Pine trees posess a high amount of Vitamin C, so they can be used in medical properties. Below you will see options for first aid as well as woodcraft uses!

Self-Aid
Medicinal Properties include: antiseptic, astringent, inflammatory, antioxidant, expectorant, high in Vitamin C for colds – flu – coughs, congestion, and even scurvy. Shikimic acid, the main ingredient in Tamiflu, is harvested from pine needles in Asia.

1.) Pine Needle Tea: Drink a cup of pine needle tea to extract the useful stuff when you feel flu-like symptoms in your body.

2.) Pine Bark Band Aid: The inner bark can be fashioned as an antiseptic Band Aid for cuts and scraps. Apply to wound and secure with duct tape, bandana, or cordage.

3.) Pine Sap/Resin: This sticky sap can also be used to cover wounds, blisters, and burns. Collect hardened sap from a wounded tree and heat it to make it pliable.

Woodcraft Uses

4.) Bug Dope: “Nussmuk” (George Washington Sears) described his effective insect repellent in the North Woods with its main ingredient being pine resin. Once applied, a bronze protective film gave his skin weeks of protection from pesky biting insects.

5.) Firecraft: Fat lighter’d (fatwood, lighter wood, fat lighter, pine knot) is in every fire kit I own. It’s plentiful in Georgia and hard to beat as a natural fire starter/extender – especially in wet conditions.

We have also heard that pine bark (the inner part) is edible and people have fried it up like bacon! We love bacon, but we're not sure how close pine bark will taste to our favorite breakfast meat. But we're game to give it a try. The informative list of pine tree uses came from the creative team at  Survival Sherpa. For even more tips on how you can utilize pine trees, take a look here.

Do You Have Another Use for Pine Trees?

If you personally have an essential use for pine trees, or if you know of something beneficial that can come from them, share your feedback in the comments section below. We always want to hear new an exciting ways to use nature in a way that benefits us for survival.