We don't talk about Willow (Salix spp.) very often, so I thought, being post-New Year's Eve, tired and lazy, I would post some hike notes I use:
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The Willow tree! The bark of this tree was the original source of aspirin. It can be made into a tea that relieves headache, toothache, arthritis, and other painful conditions. (GJ-28)
As a utility plant, it was mainly used in 3 different ways, for construction, fire, and cordage. The wood is tough and shock resistant, although it's light and not too durable. (TC-314) It was used for construction (BW-94), land traps and baskets. It was also used to make bows (light weight, of course, unless sinew backed) and arrows, and many other things as well.
Under the fire heading, the wood was used for both spindle and hearth for friction fire making. (PT-200) In fact, it's the best, readily available material for this in the north. (MK-240) The dried inner bark made an excellent tinder. (TB3-63) Tinder, of course, is usually a fibrous material made into a 'nest' shape, into which the small glowing ember, produced by the fire set, is placed. It's then blown upon until it bursts into flame. It's then transferred to the fire lay. As a firewood, it is one of the most easily gathered, if you don't have tools (MK-240), and it burns with the least smoke of any wood to produce a hot, steady fire with excellent coals. (keep in mind this appears in a book about Boreal Forest survival) (MK-240) Natives used rotten Willow roots as a slow match. (PT-200) By this, I mean, a device that when lit, would smoulder for a long time and thus could transport fire from one place to another. This was done to avoid having to make fire by friction again, because it wasn't always easy, depending on weather conditions, and so on. So you see, Willow was, and is, a good fire making resource.
Now, the cordage application. Although Willow wasn't the best cordage material, it was used to weave bags, ,mats, blankets (PT-201) and fish nets (MK-242), particularly in the north, where the availability of different cordage materials was restricted.
It always boils down to - use the best material, that's available.
By the way, I read, recently, about a fishing net that was found in Finland in 1914. It was more than 8,000 years old, and was made from the inner bark fibre of Willow. (Salix caprea) (KU-29)
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GJ- The Green Pharmacy, James A. Duke, Rodale, 1997, ISBN# 1-57954-124-0
TC- Trees in Canada, John Laird Farrar, Fitzhenry & Whiteside, 1995, ISBN# 1-55041-199-3
KL- Primitive Outdoor Skills, Richard L. Jamison, Horizon Publishers, 1992, ISBN# 0-88290-263-6
WL- Wildwood Wisdom, Ellsworth Jaeger, Shelter Publications, 1992, ISBN#
0-936070-12-9
BW- The Best of Woodsmoke, Richard L. Jamison, Horizon Publishers, 1982, ISBN# 0-88290-203-2
PT- Plant Technology of First Peoples in British Columbia, Nancy J. Turner, UBC Press, 1998, ISBN# 0-7748-0687-7
MK- Northern Bushcraft, Mors L. Kochanski, Lone Pine Publishing, 1987, ISBN# 0-919433-51-0
TB3- Tom Brown's Field Guide to Wilderness Survival, Tom Brown Jr., Berkley, 1983, ISBN# 0-425-05876-X
KU- Woodsmoke, Richard & Linda Jamison, Menasha Ridge Press, 1994, ISBN# 0-89732-151-0
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Doc
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:thumbup: