When you said "you wouldn't put a sick fish into dirty water" at the woodland warrior weekend it really stuck with me. Thanks to you and that phrase I spoke to my boss and now work 4 days a week instead of 5, less time in the dirty water and more time for me to get out into nature and do bushcraft things.
Fatwood, lighter wood, or torch wood. No matter what you call it fatwood is easily harvested from large dead pine trees laying on the ground that have mostly rotted away. You can easily knock off the rotten punky wood on the outside to reveal a large harvest of rich resinous fatwood inside. Ones that were infested with insects or struck by lightning are especially useful because the sap wood tends to rot away quicker and the heart wood is usually extra rich with highly flammable resin as a result of the tree's immune response to the damage. Plus if you only stick to harvesting from downed trees on the ground you cause no harm to any living trees neither intentionally or incidentally. If you have access to a pine forest it doesn't take long to locate a large downed pine tree and just one large tree will provide you with more fatwood than you'll ever need.
Yes! Found one across the back fence in a vacant wooded lot, laying there! Been working on it for over a year. btw, the punky outer layer is great for making char wood for flint and steel or lens. Plus, removing it all (to give away) removes fuel for WILD FIRES. We've been plagued with them this year in Kansas, mostly fueled by wild invasive cedar.
Obviously, it's location based. Here in the upper Mississippi valley, there are loads of coniferous trees for me to do this with. I carry a pencil sharpener in my fire kit to turn the twigs into shavings for tinder. But just last weekend, I was pulling handfuls of loose birch bark right from the side of the trail. Tinder is everywhere here, if you look for it. Top tip for those without the trees around, go to the local laundromat and look in the trash. All that dryer lint they are just throwing away is fabulous tinder.
I understand about laundry lint..but wouldn't it be dangerous to inhale that or in fire it will go into your food? There's fiberglass in dryer sheets and chemicals. It's good starter but is it safe? Love the pencil sharpener idea!
@@kittycato2023 I suspect you would have nothing to worry about. The amount of material in the lint that comes from the dryer sheet would be trivial. I doubt that it poses any health risk in inhaling it versus all the wood smoke you would have to inhale along with it. There is no danger of it going into your food, since it would have been burnt up by then. If you want to fix it in place more firmly, you can use the same trick they use with cotton balls by working vaseline into the lint.
I’ve watched plenty of videos, like this, on how to find it and found a bit when I’ve been able to get out. That doesn’t happen a lot though with three kids. So I bought a box and practice feather sticks with them when grilling. Only because kids and living in a city with no real forest areas, I don’t get much else practice. Got to do what I can with what I can.
Here in Florida it’s colloquially known as lighter knot and we have an abundance of the stuff . It’s common for dead standing pines to be completely converted to fatwood here .
Yeah boy, lighter knots are very common throughout most of Florida. Long leaf pines are one of the most common sources. I discovered them when I was about 10 years old(60 years ago 😎) Family friend had a large property near what is Disney World now. He used to have an outfit come in and harvest pine stumps for the fatwood for turpentine industry at that time.
I was literally googling “lighter knot vs fatwood”. I’m a Florida boy and this is VERY TRUE. I couldn’t imagine having to pay for it. Maybe we should be the ones selling it lol
@@thislittlepiggy9169 never heard it called fatwood til RUclips came along . It has multiple names depending on region . Fat pine , lightered pine , fat lighter are a few I’ve heard over the years .
Thank you mate, for the fatwood and the advice, I've spent my life in and out of the woods through my journey with depression and I always felt mentally and physically better, even more so if I slept out alright, I new nature was up to something but just didn't realise the science behind her beautiful self, we truly are part of each other, earth, nature, beings, what a collective.
Great video Nick. Last year I tried making my own fatwood by taking some small kindling and soaking it in melted candle wax. It was so simple and it worked perfectly.
This has quickly become my favorite youtube channel. Great practical explanations and I love the philosophical/ contemplative aspects that are mixed in.
I think you did a really good job on this video. You seem to care more about people getting an understanding than most others do. Thank you for sharing what you learned.
Hi Nick - I have been watching your channel for a while now and in a couple of weeks I will be taking myself out for my first wild camp. All your videos are really informative and very well presented. Thanks for all the effort you put into them. They are very, very helpful.
I obviously learn a lot about the forest when I watch your videos but it's your personal insight that seems to hit me the hardest. Yes, keeping on track.
Very informative thank you. I had no idea until today that this type of wood was called _FATWOOD._ I’m in my seventh decade and still learning and wanting to learn.
Hey Nick, fab video as always 😊 I absolutely agree that we *need* the outdoors. We're living like factory farmed animals these days, overcrowded in totally unnatural habitats. Humans (and our brains) evolved to be living in, small, close-knit tribes; spending most of the day moving around outdoors, eating a huge variety of foraged foods. If you take an animal out of it's natural environment and don't provide it with the mental stimulation it needs then it will develop behavioural problems; we are still animals, despite what most people seem to believe, and we react the same way as any other to these things. I like the quote, "Stone age minds living in space age times."
Very well said, you rather succinctly put exactly what I've been discussing with friends lately as we try and fix the world. And if anyone is wise enough to quote Daryl Davis definitely is.
Thank you for a brilliant video you are right about going out I struggle with that through complex PTSD but I'm buying a mountain bike and I'm going to push myself harder to interact with a world I don't trust ...you inspire me thank you fir helping my confidence God bless you and the marines ...Amen
Excellent informative video, good to see you relaying the complete background information, nice to hear the reasons why and how etc. Too many "Expert Bushcraft" people are posting videos lighting fires and boiling water and not having the basics in place first (clearing the debris etc). Your inspirational and people should listen to you and use the old saying... "You have 2 ears and one mouth, use them in that order" Keep up the good work and lets help preserve the precious resources we have available.
I've only been instructed on The Larch by Monty Python. You know, I am not sure if we have them in the U.S. Hello from San Diego. Good information. I like to make saw dust from the Fat Wood and then apply a match to the dust/shavings/what have you. Fun. Keep at it.
Hi Nick, Only found your channel after seeing your truck drive by the house several times, and checking out the HVB website. Subbed right away. Great seeing your videos in my own stomping grounds in the Chew Valley, really makes the content so applicable. Good to hear you touting the great mental health benefits of being out in the woods, the message really jibes with my own views. I found several fatwood stumps in the north east of these woods where they had been toppled in winds. JB
Finding fatwood for me is basically walk anywhere into the woods in my operational range and collect enough for 20 people for a full months outing in a matter of minutes .. but I m blessed to live in the heart of the south in the USA .. pine trees are our number one tree .. oak and tulip poplar rank #2 and #3 depending on soil conditions
@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 got out in the woods earlier to day and while I was there had a quick look around for something good for fat wood, found a pine tree where a limb had been broken so took the remaining bit and it worked a treat, thank you for the tips!!!!
Thank you brother. I have been telling people that of which you are talking about but they don’t use fallen leaves to start fire. They have to believe they have to use birch or or fat wood. SEMPER FI
Part of your observations are spot on but some are not. 1st, if someone is spending 100's of pounds/dollars annually on fatwood they are being horribly fleeced or they aren't using it correctly. At a nearby home improvement store I bought a 4lb bag for $6. That's 2 full years of woodstove lights for me. After assembling kindling, fatwood sticks (often split in smaller sizes) are used like super matches. No need for scraping or feathering. 2nd, take a look at the scene behind you around the 6min mark. Conifers love sun. There's very little green below the sun blocked canopy. When the lower branches are not getting sufficient light they die off and not necessarily due to fungal attacks and certainly not from damage due to heavy human traffic. You are absolutely correct about conifers healing process. When a branch dies, it pumps resin to seal itself, regardless of the reason for the loss. When the entire tree begins to die, the resin shrinks into the heart. I find it quite innovative and resourceful for those making/selling fatwood from old conifer stumps that would otherwise go to waste. Not everyone has easy access for any number of reasons. Take care and be well HVB. Soak in those phytoncides. 👍
I love your videos Nick and even more so this one, I love the analogy about the trees and humans being similar and especially the advice to get outdoors to improve your well-being and immune system. I truly believe this is the case and encourage people to get out into the fresh air, it will do wonders for you and certainly lift your spirits 🙏
Brilliant tips! I shall try them out when im next in the woods.Does Sitka produce fatwood?.We have a 3 1/2 acre plantation on the western section of a larger mixed broadleaf woodland that i manage in Wales.I really like the "Dont put an ill fish in dirty water" ethos.The healing and restorative effects of being in the woods is truly a medicine for the mind body & soul.Every time i open our ride stop gate,its like taking off a massively overweight bergen off my back.Cheers bud!
*THANK YOU for the tutorial.* Another great tip you made is that being outdoors helps your immune system ...but... *How do you protect yourself against ticks and lyme disease?*
i live in the mountains of Georgia in America and u can throw a can or stick and find fatwood almost everywhere because of the climate tho the winter are rainy cold and wet
Great video Nick. Heartily agree with getting out in the wilderness, always at my happiest amongst the trees and wildlife. It’s real and somehow peaceful with the sounds and smells of nature all around. Very informative info on trees which will helpful to me in the woods. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and the parallels of tree life and ours. There is incredible beauty in all of it, and it’s free ! Bless you mate.
Hi Nick, If I could live in a little cabin in the woods, I would sell my house today, but!! I need an address, a house /flat, or no bank account, no job. Shorely a plot of land has a grid reference and an address, but you can't live on it for more than twenty eight days of the year, if you buy woodland
some of us just can't find it or have access to pine forests, I know I don't where I live in Australia (SE Queensland) we do have some pine forests several hours away but it's not easy to access. Plus I can buy a 1.8kg bag for $15 of premium fatwood from Bunnings (a chain store hardware here in OZ) which is every bit as good as any fatwood I've tested from all over the world, thankfully I have good friends who send me fatwood from many different locations to test. Store-bought fatwood allows people like me to experiment and experience fatwood on a level that I would not otherwise be able to.
Careful in the UK! Larch is used as a firebreak in pine woodlands! It doesn't burn well! Might have a high resin frugality, but really doesn't burn well at all!
Well done! In my neck of the woods, it’s hard not to trip over it. But I still learned something new. Thank you. Can we hear more about the fish in dirty water concept? It’s one of those things that I think we instinctively know, but I’ve never found the words. BRILLIANT! Keep up the good work. It matters.
Hopefully fairly soon I'll be coming into a few lifetimes of Fatwood. During Hurricane Ida several trees, mainly pine and birch type, blew down. When my insurance company settles the damage I'll hire a proper tree removal service and will be able to direct them what parts of the trees to leave for me in the guise of firewood. Its been 8 months, and hopefully they'll Still be some parts of the trees that have resin left.
Sunday May 1st 2022 ! Excellent information ! I never knew anything about this ! I have put you under my favorite videos ! Thank you for sharing ! ❤️❤️❤️😊😊😊☮️☮️☮️
Brilliant descriptive video Nick 👍 lucky for me in the Rhondda valleys we are never far away from pine forests and beautiful views the outdoors is an amazing place we all take for granted ,but a night out with a small fire food and fresh air can’t be beaten in my opinion 💪🏴👍 all the best Nick and please keep up the brilliant work you do
Because I live in Ohio which has mostly been cleared for farming years ago but historically was deciduous forest (mostly maple). What few pines exist in my area are on private land where you can't help yourself to things like that or are on public land like parks which are maintained and don't have dead wood or stumps all about or other public land where it is illegal to forage for anything.
GREAT video Nick! I've always been interested in the outdoors, especially trees, but the indoor digital world pays better. Besides new tires, fatwood is my second most favorite smell. Great knowledge passed in this video, Thank You!
Hi Nick I was wondering if you can explain to me the difference between Phytoncides and Terpenes, are terpenes a compound that would be described as a Phytoncide, or are these completely different things?
Thats why gardening is also good if ur depressed as the soil releases something (cant remember the name sorry) to boost our moods Nature shes a wonderful thing
Excellent video. I always found the trend of "buying" fatwood as a bushcraft supply to be a bit like bushcraft glamping. Would a deer hunter buy deer skins on ebay to put in his truck?? Add to this that if you are going to spend that money, its cheaper to just buy other flammables, or just make your own fatwood by gently boiling any dry wood in oil/was/pine resin. Thank you for the video. When Im a bit more solvent I plan to come to one of your courses down there.
Thanks a lot for this great information! I was looking in the forest (here in Switzerland) and have been overlooking perfect sources all this time! As an aside, how long do you typically get use out of a saw like the Bahco Laplander? I bought one about a year ago and feel it's significantly slower than it was.
@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 Thanks for the reply. Wow! This was only bought in 2020. Only cutting whatever dead wood is around here. Perhaps I'm getting weaker 😅
I don't know if this could be a stupid question or how long it would take but could you essentially "force" fatwood to happen by snapping off twigs, etc?
I've found and used plenty of fatwood, but I'm getting lazy as I get older, and it's easier to throw money at it (and I have an Amazon addiction). Cheers mate, and Semper Fidelis.
Hi Nick, We always collect pine cones on family walks, not only do they and the trees they've come from make lighting the woodburner(and Kelly-kettle) easy, but bunging a bunch of them onto a bed of embers and watching the process of them burning and then turning glowing red in the same shape and finally collapsing is something I find quite relaxing 😊😊💤💤💤 Yes it's maddening to me too that people will spend money on a plastic wrapped tiny bundle of basically twigs, that have been shipped around the country or further 🥴 Excuse me if you have already made the video, but one solely on the different types of free tinder and how to harvest,store and use them, would be very interesting and helpful, "I love the smell of pine sapphire in the morning!" 🤣🤣🤣 I saw a report somewhere the other day similar to what you were saying about the health benefits of just getting out, something about the dopamine and serotonin levels raised by the chemicals that cause the smells of different wild plants and how our brains are wired to react to those smells/fragrances once we have lived in a certain area for a while, I will try find the article and send you the link, you may enjoy it? Hope all is good ? Matt and family 👍
Whilst I am aware of all the dross, nonsense and fakery on RUclips, this post left me with a totally bemused smile. Never having seen your posts before, I jumped right in. I'm just getting ready for my summer trip, (normally 8-12 weeks) I'm retired now, and this year as I'm celebrating my 70th its for 20 weeks highlands and islands, hopefully with a clear night on top of a (ben or munro) mountain, like Suilven or An Teallach. Having camped since I was knee high to the proverbial grass hopper, I had no idea people paid for Fat-Wood??? Doh. Whenever and wherever I'm hiking when I see conifers, I see food and firewood; Saffron Milkcap often grow around pine and are a delicious mushroom, the Latin name is Lactarius Deliciosus which translates to delicious milk; if there are fallen trees I knock the small branches off the trunk with the back of my axe as these knots are always full of resin and burn 2-3 times brighter than ordinary wood. Clearly I know nothing in the world of commerce, but seem to do OK under canvas.
It comes down to time management for me, I purchased a kilogram of high quality fatwood for Au$14 from Bunnings (a chain hardware store in Australia). It is easier and cheaper for me to do this than to travel to my nearest pine plantation 50kms away and then spend hours searching for it.
Here in Missouri, there arent that many pine trees here like in the western side of united states counterparts. What fatwood alternatives would u suggest?
A lightning killed tree, especially a softwood, yield’s literally tonnes of fat wood. Similarly a softwood that is tangled by another tree falling on it produces loads of fat wood on the wounds.
Another great video Nick, thanks. Hate the thought of buying fat wood as surely a large part of the point is learning how to locate and harvest for the times you need it and Amazon isn’t an option. Something I’ve been meaning to ask - what advice would you give to getting a good understanding of (U.K. specific) ethnobotany? Any books, course etc recommendations appreciated.
@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 Cheers dude! FYI, I took your advice on the tougher jacket and got a very good priced Barbour Tokito Yoshida Field Jacket. I just need to learn how to wax it and it's a gooden! Thanks again.
Fantastic informative video,Nick. Always wondered why the old conifer stumps burned well,on the Priddy village green firework night bonfires. Easy to make fatwood sticks,now then. Might have to make a few and knock them out at the local bootsale.😉 Quick question. Where did you get your sweater from? Pretty smart,and looks warm.Great for the evenings around the camp fire. All the best.
Top class information and very informative 👏 I spend a great deal of time in woodland and you're right in what you say very good for mind body and soul and also why do some people spend good money in shops for fatwood when you can find it in abundance in our forest's great video nick thanks for sharing ♠️
I found this video very interesting. Thank you so much. I'm just a female who knows nothing about this. Question.. can I just collect pine cones and fallen wood or dead branches from pine trees? Here in CONNECTICUT..WE have so many pine trees with sap. Also..do u need to dry it out..lastly do I need to bother carving bark off it wasting a good knife blade? I'm in the medical field. Basically what you said about the tree protecting itself from fungus or disease...basically resin/sap is like blood clotting in a wound. The clotting is the healing process but also..the phagocytes.... blood cells a part of your immune system...they attack anything alien ithats getting into a wound. And the wound heals by creating a mesh...I believevphagocytes red blood cells seal it up. That's why before surgery you cannot have aspirin. Asprin causes your blood to get thinner and u bleed out. Thicker blood has a blood clotting factor. So I totally get what your saying. Now if fungus has already gotten in..shoukd you throw that part out. I'm thinking about cooking foid over this wood. Can the fungus heat up or resin heat up and poison you? I'm assuming resin and sap are the same thing? If u heat that up the chemical compound can't get in your food? Thank you again. I'm learning alit from you. And also...is it best just to go to branches on the southern side where sun is and get it lower in stump? Thanks!
Thanks great vid. I still find it somewhat hard to find here in Ontario. It can be done but somewhat difficult. 2-3 year old blow downs are good. I find in places where there’s major coniferous destruction, whether it’s natural or unnatural. Another way is on your own property to get to know the trees on your property. We had a big white pine come down and I was just about to cut it up for firewood. But I noticed some serious fat wood forming, absolutely drenched. So I’ll leave that broken tree for a few more years and let the wood get completely saturated. Then harvest the fat wood and cut up the rest of the tree. Do you guys know if fat wood will dry up overtime? I mean if you take a piece of fat wood and leave it for five or 10 years in your house do the resins evaporate eventually, or does it have a good shelf life?
Hi Nick what's the legal aspects of chopping or taking a few bits of fatwood from a forest would it be the same as foraging? I was walking through a pine forest a couple of weeks ago and there were loads of downed trees from the winter storms so could of had a field day :)
When you said "you wouldn't put a sick fish into dirty water" at the woodland warrior weekend it really stuck with me. Thanks to you and that phrase I spoke to my boss and now work 4 days a week instead of 5, less time in the dirty water and more time for me to get out into nature and do bushcraft things.
I can totally relate. Good for you Pal. I missed this phrase thanks for pointing it out.
Fatwood, lighter wood, or torch wood.
No matter what you call it fatwood is easily harvested from large dead pine trees laying on the ground that have mostly rotted away.
You can easily knock off the rotten punky wood on the outside to reveal a large harvest of rich resinous fatwood inside.
Ones that were infested with insects or struck by lightning are especially useful because the sap wood tends to rot away quicker and the heart wood is usually extra rich with highly flammable resin as a result of the tree's immune response to the damage.
Plus if you only stick to harvesting from downed trees on the ground you cause no harm to any living trees neither intentionally or incidentally.
If you have access to a pine forest it doesn't take long to locate a large downed pine tree and just one large tree will provide you with more fatwood than you'll ever need.
Yes! Found one across the back fence in a vacant wooded lot, laying there! Been working on it for over a year. btw, the punky outer layer is great for making char wood for flint and steel or lens. Plus, removing it all (to give away) removes fuel for WILD FIRES. We've been plagued with them this year in Kansas, mostly fueled by wild invasive cedar.
You are probably right ... but it's very counterintuitive! At least to me.. I mean - harvesting something from long dead tree stumps..
@@BaumerPaulGefreitersuch as oil?
Obviously, it's location based. Here in the upper Mississippi valley, there are loads of coniferous trees for me to do this with. I carry a pencil sharpener in my fire kit to turn the twigs into shavings for tinder. But just last weekend, I was pulling handfuls of loose birch bark right from the side of the trail. Tinder is everywhere here, if you look for it. Top tip for those without the trees around, go to the local laundromat and look in the trash. All that dryer lint they are just throwing away is fabulous tinder.
Thanks Josh learning something from hidden valley bush craft and also you thanks for the tips guys 👍
@@leostuntman Hello Mr Wanker, do know the fitness guru Arthur Dunger.
@@uncletomscabin2073 yes I do great bloke he’s training Detective Donga. Best cop in the force. They’ve told him get fit or medical discharge lol
I understand about laundry lint..but wouldn't it be dangerous to inhale that or in fire it will go into your food? There's fiberglass in dryer sheets and chemicals. It's good starter but is it safe? Love the pencil sharpener idea!
@@kittycato2023 I suspect you would have nothing to worry about. The amount of material in the lint that comes from the dryer sheet would be trivial. I doubt that it poses any health risk in inhaling it versus all the wood smoke you would have to inhale along with it. There is no danger of it going into your food, since it would have been burnt up by then. If you want to fix it in place more firmly, you can use the same trick they use with cotton balls by working vaseline into the lint.
I’ve watched plenty of videos, like this, on how to find it and found a bit when I’ve been able to get out. That doesn’t happen a lot though with three kids. So I bought a box and practice feather sticks with them when grilling. Only because kids and living in a city with no real forest areas, I don’t get much else practice. Got to do what I can with what I can.
"If you're not feeling right, get outdoors", brilliant, and great advice.
Your last statement in this video is so true. I feel so much better when I take a weekend camping trip
Here in Florida it’s colloquially known as lighter knot and we have an abundance of the stuff . It’s common for dead standing pines to be completely converted to fatwood here .
Yeah boy, lighter knots are very common throughout most of Florida. Long leaf pines are one of the most common sources. I discovered them when I was about 10 years old(60 years ago 😎) Family friend had a large property near what is Disney World now. He used to have an outfit come in and harvest pine stumps for the fatwood for turpentine industry at that time.
Dead pine trees here are the same. The best source easily.
I was literally googling “lighter knot vs fatwood”. I’m a Florida boy and this is VERY TRUE. I couldn’t imagine having to pay for it. Maybe we should be the ones selling it lol
@@thislittlepiggy9169 never heard it called fatwood til RUclips came along . It has multiple names depending on region . Fat pine , lightered pine , fat lighter are a few I’ve heard over the years .
Thank you mate, for the fatwood and the advice, I've spent my life in and out of the woods through my journey with depression and I always felt mentally and physically better, even more so if I slept out alright, I new nature was up to something but just didn't realise the science behind her beautiful self, we truly are part of each other, earth, nature, beings, what a collective.
Great video Nick.
Last year I tried making my own fatwood by taking some small kindling and soaking it in melted candle wax. It was so simple and it worked perfectly.
I make small cubes of wood (approx. 1 inch) and soak them in melted candle wax too. They work really well!
Fatwood and ferrocerium ferro rods are very useful survival tools and are my favorite tools. I love fatwood and ferrocerium ferro rods.
This has quickly become my favorite youtube channel. Great practical explanations and I love the philosophical/ contemplative aspects that are mixed in.
If you are not feeling right get out doors.. Absolutely the best bit of advice.. I am on a bit of a journey myself and I totally agree
I think you did a really good job on this video. You seem to care more about people getting an understanding than most others do. Thank you for sharing what you learned.
Hi Nick - I have been watching your channel for a while now and in a couple of weeks I will be taking myself out for my first wild camp. All your videos are really informative and very well presented. Thanks for all the effort you put into them. They are very, very helpful.
I obviously learn a lot about the forest when I watch your videos but it's your personal insight that seems to hit me the hardest. Yes, keeping on track.
Very informative thank you. I had no idea until today that this type of wood was called _FATWOOD._ I’m in my seventh decade and still learning and wanting to learn.
Hey Nick, fab video as always 😊 I absolutely agree that we *need* the outdoors. We're living like factory farmed animals these days, overcrowded in totally unnatural habitats. Humans (and our brains) evolved to be living in, small, close-knit tribes; spending most of the day moving around outdoors, eating a huge variety of foraged foods. If you take an animal out of it's natural environment and don't provide it with the mental stimulation it needs then it will develop behavioural problems; we are still animals, despite what most people seem to believe, and we react the same way as any other to these things.
I like the quote, "Stone age minds living in space age times."
Very well said, you rather succinctly put exactly what I've been discussing with friends lately as we try and fix the world.
And if anyone is wise enough to quote Daryl Davis definitely is.
Laura, bear in mind that when you live in small close-knit communities you also have small, close-knit bigotries, intolerances and prejudices.
Thank you for a brilliant video you are right about going out I struggle with that through complex PTSD but I'm buying a mountain bike and I'm going to push myself harder to interact with a world I don't trust ...you inspire me thank you fir helping my confidence God bless you and the marines ...Amen
Excellent informative video, good to see you relaying the complete background information, nice to hear the reasons why and how etc.
Too many "Expert Bushcraft" people are posting videos lighting fires and boiling water and not having the basics in place first (clearing the debris etc).
Your inspirational and people should listen to you and use the old saying...
"You have 2 ears and one mouth, use them in that order"
Keep up the good work and lets help preserve the precious resources we have available.
I've only been instructed on The Larch by Monty Python. You know, I am not sure if we have them in the U.S.
Hello from San Diego. Good information. I like to make saw dust from the Fat Wood and then apply a match to the dust/shavings/what have you.
Fun.
Keep at it.
Loved the video, went out this afternoon and found two good sized pieces of fatwood in a wind blown piece of larch - thanks for the inspiration!
I like the analogy given to how trees make fat wood and our journey in life
And get out doors back to nature is the greatest healing there is
Love Sundays when HVB uploads a video.. Nick can make you feel your out with him. Great stuff
Hi Nick,
Only found your channel after seeing your truck drive by the house several times, and checking out the HVB website. Subbed right away.
Great seeing your videos in my own stomping grounds in the Chew Valley, really makes the content so applicable. Good to hear you touting the great mental health benefits of being out in the woods, the message really jibes with my own views.
I found several fatwood stumps in the north east of these woods where they had been toppled in winds.
JB
Can you tell me the jumper you’re wearing and got it? Thanks and great video
Shigo would be proud Nick. This was a great video 👍
"game of Fungal thrones" hahaha and the smug look after knowing you dropped a hell of a pun
Finding fatwood for me is basically walk anywhere into the woods in my operational range and collect enough for 20 people for a full months outing in a matter of minutes .. but I m blessed to live in the heart of the south in the USA .. pine trees are our number one tree .. oak and tulip poplar rank #2 and #3 depending on soil conditions
I was considering buying fatwood to give it a go, but now I've watched this I'll just find it myself.
Thanks Nick!!
@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 got out in the woods earlier to day and while I was there had a quick look around for something good for fat wood, found a pine tree where a limb had been broken so took the remaining bit and it worked a treat, thank you for the tips!!!!
I have picked up roots that were fatwood around pines in Louisiana
Hi Nick, your channel is one of my favorite one. Thanks for sharing these valuable infos.
Excellent video mate! Your closing line about being outdoors and the boost that it gives one’s immune system is so important.
Thank you brother. I have been telling people that of which you are talking about but they don’t use fallen leaves to start fire. They have to believe they have to use birch or or fat wood.
SEMPER FI
Knowing that trees are alive and responding to its surroundings has always fascinated me, great vid.
Great video again. I always enjoy watching your content, thanks.
Very interesting. Just found your channel. Love it. Per Mare, Per Terram. 🇬🇧
Great video, on the practical level & wisdom level. Cheers.
Great video and information. Wonderful vernacular and flare for words, nice to hear. Being in the woods is the best. God bless you ❤️🙏🏼
can you find "fat wood" in Australian Gumtrees? The Eucalyptus oil contained is very flammable.
Part of your observations are spot on but some are not. 1st, if someone is spending 100's of pounds/dollars annually on fatwood they are being horribly fleeced or they aren't using it correctly. At a nearby home improvement store I bought a 4lb bag for $6. That's 2 full years of woodstove lights for me. After assembling kindling, fatwood sticks (often split in smaller sizes) are used like super matches. No need for scraping or feathering. 2nd, take a look at the scene behind you around the 6min mark. Conifers love sun. There's very little green below the sun blocked canopy. When the lower branches are not getting sufficient light they die off and not necessarily due to fungal attacks and certainly not from damage due to heavy human traffic. You are absolutely correct about conifers healing process. When a branch dies, it pumps resin to seal itself, regardless of the reason for the loss. When the entire tree begins to die, the resin shrinks into the heart. I find it quite innovative and resourceful for those making/selling fatwood from old conifer stumps that would otherwise go to waste. Not everyone has easy access for any number of reasons.
Take care and be well HVB. Soak in those phytoncides. 👍
I love your videos Nick and even more so this one, I love the analogy about the trees and humans being similar and especially the advice to get outdoors to improve your well-being and immune system. I truly believe this is the case and encourage people to get out into the fresh air, it will do wonders for you and certainly lift your spirits 🙏
Another great video and alot of good stuff to know, I now want to go look for some myself now.
Brilliant tips! I shall try them out when im next in the woods.Does Sitka produce fatwood?.We have a 3 1/2 acre plantation on the western section of a larger mixed broadleaf woodland that i manage in Wales.I really like the "Dont put an ill fish in dirty water" ethos.The healing and restorative effects of being in the woods is truly a medicine for the mind body & soul.Every time i open our ride stop gate,its like taking off a massively overweight bergen off my back.Cheers bud!
Compression wood on conifers, underneath limbs leaving main stem. Resin rich.
*THANK YOU for the tutorial.* Another great tip you made is that being outdoors helps your immune system ...but... *How do you protect yourself against ticks and lyme disease?*
Fun video Nick, and a BIG word as a bonus:) Thanks for your time.
Very informative. I always wondered about the bulges on trees where they have been cut back by councils. Very interesting
Super interesting. Thank you for sharing your deep understanding.
i live in the mountains of Georgia in America and u can throw a can or stick and find fatwood almost everywhere because of the climate tho the winter are rainy cold and wet
@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 i enjoy your channel sir please keep up the good content
Great video Nick. Heartily agree with getting out in the wilderness, always at my happiest amongst the trees and wildlife. It’s real and somehow peaceful with the sounds and smells of nature all around. Very informative info on trees which will helpful to me in the woods. Thanks for sharing your knowledge and the parallels of tree life and ours. There is incredible beauty in all of it, and it’s free ! Bless you mate.
Being from Central Florida, it blows my mind that people do actually buy fatwood. It is literally everywhere if you have eyes to see.
Hi Nick,
If I could live in a little cabin in the woods, I would sell my house today, but!! I need an address, a house /flat, or no bank account, no job.
Shorely a plot of land has a grid reference and an address, but you can't live on it for more than twenty eight days of the year, if you buy woodland
Going out next weekend to a permission woodland, will give this a try! Thanks stay safe atb 👍🦊
some of us just can't find it or have access to pine forests, I know I don't where I live in Australia (SE Queensland) we do have some pine forests several hours away but it's not easy to access. Plus I can buy a 1.8kg bag for $15 of premium fatwood from Bunnings (a chain store hardware here in OZ) which is every bit as good as any fatwood I've tested from all over the world, thankfully I have good friends who send me fatwood from many different locations to test.
Store-bought fatwood allows people like me to experiment and experience fatwood on a level that I would not otherwise be able to.
Careful in the UK! Larch is used as a firebreak in pine woodlands! It doesn't burn well! Might have a high resin frugality, but really doesn't burn well at all!
Nick, I buy mine as a guy used to collect it for me but I cannot see or walk far enough to collect t like I used to.
Well done! In my neck of the woods, it’s hard not to trip over it. But I still learned something new. Thank you. Can we hear more about the fish in dirty water concept? It’s one of those things that I think we instinctively know, but I’ve never found the words. BRILLIANT! Keep up the good work. It matters.
Hopefully fairly soon I'll be coming into a few lifetimes of Fatwood. During Hurricane Ida several trees, mainly pine and birch type, blew down. When my insurance company settles the damage I'll hire a proper tree removal service and will be able to direct them what parts of the trees to leave for me in the guise of firewood. Its been 8 months, and hopefully they'll Still be some parts of the trees that have resin left.
Enjoyed thst thank you.
I'm out for a quick solo in the woods night. Fire, cheeky beer and my book.
Nice informative video. Cheers from across the pond Nick.
I chopped up a pallet on which a ton of compost was delivered and it was mostly fatwood ! I now have a great store of it :-)
Great video Nick. If only there were coniferous trees to harvest from where I live... but plenty of bags of cheap fatwood at the local hardware store.
Sunday May 1st 2022 ! Excellent information ! I never knew anything about this ! I have put you under my favorite videos ! Thank you for sharing ! ❤️❤️❤️😊😊😊☮️☮️☮️
Brilliant descriptive video Nick 👍 lucky for me in the Rhondda valleys we are never far away from pine forests and beautiful views the outdoors is an amazing place we all take for granted ,but a night out with a small fire food and fresh air can’t be beaten in my opinion 💪🏴👍 all the best Nick and please keep up the brilliant work you do
Hi from Syracuse NY USA brother thank you for sharing
Great stuff I was the one buying last year but now not buying it still got some unopened in the cupboard lol so easy to find
Because I live in Ohio which has mostly been cleared for farming years ago but historically was deciduous forest (mostly maple). What few pines exist in my area are on private land where you can't help yourself to things like that or are on public land like parks which are maintained and don't have dead wood or stumps all about or other public land where it is illegal to forage for anything.
GREAT video Nick! I've always been interested in the outdoors, especially trees, but the indoor digital world pays better. Besides new tires, fatwood is my second most favorite smell. Great knowledge passed in this video, Thank You!
Nick good informative video thank youI couldn’t agree with you more getting outdoors is critical to health and well-being
Hi Nick I was wondering if you can explain to me the difference between Phytoncides and Terpenes, are terpenes a compound that would be described as a Phytoncide, or are these completely different things?
@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 thanks for the enlightenment Nick this is a new term to me
Not really related to the subject of fatwood but what kind of sweater are you wearing?
@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 thank you it looks heavy duty and warm
Larch is a deciduous conifer. Drops its needles in winter.🙃
Trees don't heal, they seal! Wisdom, thanks!
Thats why gardening is also good if ur depressed as the soil releases something (cant remember the name sorry) to boost our moods
Nature shes a wonderful thing
Thank you so much for your insights, I learned a lot.
Excellent video. I always found the trend of "buying" fatwood as a bushcraft supply to be a bit like bushcraft glamping. Would a deer hunter buy deer skins on ebay to put in his truck?? Add to this that if you are going to spend that money, its cheaper to just buy other flammables, or just make your own fatwood by gently boiling any dry wood in oil/was/pine resin. Thank you for the video. When Im a bit more solvent I plan to come to one of your courses down there.
Hope you and your family are doing great Nick. Really enjoying the video bud, keep em coming. Stay safe and be well brother. Strength and Honor... 👊 🤙
Thanks a lot for this great information! I was looking in the forest (here in Switzerland) and have been overlooking perfect sources all this time! As an aside, how long do you typically get use out of a saw like the Bahco Laplander? I bought one about a year ago and feel it's significantly slower than it was.
@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 Thanks for the reply. Wow! This was only bought in 2020. Only cutting whatever dead wood is around here. Perhaps I'm getting weaker 😅
I don't know if this could be a stupid question or how long it would take but could you essentially "force" fatwood to happen by snapping off twigs, etc?
Thanks For your knowledge. As I only fault it comes from pine in hot countries thanks.
I've found and used plenty of fatwood, but I'm getting lazy as I get older, and it's easier to throw money at it (and I have an Amazon addiction). Cheers mate, and Semper Fidelis.
Hi Nick,
We always collect pine cones on family walks, not only do they and the trees they've come from make lighting the woodburner(and Kelly-kettle) easy, but bunging a bunch of them onto a bed of embers and watching the process of them burning and then turning glowing red in the same shape and finally collapsing is something I find quite relaxing 😊😊💤💤💤
Yes it's maddening to me too that people will spend money on a plastic wrapped tiny bundle of basically twigs, that have been shipped around the country or further 🥴
Excuse me if you have already made the video, but one solely on the different types of free tinder and how to harvest,store and use them, would be very interesting and helpful,
"I love the smell of pine sapphire in the morning!" 🤣🤣🤣
I saw a report somewhere the other day similar to what you were saying about the health benefits of just getting out, something about the dopamine and serotonin levels raised by the chemicals that cause the smells of different wild plants and how our brains are wired to react to those smells/fragrances once we have lived in a certain area for a while,
I will try find the article and send you the link, you may enjoy it?
Hope all is good ?
Matt and family
👍
Hahah pine sapphire, gotta love predictive text🤣
The Japanese have a specific term for being with trees. They call it Shinrin yoku.
I appreciate this episode a great deal. Thank you Sir
Peace.
Whilst I am aware of all the dross, nonsense and fakery on RUclips, this post left me with a totally bemused smile.
Never having seen your posts before, I jumped right in. I'm just getting ready for my summer trip, (normally 8-12 weeks) I'm retired now, and this year as I'm celebrating my 70th its for 20 weeks highlands and islands, hopefully with a clear night on top of a (ben or munro) mountain, like Suilven or An Teallach.
Having camped since I was knee high to the proverbial grass hopper, I had no idea people paid for Fat-Wood??? Doh. Whenever and wherever I'm hiking when I see conifers, I see food and firewood; Saffron Milkcap often grow around pine and are a delicious mushroom, the Latin name is Lactarius Deliciosus which translates to delicious milk; if there are fallen trees I knock the small branches off the trunk with the back of my axe as these knots are always full of resin and burn 2-3 times brighter than ordinary wood.
Clearly I know nothing in the world of commerce, but seem to do OK under canvas.
It comes down to time management for me, I purchased a kilogram of high quality fatwood for Au$14 from Bunnings (a chain hardware store in Australia).
It is easier and cheaper for me to do this than to travel to my nearest pine plantation 50kms away and then spend hours searching for it.
Makes sense....100 km is 8 to 11 litres of fuel........more than what you paid
Brilliant video thanks fpr the tips i disnt even know fatwood was a thing
Here in Missouri, there arent that many pine trees here like in the western side of united states counterparts. What fatwood alternatives would u suggest?
Very interesting and insightful. Thank you.
A lightning killed tree, especially a softwood, yield’s literally tonnes of fat wood. Similarly a softwood that is tangled by another tree falling on it produces loads of fat wood on the wounds.
Another great video Nick, thanks. Hate the thought of buying fat wood as surely a large part of the point is learning how to locate and harvest for the times you need it and Amazon isn’t an option.
Something I’ve been meaning to ask - what advice would you give to getting a good understanding of (U.K. specific) ethnobotany? Any books, course etc recommendations appreciated.
I have been looking for ages. There are pine trees on our Farm. I want to harvest pine pitch from them. Any suggestions?
@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 Cheers dude! FYI, I took your advice on the tougher jacket and got a very good priced Barbour Tokito Yoshida Field Jacket. I just need to learn how to wax it and it's a gooden! Thanks again.
Fantastic informative video,Nick.
Always wondered why the old conifer stumps burned well,on the Priddy village green firework night bonfires.
Easy to make fatwood sticks,now then.
Might have to make a few and knock them out at the local bootsale.😉
Quick question. Where did you get your sweater from?
Pretty smart,and looks warm.Great for the evenings around the camp fire.
All the best.
@@hiddenvalleybushcraft5683 Thanks.👍🏾
Wow at the end of this video you inspired me to get outside.
I find fatwood under my duvet most mornings LOL 😂
Pffffff hahaha I hate that I laughed at this 😆
Top class information and very informative 👏 I spend a great deal of time in woodland and you're right in what you say very good for mind body and soul and also why do some people spend good money in shops for fatwood when you can find it in abundance in our forest's great video nick thanks for sharing ♠️
I found this video very interesting. Thank you so much. I'm just a female who knows nothing about this. Question.. can I just collect pine cones and fallen wood or dead branches from pine trees? Here in CONNECTICUT..WE have so many pine trees with sap. Also..do u need to dry it out..lastly do I need to bother carving bark off it wasting a good knife blade? I'm in the medical field. Basically what you said about the tree protecting itself from fungus or disease...basically resin/sap is like blood clotting in a wound. The clotting is the healing process but also..the phagocytes.... blood cells a part of your immune system...they attack anything alien ithats getting into a wound. And the wound heals by creating a mesh...I believevphagocytes red blood cells seal it up. That's why before surgery you cannot have aspirin. Asprin causes your blood to get thinner and u bleed out. Thicker blood has a blood clotting factor. So I totally get what your saying. Now if fungus has already gotten in..shoukd you throw that part out. I'm thinking about cooking foid over this wood. Can the fungus heat up or resin heat up and poison you? I'm assuming resin and sap are the same thing? If u heat that up the chemical compound can't get in your food? Thank you again. I'm learning alit from you. And also...is it best just to go to branches on the southern side where sun is and get it lower in stump? Thanks!
Thanks great vid. I still find it somewhat hard to find here in Ontario. It can be done but somewhat difficult. 2-3 year old blow downs are good. I find in places where there’s major coniferous destruction, whether it’s natural or unnatural. Another way is on your own property to get to know the trees on your property. We had a big white pine come down and I was just about to cut it up for firewood. But I noticed some serious fat wood forming, absolutely drenched. So I’ll leave that broken tree for a few more years and let the wood get completely saturated. Then harvest the fat wood and cut up the rest of the tree.
Do you guys know if fat wood will dry up overtime? I mean if you take a piece of fat wood and leave it for five or 10 years in your house do the resins evaporate eventually, or does it have a good shelf life?
Fatwood will keep a wound on a tree sealed for potentially hundreds of years so I can't imagine it really.
Bloody love this channel 💯
Hello from British Columbia Canada
🇨🇦👍👋♥️🕸🌲🌲🌲
Hi Nick what's the legal aspects of chopping or taking a few bits of fatwood from a forest would it be the same as foraging? I was walking through a pine forest a couple of weeks ago and there were loads of downed trees from the winter storms so could of had a field day :)