In bushcraft-style craft, tar is best used as a traditional treatment for wooden handles, cordage, shelters, containers, and outdoor gear, not as an improvised cure-all for unsafe equipment.
Tar fits bushcraft because it belongs to the older world of wood, fibre, smoke, weather, and repair. Pine tar can darken and protect tool handles, walking sticks, mallets, pegs, cordage, and simple outdoor timber projects. It gives a practical, rustic finish that feels closer to forestry and craft than to polished furniture.
Use prepared tar rather than trying to improvise hot tar production in a casual camp setting. Apply it to dry materials in small amounts, especially on exposed ends, ground-contact points, and rough surfaces. For cordage, work it into natural fibres only when stiffness, smell, and staining are acceptable.
Bushcraft gear is often carried, packed, and handled. Fresh tar can ruin fabric bags, sleeping gear, food wrappers, and clothing. Treated items need time to settle before they go into a pack. Tar is useful on certain outdoor objects, but it is not suitable for cookware interiors, eating surfaces, modern synthetic ropes used for safety, or anything that must stay clean.