Repat the process untill desired height is achieved. As you go up, try to make the snoballs smaller and place them closer to the center, so that the radius of the top of the lanter will be smaller than the base ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LUa20s9LvQR-pv0vP6w%2F-LUa21QN4gXeAT3ufzL9%2Fsnow_building_3.jpg?generation=1545752817089321\&alt=media) 4. After the desired height has been achieved place candles inside the lantern ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LUa20s9LvQR-pv0vP6w%2F-LUa21QPhpDRVIATh6Vq%2Fsnow_building_final.jpg?generation=1545752816837764\&alt=media) ## Jäälyhty - Ice Lanterns ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LUVpQmexZOgkcxS5UyX%2F-LUVpRQP04V40jpRyUr5%2Fice_lanterns.jpg?generation=1545665367005804\&alt=media) ### Easy method The easiest way to make an Ice lantern is to use 2 buckets, a large and smaller one. This takes the timing out of the equasion, and is less likely to result in failure. 1. Find a Large and a small bucket, ducktape, and of course water. Remove paper labels of containers before freezing, and use metal containers for faster freezing and facilitating the use of heat to remove the ice from the containers. ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LUS_F6A7l7nO0auIM6F%2F-LUS_FgOQzoTZlBMRLZj%2Fmaterials.jpg?generation=1545610792622153\&alt=media) 2. Fill the larger bucket with water up to 2/3rds. 3. Insert the smaller bucket into the larger one and fill it with weights untill it has a reasonable distance from the bottom of the larger bucket. **Note:** Water can be used as weight but this is not advisible. If hot water is needed to facilitate the removal of the smaller bucket the frozen water in the smaller container will make it difficult 4. With ducktape make an X shape on top of the two buckets to keep the small bucket in place ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LUS_F6A7l7nO0auIM6F%2F-LUS_FgQSnkHf2LhzQG_%2Fsetup.jpg?generation=1545610793290568\&alt=media) 5. Optionally add decorative material (such as spruce branches and pine branches) ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LUS_F6A7l7nO0auIM6F%2F-LUS_FgSx4uIpCGwHBbU%2Fdecorations_1.jpg?generation=1545610792903391\&alt=media) ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LUS_F6A7l7nO0auIM6F%2F-LUS_FgUU0gn1STwoPK5%2Fdecorations_2.jpg?generation=1545610793876386\&alt=media) 6. Depending on the temperature and size of the bucket, wait a couple of hours (ideally overnight when it's colder) and remove the ice from the containers. If lightly hitting the container upside down to remove the ice does not work, insert the container in a bowl of warm water for a minute or two to help the ice unstick from the bucket. Ensure the water is not too hot - otherwise the ice might crack. Afterwards, optionally, use a blowdrier or a small torch to make the surface of the ice clearer. ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LUVMq2Npvr4tRGM30_s%2F-LUVMqmwPVgh5idHd2D8%2Ffinal_all.jpg?generation=1545657610413613\&alt=media) ![](https://3562025130-files.gitbook.io/~/files/v0/b/gitbook-legacy-files/o/assets%2F-LSdm8JpkmpbgcWJU_Xi%2F-LUVMq2Npvr4tRGM30_s%2F-LUVMqmybJW2dXGL2X0s%2Ffinal_detail.jpg?generation=1545657610539863\&alt=media) ### Single bucket An alternative method is to use a single bucket, fill it fully with water, and periodically verify the thickness of the ice. The idea is so that the top of the bucket is the bottom of the latern since the surface of the water will freeze earlier than the bottom. Ensure the bucket does not freeze fully. After a couple of hours, or overnight, remove the ice from the bucket and empty the water on the inside. If the bottom of the bucket is already frozen dently break it to remove the water inside. This method works best with metal bucket because the thermal conductivity of the metal is much greater than plastic, leading to the water to freeze from the walls of bucket towards the inside of the bucket faster. ### Spherical ice lanterns Spherical lanterns can be achieved similarly to the the Single bucket method, but with a ballon instead of a bucket. Fill a balloon with water and bit of air. Leave the baloon outsite for long enough for ice to form in the ballon, but short enough so the water at the center remains liquid. Puncture the balloon at the top where the air was left, and remove the ballon and the liquid water at the center. ## Note on candles for Ice lanterns Do not use candles with metal encasing on ice lanterns or use them with a ceramic plate. the metal will easily melt through the ice when the candle is lit. ## Note on clear Ice Some people claim that the way to make clear ice is to boil the water before freezing. That is not accurate. Ice that is not clear has frozen unevenly - eg from outsite towards the inside. When the inside water freezes while being contained in the outside ice it expands in volume. Having nowhere to go it cracks the already formed outside ice. Air disolved in that water also has nowhere to go, so it ends up trapped in the inside ice making white instead of transparent. The **only** solution to making clear ice is to ensure that the water freezes evenly (eg. from top to bottom of a container). This can be achieved by isolating the container on all sides except one, and having only that area exposed to cold. This has the disadvantage of taking significanltly longer to freeze a whole container. # Boating # Sauna # Juhannus # Games # Fauna and Flora