Where Can I Buy Fatwood

The most preferred fire starting method at the Appalachian Bushman School. Buying fatwood is a great way to train and experiment with its different applications. It is also always very important to have emergency tinder and fire starting materials with you.

where can i buy fatwood

Fatwood, also known as "fat lighter", "lighter wood", "rich lighter", "pine knot",[1] "lighter knot", "heart pine", "fat stick" or "lighter'd" [sic], is derived from the heartwood of pine trees. The stump (and tap root) that is left in the ground after a tree has fallen or has been cut is the primary source of fatwood, as the resin-impregnated heartwood becomes hard and rot-resistant after the tree has died. Wood from other locations can also be used, such as the joints where limbs intersect the trunk. Although most resinous pines can produce fatwood, in the southeastern United States the wood is commonly associated with longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), which historically was highly valued for its high pitch production.

The commercial use of fatwood from stumps stemmed from the production of pitch and pine tar. In 1648, a company was formed in Sweden called Norrländska Tjärkompaniet (The Wood Tar Company of North Sweden), and was given exclusive export rights for pine tar by the King of Sweden.[2]

Coniferous tree sap is a viscous liquid that contains terpene, a volatile hydrocarbon. Over time the evaporation of the terpene changes the state of the sap; it slowly gets thicker until it hardens into resin. New fatwood leaks the sticky sap, while in aged fatwood the sap has hardened and is no longer sticky. At every stage of the aging process, fatwood will burn readily, unless excessively damp.

Because of the flammability of terpene, fatwood is prized for use as kindling in starting fires. It lights quickly even when wet, is very wind resistant, and burns hot enough to light larger pieces of wood. A small piece of fatwood can be used many times to create tinder by shaving small curls and using them to light other larger tinder. The pitch-soaked wood produces an oily, sooty smoke, and it is recommended that one should not cook on a fire until all the fatwood has completely burned out.[3]

There are between 105 and 125 species classified as resinous pine trees around the world. Species usable for fatwood are distributed across a range including Eurasia, where they range from the Canary Islands, Iberian Peninsula and Scotland east to the Russian Far East. From the Philippines, Norway, Finland and Sweden (Scots Pine), and eastern Siberia (Siberian Dwarf Pine), and south to northernmost Africa. From the Himalaya and Southeast Asia, with one species (Sumatran Pine) just crossing the Equator in Sumatra. In North America, they range from 66N in Canada (Jack Pine), to Central America to 12N in Nicaragua (Caribbean Pine). The highest diversity in the genus occurs in Mexico and California. In the sub-tropics of the Southern Hemisphere, including Chile, Brazil, South Africa, Australia, Argentina and New Zealand, the trees are not indigenous but were introduced. Anywhere there is a pine tree or pine stump, there can be fatwood that can be found on top of the ground, but it is more concentrated and preserved in stumps.

In the United States the pine tree, Pinus palustris, known as the longleaf pine, once covered as much as 90,000,000 acres (360,000 km2) but due to clear cutting was reduced by between 95% and 97%. The trees grow very large (up to 150 feet), taking 100 to 150 years to mature and can live up to 500 years. The wood was prized and cutting resulted in many hundreds of thousands of stumps that are very resinous, do not rot, and eventually become fatwood. This ushered in a new industry for many years. There is still a market for the wood, but supplies are less abundant. Due to the length of growing time, the Pinus taeda, also called the loblolly pine, replaced it for commercial replanting, with a maturity of only 38 to 45 years.

Industrial uses for fatwood include production of turpentine; when fatwood is cooked down in a fire kiln, the heavier resin product that results is pine tar. The steam that vaporizes from this process is turned into a liquid that becomes turpentine.

These are completely additive-free and contain all-natural substances. The best thing about this fire log is that it is surprisingly very lightweight and it is very easy to carry them. You can store them anywhere and are perfect for any kind of outdoor camping.

Remember, a good chunk of fatwood can be used again and again to produce tinder and kindling. You can stow fatwood shavings in your fire kit with your other survival gear for future needs. For pre-packaged fatwood check out our Fatwood Kindlin in The Pathfinder Store.

Wax Wood Stick fatwood alternative by Canadian manufacturer PROCAMPTEK. It is a product meant to save you time from sourcing, processing and cleaning the sticky resin messes associated with natural fatwood. The unique formulation of Wax Wood Stick cuts way easier, takes a spark quicker, packs cleanly and leaves no sticky residue.

Wax Wood Stick is an awesome fire starter manufactured in Canada by PROCAMPTEK (Production Hangar 51). It is made to mimic naturally found "fat wood" but without the sticky mess or difficulty for some in sourcing, preparing and packing. This unique fire starter cuts smoother and ignites easier than any natural fatwood and it burns HOT.

It is known by many names depending on where you are from. Whatever you call it, fatwood is regionally recognized as a amazing natural resource for survivalist, campers, bushcrafters, and just about any outdoors person in tune with the natural resources available to thrive in the wild.

Wax Wood Stick is made to mimic naturally occurring fatwood. But you may be asking yourself; "Why?" Fatwood is widely known as a perfect fire starter material. Why would anyone consider purchasing "fake" fatwood? The makers of Wax Wood recognize that it is not enough to simply mimic fatwood, you have to do more because fatwood has some downsides that could be improved.

Natural fatwood is not always easy to find; especially if you don't know what you are looking for. Some areas are devoid of pines so you have to go out of your way to source the right trees. Once you do finally find some quality fatwood, it has to be processed into useable pieces. This processing can be messy and sticky, depending on the freshness of your fatwood find. Harvested chunks of fatwood come in no standard shape or size, so storing it for travel or various kits can be a challenge. All of these things add to the time used to source a useable piece of natural fatwood. What is your time worth?

Many people enjoy the outdoors on public land. Public wilderness areas all have their own unique set of rules governing their use and prohibited activities. From National Forest to large State Parks, each control their own rules concerning the flora and fauna within their boundaries. Some are very strict in the disturbance of natural resources, while others not so much. The harvesting and transport of fatwood from some of these lands could leave you with a warning from a park Ranger or a heavy fine in some of the more protected areas of the country. Wax Wood Stick skips all of that, saving you time while still allowing you to enjoy the ritual of preparing fire with your favorite knife and scraping off pieces of wax soaked wood. It also leaves our public lands free from human disturbance from an overzealous searches of Fatwood with axes and saws.

PROCAMPTEK attempts to give you all of the benefits of naturally occurring fatwood without some of the drawbacks. Wax Wood Stick is not only easier to light than natural fatwood, it is more conveniently sized for your pack or fire kit and ready to go. Wax wood is softer for easier processing, with no sticky residue. It's dry, easy to pack and super easy to use. The "problems" of naturally occurring fatwood have been solved!

CHOKTAW Shavings are the ultimate tinder solution for any emergency where warmth is critical to your survival and needed quickly! Made from the same resin-rich fatwood found in our Emergency Fire Kits, CHOKTAW Shavings are wind-resistant, waterproof, and ignites easily even in inclement weather.

To use a fatwood starter you need to arrange your charcoal or dried wood so it is directly over the starter while ensuring there is sufficient airflow to allow the starter to burn hot. Light the starter with a match or lighter. The fatwood will quickly ignite, burn hot and get your primary fuel to start burning.

An extremely nice feature about fatwood is that it is naturally waterproof and will work just fine if it gets wet. The product also has an indefinite shelf life so you can throw the box in with your grilling supplies and grab some out whenever you need some.

I loaded the charcoal ring of my 18 inch Weber Smokey Mountain with B&B briquettes and placed two pieces of fatwood on the outside edge of the charcoal grate. I used a lighter to get the fatwood lit and it ignited quickly.

The fatwood did a great job of lighting the charcoal but you want to make sure that the fatwood has burned to completion before you place the body and lid onto the Weber Smokey Mountain as you do not want to season the inside of the cooker with the pungent back smoke.

I think B&B has done a nice job in their marketing as the focus on the fact that their product is produced from reclaimed pine tress which means that they do not cut any living trees for their fatwood production. 041b061a72