All of us love camping and hiking in the wilderness, and if time allows, we gladly will spend time amidst nature for more than a week. The fact is, no matter how frequently you may go camping or hiking and how experienced you are, problems can crop up now and then. You can land up in a situation that you cannot understand how to manage.
However, if you are in a place with pine trees around, then you can handle a lot of those situations, at least, until a rescue team reaches you. There are many various survival uses for pine trees and we shall learn about five of them now so that every person knows what to do if they land themselves up in a similar situation.
1. Medicinal Uses of Pine
You cannot exactly call it medicine but the fact also cannot be denied that it can prove to be very helpful for little first aid purposes. You can mix pine pitch with beeswax to create a throat lozenge. You can chew it right from the tree itself but do make sure that it got a chance to form the shape of bulbs.
Also, owing to its anti-fungal, antibacterial, and antiseptic properties, pine resin can safely be applied to wounds to prevent infection and keep germs away. You can even extract splinters with the help of pine resin. Just apply it on the affected place, and after a day or two the splinter will come out on its own.
2. Pine As Fuel
Pine resin, because of its flammable nature, can be used to start a fire even in damp conditions. You may have experienced a situation where all the wood that is available is damp. Does this mean you have to manage without a fire? Of course not, if you have some pine trees around. Hunt for some pine branches/stick and hardened pine resin and then split the sticks to search for streaks of resin. You can ignite this pitch with the help of a flint bar and magnesium shavings or a Ferro rod.
3. Pine As Food
Since pine needles are high in vitamin C, a tea prepared of the same can give your immune system a nice boost on a chilly night. You just need to heat some water in a container, add the pine needles when the water has reached a full boil, and allow it to keep boiling for another 2 minutes. You can then strain and drink the water or even drink it with the needles in it.
Pine nuts are also edible, though they are smaller compared to the other nuts you have eaten. They taste more amazing when roasted, but you can also boil them or eat them raw.
4. Pine For Shelter/Bedding
After a nice day of camping and hiking you need a good night’s sleep, and if you are finding it difficult to sleep comfortably then too pine tree can come to your rescue. You can use pine for both bedding and shelter. Pine boughs can be used for nice and warm shelter and pine needles can help form a warm and dry bed.
5. Pine As A Waterproof Treatment
As pine resin is impervious to water, you can use it to treat different objects, like matches for example, to make it resistant to moisture-caused damages. With its help, you can repair holes/breaks in shoes, boats, and other structures, and also seal seams. You may even apply the resin on the lower half of your boots or shoes to make it waterproof. Remember, you need to heat the resin to a liquid form and only then you can apply it to any material.
To Conclude –
A pine tree is among the most valuable resources you can find in an emergency. Even if you get lost in a pine forest, consider yourself lucky. Your chances of survival here are much higher than they can be in other environments, and now that you know how to use pine trees for survival, things will be all the easier.
Awesome post! Keep up the great work! 🙂