I recently made pine pitch glue with sap from white pine trees combined with charcoal. The charcoal acts as a binding agent causing the glue to dry with greater strength and durability.

First I pried knots of resin from several trees with my knife. These can usually be found where the tree has lost a limb or has been damaged.

I put all of the pieces of resin into the metal container that I use for making char cloth, and heated it on the stove. While it was heating I crushed pieces of charcoal from the fire into a powder using a shell and a bow drill spindle, and added it to the melting resin.

The glue is then ready to be used and should be applied while warm and soft. Here I used pine pitch glue and deer sinew to secure a bone arrowhead to a rivercane arrow shaft.

Some other uses of the pine tree:

• The resin is anti-bacterial and can be applied as a topical dressing to cuts and scrapes which acts to protect the wound as well as to prevent infection.


• The needles can be boiled to make a tea rich in vitamin C, which can also double as an antiseptic wash for minor injuries.


• The inner cambium layer of the tree bark can be eaten.


• The grain of the pine tree is typically straight and easy to break down for fire.


• The pine nuts in the pine cone can be eaten.


• Low hanging small dead inner branches can be used for kindling in a fire.


• Larger dead branches hold pine pitch in the 4 to 6 inches closest to the trunk of the tree which can be used for starting fire.


• The base of a large pine tree can be used as a partial shelter in a high snow area winter situation. They can also partially shelter you from rain.


• Old dead pine tree stumps will have shards of un-rotted wood called fatwood sticking up out of the ground that are saturated with pine pitch and can be used as firestarter or candles.


• Bark from a large pine tree can be used as a platform for building fire or other tasks in the wilderness.


• They attract wildlife such as squirrels for hunting and trapping.


• Pine pitch can be melted and infused on to a cloth, wrapped around a green stick and used as a torch.


• The smell of freshly crushed pine needles (rubbed in clothing) can act as a scent masking agent to help reduce human scent while hunting.


• Dried pine needles can be used as a tender and or kindling.

Check out the links below for more info...

How To Make Pine Resin Glue
Pine Pitch Firestarter
How to Make a Fatwood Candle for Wilderness Survival