Been reading a lot about fatwood.
Sounds like it is something everyone should have.
Although I only looked on our last 2 camping trips,I cant seem
to find any dead pine tree stumps.
Anyone have easy access to some of this stuff?
Also,from reading,it seems its kinda sticky from the sap,
could you seal it in wax to prevent it from getting
all over everything,and also to keep it from drying out?
Thanks

Here in the southeast it is everywhere. I have so much of it that I will never be able to use it all. The sap is not a problem at all. I take a small piece of about 1" by 6" to start several fires.

Here is a pic of a little with my freshly sharpened S6..

No wild pines where I live, so you can do like me and buy it at Walmart. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> It's with the fireplace stuff near hardware, usually about a $1 a bag. I bought a bunch they clearanced in spring for $.25 a pack.

I've made my own before too. Get yourself a nice drippy pine tree on a hot day, and a dry softwood stick. Smear the stick with pitch all over, let it dry and voila: instant fire starter. Once I gathered the pitch off a pine that we just felled, I got maybe a tablespoon of pitch, wrapped a leaf around it to keep it somewhat contained till it dried. Pretty nice little torch. Burned for half an hour. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

You know, I think that Pitman got his fatwood / resinwood from a cedar if memory
serves. I think he posted a picture thread on here or BF about it once or twice.


Cheers.

Never knew they sold it in stores!
Guess I need to open my eyes next time.
Homemade little torch balls...
Sounds like something I wanna try.
I read about making glue out of sap too.
Thanks for the tips and pictures people.

Yup! Lots of information on this around the web. "Nature's epoxy" <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

(seriously, don't get it on anything you don't want permanently stuck to something else)

Fatwood is fatwood because the sap has settled in and dried. It’s not sticky at all.

If you want to start a fire with a match, you can whittle toothpicks of fatwood as a primary tinder.

If you want to start a fire with a ferro rod, hold the edge of your knife almost vertically against the fatwood and scrape. That will give you the fine shavings of wood you need. Make a pile of those shavings, and they will catch a spark and burn.

This is what I bought as a firestarter in the outdoor shop that I go to.
It's basically fatwood with a coating on the end so that you can strike
it like a match. It burns for about 7 minutes, which is lots of time for
you to get a fire going.
I tried it out in a light wind and it worked good. Didn't blow out like
a match would. Haven't personally tried it out in any other conditions
other than wet weather with light wind.

Just a little look at my firestarter kit that I take with me in my PSK.

Cabela's tin


Contents

Nice tidy looking kit there DotD

Thanks.
The cotton balls have been rubbed in vaseline, and man do those
critters light. I only needed one spray of sparks from my firesteel
to pop a petroleum cotton ball into flame when I tested them.
That was in the fall, light wind and damp (just after a rain).
Going to test it in the snow tonight for kicks to see if I can
get something going.

Hopefully, I'll be able to take some pictures.

Cheers