Fatwood

Worked today with some fatwood (resin-rich pine) and had forgotten just how effective and long-burning it was. Home Depot sells it in 4 pound bags for a couple of bucks and has been known to blow it out come Spring for as little as $1 a bag. I, of course, pick up two or three bags then because I might use eight or ten sticks over the course of a winter.

I like to shave down the sticks to create lots of curls or "fuzz." These fuzz-sticks really catch quickly as there's plenty of Oxygen and the resin acts not only as fuel but accelerant.

Once the stick has been shaved pretty thin I break it in half and lean the two halves against each other tipi style. A single match is usually more than enough to get a fire going. If I was really feeling adventurous I could use the striker from my metal match to create fatwood "dust" which would take a spark.

Maybe it's time to add some fatwood back into the pack...

Thanks for reading,

B