Lighter wood

On my walk today I harvested a small chunk of "Lighter wood," also known as "fat lighter," "Fatwood",  "rich lighter," "pine knot," "lighter knot," "heart pine" or "lighter'd". I need a few pieces to stash in my tinder bundle kit for the road.

"Lighter wood" is derived from the heartwood of pine trees. This resin-impregnated heartwood becomes hard and rot-resistant. The stump (and tap root) left in the ground after a tree has fallen or has been cut is an excellent source of fatwood. Other locations, such as the joints where limbs intersect the trunk, can also be harvested. Although most resinous pines can produce fatwood, in the southeastern United States the wood is commonly associated with longleaf pine (Pinus palustris), which historically was highly valued for its high pitch production.

See you on the trail!

Tomahawk