We recently found out about the YouTube channel Advoko Makes and its creator Max Egorov, a Russian survival instructor. Max has many years of experience teaching survival skills on camera, but most of his videos were in Russian, so the language barrier made them more difficult for us to understand. Fortunately, many of his videos are now being re-uploaded with easy-to-follow English narration. The latest of these is a DIY guide to making vertically-grilled shish kabobs inside a Swedish torch fire.

As usual with Max's videos, there's a lot of useful information that goes beyond the primary theme. This video starts with a tutorial on how to make a bow saw using nothing but a saw blade, some paracord, and a small multi-tool. This simple saw applies tension to the thin blade, and allows Max to quickly cut through large unsupported logs. He also shows how he made “log dog” spikes from some scrap steel to hold three fire logs in a triangle formation.

A potato is skewered and sliced into a long spiral, creating gaps so it can cook evenly over a fire. Max then demonstrates a few methods for cooking it, including cored and wrapped around a hot dog, fried in the oils from some fatty meat, and interspersed with thin slices of sausage.

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He says the grilled shish kabobs take on a smoked flavor that's quite delicious. We hope to try this technique in the future, since just looking at the crispy skin on that potato has our mouths watering. Watch the full video below and see for yourself:

Written by Patrick McCarthy