Pine Resin - Natures Gift

Anyone that knows me, how much I love pine trees. From pine needle tea to fatwood, I have always been a big fan of pines. One thing I haven't covered is pine resin. The sap from pines is an extremely valuable resource that is fairly easy to harvest. When a pine tree is damaged, it secretes its sap to heal the wound. From insects and birds to storms and humans, pine trees tend to take a fair amount of abuse. The sap is secreted to help seal the wound and protect it from disease. This sap can be harvested and used for a lot of different things.

Fire starting

Pine sap is extremely flammable. This is why fatwood is such a great resource. When a pine tree dies, the sap will concentrate in the knots and roots and actually works to preserve the wood from rotting. You can harvest these pieces of wood and they make an amazing firestarter that works even in wet conditions.

You can heat the sap to liquefy it and mix shredded cedar bark, birch bark or many other tinders and when the sap cools you end up with a great little firestarter that burns long enough to ignite even damp kindling. Just the sap by itself can be ignited with just a spark from a ferro rod. You can also take a rock that has a "bowl" in it, add a nice chunk of sap and light it for a makeshift lamp. Be sure not to burn pine sap indoors, it puts off a thick black smoke that can be harmful to breathe.

Natures glue

Pine resin can be processed into an amazing glue that has many uses in the outdoors. Native Americans used it to haft arrowheads and spearheads to shafts, it can be used to waterproof boots and containers and can even be used to patch holes in tents and tarps.

To make pine pitch glue, all you need is pine resin and charcoal. Heat up the resin in a container, being careful not get it too hot. You don't want it bubbling or even worse, catching on fire.

While the resin is heating up, crush the charcoal into a fine powder. I have heard that hardwood charcoal is the best to use for this. Once your resin is liquefied and the charcoal is powdered, mix the powder in with the sap. You will need to keep the resin warm while you work. As it cools it will harden up.

The general rule is 1 part charcoal to 3 parts resin. You can play with the mixture until you are satisfied. If you get too little charcoal, your glue will not be durable enough and if you put too much charcoal it will become very brittle.

When it cools down, it will harden back up. To use the glue, you simply need to warm it up enough to liquefy it and apply it to whatever you are doing.

Medicinal

Pine sap has antibacterial properties that help the tree keep from being infected with disease. These properties also benefit humans.

In addition to being anti-septic, the resin is also an anti-inflammatory that can be applied to wounds to help close them and seal them from outside contaminants. A salve can be made from pine pitch with only the resin, some olive oil and some beeswax.

Heat the resin up to liquefy it and pour it through a strainer to remove any bark or larger particles. You should have a honey like substance once it is strained. While keeping it hot, add the olive oil and allow it to mix thoroughly. Once the mixture is ready, add some beeswax to it so that it will firm up once it cools. Pour the mixture into a container to add to your pack.

There are also many recipes out there for making pine tar soap. Because of the antibacterial properties, it makes a great soap for washing wounds. Pine resin is also a great remedy for eczema.

So next time you are walking through the woods, keep your eyes peeled for the amber gem of the woods. There are a lot of uses for pine resin and researching this amazing resource will be well worth your time. I always have a small tin or a ziploc bag with me for the sole purpose of collecting pine resin. From your fire kit to your first aid kit, pine resin has a solid place in the outdoor world.