Finding fatwood in the west?

[dtrkyman]

Looked for some on a hike today, concentrated around Ponderosa stands, checked dead trees, dead branches from live trees, old dead, newer dead and came up empty!

Any tips?

Youtube videos all seem to be in the south or east.

 

[elkliver]

Look for old stumps.sometimes partially rotten. Fatwood doesn't rot. So you can split off wood that's still solid and it is usually fatwood

 

[Steve300xcw]

Dude, its called a stump

 

[Customweld]

Dude, its called a stump

Pitch stumps to be exact!

 

[Customweld]

There are quite a few in SW Idaho. I’ve got a pretty good rick of them by my wood pile. When I worked in the woods, I’d dig them out of the ground so my landing man could build us a lunch fire.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Oh look a sorta rotten stump....lets kick it..
Oh look theres this wierd section that isnt rotten. I wonder what that might be?

 

[Steve300xcw]

When I worked in the woods, I’d dig them out of the ground so my landing man could build us a lunch fire.

You got 2 types of fuel plus oil on hand and yer digging for pitch stumps to start the lunch fire?

 

[Customweld]

You got 2 types of fuel plus oil on hand and yer digging for pitch stumps to start the lunch fire?

Who’s to say we didn’t use said fuel?

 

[dtrkyman]

Smacked a few old stumps with the hatchet, nothing, well except a blister!

 

[Steve300xcw]

Who’s to say we didn’t use said fuel?

4 day old B&G tray, 2 empty red an tackys, box o delo,3 count of red and a shot of saw gas cuz fawk it.

 

[Steve300xcw]

Smacked a few old stumps with the hatchet, nothing, well except a blister!

You got a blister from that?

 

[BAKPAKR]

There are quite a few in SW Idaho. I’ve got a pretty good rick of them by my wood pile. When I worked in the woods, I’d dig them out of the ground so my landing man could build us a lunch fire.

My parents had a lot of “pitch pine” on their North Idaho farm, which was a good thing since they heated with wood. They always had a bunch they used for kindling. My mom probably still has some left from what I cut up several years ago.

Of course, when I was working in the woods in the winter, diesel was the firestarter of choice.

 

[Customweld]

My parents had a lot of “pitch pine” on their North Idaho farm, which was a good thing since they heated with wood. They always had a bunch they used for kindling. My mom probably still has some left from what I cut up several years ago.

Of course, when I was working in the woods in the winter, diesel was the firestarter of choice.

I mainly use it for my wall tent stove. I don’t think I’ve used it to start a fire in the wood stove in the house.
My knot bumper was a fire bug, he loved to have a fire burning all day on the landing. Pitch stumps were his fuel of choice.

 

[Customweld]

My knot bumper was a fire bug, he loved to have a fire burning all day on the landing. Pitch stumps were his fuel of choice.

He was a funny dude. His name was Matt, but he liked fire so much that we called him Matches. I think that may have been his downfall.

 

[dtrkyman]

You got a blister from that?

Yep, and the 50 other branches, logs, downed trees and whatever else looked like Ponderosa.

 

[Steve300xcw]

If you can tell its a ponderosa, it aint old enough.

 

[mtnbound]

Looked for some on a hike today, concentrated around Ponderosa stands, checked dead trees, dead branches from live trees, old dead, newer dead and came up empty!

Any tips?

Youtube videos all seem to be in the south or east.

Typically, I look for stumps that are still fairly hard and not punky, but that does not always mean there is some good, fat wood. I can find globular pitch more easily, and it's fairly easy to get it to burn.

 

[pirogue]

You ain’t going to find Southern Yellow Pine, the best fatwood source, out West. Yes there is coniferous softwoods, but not the best source. Just like you don’t harvest maple syrup from trees in Louisiana.

 

[doc holiday13]

When I was ID, it was shocking(but shouldn't have been) how easy it was to find excessive amounts of dried pitch. People in the east do have areas of SPF stands but if you're in an area with tree cover, you won't need fatwood.

 

[tony]

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