Fat Wood Revisited

    

   A recent online conversation on the topic of fat wood and bush crafting in general has brought me back to blogging and hopefully helping people identify and harvest their own but first a description.

  Typically fat wood is produced when the sap settles in cut stumps, roots and branch junctions after a tree dies some unnatural death with the root system still producing sap . The lighter volatile fractions(my conjecture) evaporate over time along with moisture and leave behind the Terpene rich resin impregnated wood which is highly flammable when shaved off.  This process could take upwards of a decade or more to happen.

  For the longest time I had trouble finding sources or identifying fat wood not knowing what to look for(expecting to find entire stumps like down south with the Long Leaf)so I hope this helps.

 Location is important, first you need to find an area where pines are are growing or where they have grown. Once you identify your source a pine sol smell of the shavings will confirm it. Old cedar to me looks almost identical either but you will not have the turpentine/pine sol smell and will not yield any.

One of the easiest sources to find get it from at least in my location in South Central Pa. is old downed trunks at the branch junctions.   

Once you think you have found a suitable downed pine start by checking by making a cut along the base of a branch. It should feel waxy and have a strong turpentine oder.

Use whatever cutting implement you have(in this case an ancient Gerber saw) and cut the branch as close to the trunk as possible.

Split it down with an ax or batoning with your knife and there you go, one of the best backwoods fire starters you can carry along with you.

Have fun finding your own source, Soon I hope to do one on using fatwood and fire steel use to start your fires.

Stay safe!

Bob