How do you carry and store fat wood ?

mrgreen

mrgreen

Joined
Dec 26, 2009
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313
Thanks to you W&SS guys, I'm a big fan of using fatwood as tinder. I'm wondering if there's a better way to carry it in my pack since I don't find it locally. I've been putting some in ziplock bags just to keep everything from smelling like turpentine, but the bags tear so I'm looking for other ideas. Also, what kind of shelf-life does fatwood have, what's best for long term storage? Thanks for any help or info.
 
I just throw mine in my pack, I disagree with you on the smell, I love it :). Otherwise I sometimes ranger band a piece to my knife sheath. Or, if it's in a dedicated fire kit it'll be in whatever container that is, a matchcase, tin, etc.

As for storage, I've never done anything fancy. It just sits on the mantle above my fireplace. Ive had some sitting for about two years and haven't had any issues yet. If any bit of the outer layer has dried out and lost potency I haven't noticed, because the stuff right underneath is still strong.
 
6shooter, I agree it's a pleasant smell. I should have explained I want to keep my food and coffee from smelling like fatwood. If I just throw it in my pack, soft items like clothing layers seem to get damaged.
 
I went into the hardware store and got a few of the smaller canvas, zip pouches. I think they may be for nails or screws, etc. but they come in various sizes and work perfect for fatwood or a fire kit. If anything in it needs to be waterproof, I keep it in a separate container and/or in a zip baggie, in the canvas pouch. The fatwood can get wet. I don't care and it won't make a difference.
 
mrgreen said:
6shooter, I agree it's a pleasant smell. I should have explained I want to keep my food and coffee from smelling like fatwood. If I just throw it in my pack, soft items like clothing layers seem to get damaged.
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Ahh fair enough, I throw mine in an outside pocket so I hadnt thought of that.
 
mrgreen said:
Thanks to you W&SS guys, I'm a big fan of using fatwood as tinder. I'm wondering if there's a better way to carry it in my pack since I don't find it locally. I've been putting some in ziplock bags just to keep everything from smelling like turpentine, but the bags tear so I'm looking for other ideas. Also, what kind of shelf-life does fatwood have, what's best for long term storage? Thanks for any help or info.
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1. Real fatwood should just smell like pine. Don't know where you're getting a "turpentine" smell unless you are using man-made fatwood, ie. soft wood soaked in shellac.
2. Resin is what fossilized amber come from, so theroetically, it could last millions of years, or at least a few dozen years if left alone. You don't need to do much with it, except maybe keep it away from high heat. Out in the field, zip locks, tupperware, or a few sticks tucked into a knife pocket is good enough. It is already waterproof.

If you can't harvest any yourself, the cheapest way is to buy a 3-5 lb sack of it at your grocery store, hardware store, or BBQ supply store. They are sold in sacks as natural kindling/fire starters for under $10 per bag. Don't get ripped-off buying a little bag of it as Maya Sticks/Maya Dust, etc.
 
I throw mine in a outside pocket. When I had my Izula, I used a ranger band.
 

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CWL said:
1. Real fatwood should just smell like pine. Don't know where you're getting a "turpentine" smell unless you are using man-made fatwood, ie. soft wood soaked in shellac.2. Resin is what fossilized amber come from, so theroetically, it could last millions of years, or at least a few dozen years if left alone. You don't need to do much with it, except maybe keep it away from high heat. Out in the field, zip locks, tupperware, or a few sticks tucked into a knife pocket is good enough. It is already waterproof.If you can't harvest any yourself, the cheapest way is to buy a 3-5 lb sack of it at your grocery store, hardware store, or BBQ supply store. They are sold in sacks as natural kindling/fire starters for under $10 per bag. Don't get ripped-off buying a little bag of it as Maya Sticks/Maya Dust, etc.
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Proper turpentine should smell like pine. Without that collection of terpenes fatwood would be a bit of a damp squib. The stuff that many oil painters whinge about that home depot sells is mineral turps, a petroleum distillate or other solvent that doesn't smell as proper turpentine does......................................................OP / clingfilm.
 
I have multiple fatwwod sticks in my packs main bag, and toss my used cooking pots in there also. Personally I love the smell of FW and wood smoke. My wife even likes the smell of wood smoke on my clothes and pack. I don't seem to get any residual smells on any food that I put in outside compartments in this back pack. My tea bags are in a sandwich bag and have never smelled differently. Maybe I should wood smoke my underwear and socks, they could sure use it some days !
:eek:
 
I wrap jute twine around mine leaving a loop that can be attached to wherever I want. I can carry several pieces and not loose any pack/pocket space plus I have the jute as extra tinder.
 
zip lock bag works fine for me. I am using some fat wood now, that I know was cut in the early 1950s. the wood came from an old Turpentine plantation in North Central Florida.
The stuff lites off like napalm, so I don't think it 'goes bad'. Ever.
 
Got blocks of it all over the place (pockets, packs, etc) and absolutely love the smell :)

 
I just pile it up to store it and throw a piece in my pack or find more when I'm out.

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I make these as well, I give them to all the scouts, they love them.
If you scrape a little pile of shavings it goes wright up and you can get
dozens of fires going with this little piece.

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GA buddy's dad had an old barn built with Fat Wood support beams and posts...it burned for a full day.
 
Unless you're going on an expedition it doesn't take a lot. A few small pieces wrapped in plastic wrap or in a ziplok shoved into an empty medicine bottle should be plenty unless continuous wet weather, and should keep the smell from your food. It is all over the ground here so I usually just grab a piece off of the forest floor on my hike in and shove it in a cargo pocket.

CWL said:
1. Real fatwood should just smell like pine. Don't know where you're getting a "turpentine" smell unless you are using man-made fatwood, ie. soft wood soaked in shellac.
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PM me your address, I have a root section I just dug up that you should probably smell, I'll send you a nice rich piece :)
 
CWL said:
If you can't harvest any yourself, the cheapest way is to buy a 3-5 lb sack of it at your grocery store, hardware store, or BBQ supply store. They are sold in sacks as natural kindling/fire starters for under $10 per bag. Don't get ripped-off buying a little bag of it as Maya Sticks/Maya Dust, etc.
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I clued into free tree resin down here lately as I could only find weak F.W. But I do buy these boxes of fatwood now and then. I will stand there in a store and open 5-6-7, whatever it takes until I see some sweet stuff. I can also tell high resin content by the boxes weight. A box full of high resin sticks is noticeably heavier. Then I will further cull and take the saturated pieces out for special use.
 
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