Fatwood Fire Starter

[Fl0und3rz]

I think the recent sensation of "fat wood" may come from the regions with large hardwood forests.  It obviously starts quicker and burns hotter than hard wood, initially.

We used to just call it wood - albeit pitchy - which was known to burn really fast and hot due to the pitch content.  We tend to just find it for dispersed camp fires, with the stuff that has dried and crystallized under a downed evergreen being a gold mine.

Vaseline and cotton ball is a good substitute to take for when you can't find fat wood.

[Rob]

I just use a cotton ball with some Vaseline on it.  Works perfect.

Good stuff too!  The fatwood will burn a bit longer though - I think I get 8-10 min off a stick of fatwood.  I like to have a film container (can you even get those anymore??) of cotton balls with Vaseline, and a couple sticks of fatwood.  Add a few waterproof matches and a striker and you can cover about anything.

[CastleRocker]

Never used Fatwood.  I've always carried a small chunk of yellow fir, and just shave off what I need.  Used to do do a lot of backcountry snowmobiling/skiing, and carried three unrelated means of starting a fire. 

[Blacktail135]

 Growing up in Georgia back in the 60's and 70's we called it fatlighter. We would wrestle it out of the ground from pine trees that died and rotted naturally. Once had a pile the size of a big wheelbarrow that we torched off at squirrel hunting camp. Kinda scared the crap out of us 4, 10-12 year olds. Big,hot fire,black smoke! Thought we might burn the woods down with that one.
 2016, found a big,naturally dead fir stump on our place during property clearing for our house build. Smelled it before I saw it. Son-in-law was digging stumps, putting into piles and grading. I was watching him when I smelled it. Had him dig it out and set it aside. Still have about half of it. Gave most of other half away to friends.
 I usually have in my pack: 3-4 sticks of that, some cottonballs soaked w/hand sanitizer, 12 waterproof matches (vacuum sealed) and a Maratac Peanut lighter.
 I think when a pine or fir tree dies naturally and rots away above ground a lot of the pitch travels down the tree to the roots.

 

[DOUBLELUNG]

Y'all are making me feel bad, I carry a sealed pack of army surplus trioxane in my pack.  Before that, an inch of dryer lint in the bottom of a ziploc sandwich bag soaked with melted paraffin.  I do love burning a good pitchy stump though.

[gaddy]

From what i saw, finely shaved it takes a spark easily with a pharo rod or other ignition source. Even damp. Hope to find some next time in the woods to add to my kit.