Natures Napalm !

pitdog · Feb 21, 2011

I'd planned on a quick easy hike today with no bushcraft/firemaking etc...but then I came across natures Napalm !!!!

Half way into my hike I came across a tree that had been dripping sap, this sap had formed a massive gooey puddle at it's base that had mixed with all the fallen pine needles. The temptation was just too great !

For those of you who have never burned this stuff, if you rate Fatwood as 5 outta 10 on the burn rating ( if there was such a thing ) then this volatile mix rates a 10 !!!

If you use a ferro rod It usually needs some other tinder to get it going. I had a quick scout around and found some Fatwood, I shaved some up and let it fall on top of my Napalm.

By pitdog2010 at 2011-02-21

A few strikes later we had fire...

By pitdog2010 at 2011-02-21

This was probably a minute in !

By pitdog2010 at 2011-02-21

Hardest thing is putting this stuff out....NEVER TRY STAMPING IT OUT....it will stick to your shoes and continue burning !

PDE · Feb 21, 2011

Cool! How much did you take with you?

Mattohn · Feb 21, 2011

pitdog said:
....it will stick to your shoes and continue burning !

good thing you were by the water huh?

pitdog · Feb 21, 2011

PDE said:
Cool! How much did you take with you?

I filled a doggy poo bag with some to take home !

DennisStrickland · Feb 21, 2011

thanks for that important tip pit since many people would just try to stomp on it. you are a concientatios kat . thanks dennis

dipbait · Feb 21, 2011

On a vacation to Montana , I found a tree with little black globs all over it. I burned some , it went for a long time putting out a black smoke. Wish I had brought some home.

Shoki · Feb 21, 2011

My favorite is inadvertently finding a fresh puddle on a low pine limb with my bare hands. Nothing like trying to get that stuff off your hands in the bush to stave off boredom. It's even better when you realize that you've sat in some and now you have a nest of pine needles stuck to your bum. I've never thought to burn the stuff though. It must be great for getting stuff going in the rain. Thanks for the tip, pit (palindrome).

NixKustoms · Feb 21, 2011

That is too cool! I need to keep an eye out for some fallen sap puddles.

Mongo · Feb 22, 2011

I was in a band called Fallen Sap Puddles.

I'll be keeping an eye out for these. Cool pics!

Sharp_newbie · Feb 22, 2011

my grandfather use to take globs of sab, boil it till it was clean roll it and chew it like gum. wasn't half bad either.

RonSC · Feb 22, 2011

Down here below the Mason Dixon, Pine Beetles are the scourge of the woods.You can't take five steps without seeing this resin 'ooze' on pines. The National forests here in SC could well be hailed the resin/fatwood "capital" of the United States. No prob finding "fire "fixin's" in these parts. Many mature forests have been consigned to use as pulpwood only due to these voracious buggers.

http://na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/so_pine_beetle/so_pine.htm

cody1 · Feb 23, 2011

Collect a bunch of resin, melt it, add charcoal and some fiber and you have pitch. After melting it and adding the char coal and ground deer scat, it will harden and can be carried in a container to be used for whatever. Just reheat to liquify. It does burn like a banshee.

Loosearrow · Feb 25, 2011

cody1 said:
Collect a bunch of resin, melt it, add charcoal and some fiber and you have pitch. After melting it and adding the char coal and ground deer scat, it will harden and can be carried in a container to be used for whatever. Just reheat to liquify. It does burn like a banshee.

Makes a glue doesn't it?

Erasmus · Feb 25, 2011

Loosearrow said:
Makes a glue doesn't it?

No, denture fixative:foot:

It's what the Indians used on their environmentally friendly dentures.

cody1 · Feb 26, 2011

Loosearrow said:
Makes a glue doesn't it?

Essentially, natives all around make something similar. They use it for all kinds of things. It hardens and is not sticky, once it's been cooked. Heat it up and it melts again.

Brian Sargent · Feb 27, 2011

RonSC said:
Down here below the Mason Dixon, Pine Beetles are the scourge of the woods.You can't take five steps without seeing this resin 'ooze' on pines. The National forests here in SC could well be hailed the resin/fatwood "capital" of the United States. No prob finding "fire "fixin's" in these parts. Many mature forests have been consigned to use as pulpwood only due to these voracious buggers.

http://na.fs.fed.us/spfo/pubs/fidls/so_pine_beetle/so_pine.htm

I think that is what happened to this tree that I found a few years ago.

I stripped off a piece of the bark and found this guy.

I think it was the first time that I'd ever seen a tree do this.

This Jeffery Pine was well over 100' tall and must been weakened by the beetles. It is at high elevation in an area that gets strong winds and heavy snow pack.

The sap burned pretty good!

Natures Napalm !

Sheath and Knife Maker