Fire-Starting Fatwood

Have you ever heard of Fatwood?
I hadn't either until my farmer friend Lynn told me about it.

This past weekend, when I was working with him,
he explained a little bit about it.

This is Fatwood.
It is wood that comes from the trunk of a dead pine tree.
Once the tree dies, the resin saturates the trunk,
which is what makes it burn so easily.

This long-leaf pine, dead for years, toppled recently
during a fierce windstorm.

Other types of pines can also provide Fatwood.
It can be found anywhere older conifers have been living.
Hunters, hikers and nature lovers have spotted it all over the country.

Lynn showed me how he divides the pieces into
manageable shims for burning.

Using the top of one of the logs,
he places the wedge flat, and slices portions off,
working in a circular direction.

Each slice is then trimmed into stakes about 1-inch thick.

A few of these on a camping trip would be more than ample
for all of your fire starting needs.
This stuff burns quickly and lasts a good, long time.

Bonfire, anyone? 

We were first introduced to this fantastic resource here.
You can read more about Fatwood here.