Except for what we carry, we can't count on finding any of the specific fire aids mentioned out in the bush. That's why it is good to know about many such materials (if we travel outside our local area) and how to find and use them in the areas where they occur.
The punk wood for example is one I will remember and try next time I'm in dry timber away from the coast, but it is all damp most of the time in coastal areas, even in the center of a log. (When its wet out = September through June
.) I wouldn't bother looking for fatwood on the NW coast either, but would east of the first mountain range. In the interior it is common and many times I have found it handy in the bush and used what I could break off with my hands to start campfires. Ditto with birch bark- handy in some areas and not worth looking for in others.
Rockchuck, have cooked meals on sage wood fires. It is far from the best but was all we had.
Ice fog in endless sage country has to be one of the bad scenarios for survival if things went bad. I lean with those who think that we need to carry/wear items to survive for at least an overnight with no fire.
