Birch Bark cup – sealing using pine pitch
The cup is now finished and it has been sealed using Pine pitch. Pine pitch is the resinous substance that heals wounds and exposure from broken bark on a Pine tree. In these pictures you can see I had previously melted and moulded the pitch around a stick for storage purposes. I have now combined it with with ash to bind it together and make a durable natural glue This has been applied to the base of the cup and where the bark is woven together.
Outcome after testing: It is not 100% waterproof but it still works as drinking vessel as the rate of water loss is slow compared to the speed at which you would drink water. Perfectly useable and all made from materials found in the woods.
Nature has many wonderful resources that our ancient ancestors knew so much about and used it their daily lives. Knowledge of what nature has to offer can be life saving in certain circumstances and it can also be a joy to learn about and engage with in times of safety and prosperity.
Fatwood for fire
Fatwood – nature’s best fire lighting material. Fatwood is also known as lighter wood, pine knot, lighter knot, or heart pine. Fatwood is the resinous remains of a pine tree that has died. When a pine tree dies, either upright or fallen, the sap settles into the heartwood of the branches and trunk. As the tree rots the sap hardens into resin soaked wood, this is the fatwood.
The best spots to find it is where the branches attach to the trunk or the roots if the tree remained standing for a while. It is also distinguished by its strong turpentine smell. #bushcraft #survival #wildernessskills #fire #firelight #fatwood #tindermaterial
Check out more with Sam’s video on how to make the best of fatwood… https://fb.watch/4gcuFIldTr/