Pine Pitch – Why it’s a Multi-Use Survival Resource

pine sap

Pine pitch is truly one of the most versatile substances you can find in nature.

Here are just a few uses for the sticky stuff!

A.) Self Aid

Pine sap properties include: antiseptic, astringent, anti-inflammatory, antibacterial

Treat wounds – apply it to cuts like you would super glue. Follow first-aid protocol for cleaning/flushing first.

Stop bleeding – apply a soft glob (heat if necessary) to help stop bleeding.

Treat skin rashes and eczema with ointments,tinctures, and salves. For tinctures, use 190 proof

Everclear since resin won’t dissolve with watered down alcohols.

Chew softer sap straight off the tree like a gum for sore throats and colds. You could pre-make “gum” with these ingredients: bees-wax, pine sap, and honey.

B.) Glue/Epoxy – Pine Pitch

Turn pine resin into pitch sticks. Jamie Burleigh has a great tutorial of his method on Primitive Ways.

Hafting arrowheads, fletching arrows and gluing other primitive tools and weapons.

Waterproof boot seams, canoes, and containers.

Patch holes in tents and tarps.

Pretty much any thing you need to glue or patch in the woods, pine pitch is the product.

C.) Candling Device

Place globs of dried resin in a fatwood torch to extend its burn time.

Pitch sticks, described above, can be used as a makeshift candles.

Melt sap and soak a cotton bandana or rag wrapped around a stick for a torch.

Melted or liquid sap poured over a dried mullein stalk works as candle/torch.

D.) Fire Craft

Fire is life in a wilderness survival scenario. Even on weekend camping trips, fire offers core temperature control, cooking, and hot cocoa! Resin is your secret weapon to starting and keeping a fire going in wet conditions. Anyone who’s used resin-rich fatwood in rainy conditions appreciates its important role in fire craft.

Resin is highly flammable. Once lit, you can dry marginal tinder and small kindling.

Harvest liquid sap into a container from a fresh cut in a pine tree to add to a makeshift torch. Secure the container under the exposed bark to collect the sap. Use this liquified sap as torch fuel.

Pine pitch has multiple uses, all of which could come in handy in a survival scenario and in some cases, even be a life saver.

Best of all, with a little practice, it is easy to harvest and to form into the use you intended.

To learn more about pine pitch and why it is considered such a versatile survival tool, take a look at Survival Sherpa.


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