What's old is new again. The "tar kiln" was once common in the woods on the plateau, and remnants can still be found. Pine tar had many uses for the mountaineer, and was one of few products easily sold for cash. There is little need to carry fire starters here, you can't walk very far in the woods without tripping over rosin-impregnated stumps or pine knots. Fresh pine resin may also be distilled to produce turpentine - obviously not in an immediate survival situation; but in a long term decline, if petroleum distillates were no longer available? This post reminds me; I need to dig out and re-read the Foxfire books. Lots of good info there.
Old timers used to use pine sap in the ways described in this article, which appears sound. One thing I would add is that, when using pine resin as a glue, adding a little pulverized charcoal out of the fireplace makes it stick better and easier to handle.
I have used the pitch for mostly fire starting and it works great for that, although it can be a little stubborn by itself with a flint/steel. Melting it in cotton balls works great.
The other uses I am going to experiment with it a bit. I may have to harvest a bunch of it to have on hand.
Antibacterial, fresh sap can be used for wound healing. The pine needle tea I think it is only the needles from white pine, the others are toxic. The inner bark can be eaten also.
5 comments:
What's old is new again. The "tar kiln" was once common in the woods on the plateau, and remnants can still be found. Pine tar had many uses for the mountaineer, and was one of few products easily sold for cash.
There is little need to carry fire starters here, you can't walk very far in the woods without tripping over rosin-impregnated stumps or pine knots.
Fresh pine resin may also be distilled to produce turpentine - obviously not in an immediate survival situation; but in a long term decline, if petroleum distillates were no longer available?
This post reminds me; I need to dig out and re-read the Foxfire books. Lots of good info there.
Scott
III N TN
Good for Vitamin C when pine needles are steeped in boiling water, and the resin makes for good tinder.
Old timers used to use pine sap in the ways described in this article, which appears sound. One thing I would add is that, when using pine resin as a glue, adding a little pulverized charcoal out of the fireplace makes it stick better and easier to handle.
Squid
III
I have used the pitch for mostly fire starting and it works great for that, although it can be a little stubborn by itself with a flint/steel. Melting it in cotton balls works great.
The other uses I am going to experiment with it a bit. I may have to harvest a bunch of it to have on hand.
Antibacterial, fresh sap can be used for wound healing. The pine needle tea I think it is only the needles from white pine, the others are toxic. The inner bark can be eaten also.
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