Posted: 12/28/2015 7:23:01 AM EDT
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Been a long time since I made fire, and back then I used a magnesium block. What is the current state of the art in fire starting tools - any recommendations for what I should keep handy? |
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Magnesium firestarters are still a solid (pun intended) solution. They are compact and indestructible. Just get a good one and test it before putting it up for use later. Doan's is the gold standard.
That being said, they are a pain. Fire Steel or Ferrocerium rods are in favor now. Get the fattest/longest. Plenty of sparks and long life. If you are talking for around the house I use a propane torch and torch sparker for the wood stove. It's lasted over a year on a single 1lb bottle. |
If you watch the crazies on Naked & Afraid TV vainly trying to start fires in wet weather with sparking devices you will go for something else = BIC lighters and/or matches carried in waterproof containers and reliable fire-starter material. Almost anything works in perfect weather, but most suck in bad/wet weather. And bad weather is the situation when you need fire the most! 
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BIC lighter, butane 3 flame jet lighter, real cotton balls, or just dryer lint/sawdust, Vaseline, or 70%+ hand sanitizer should do the trick in theory.
I played with and practiced on my big fat ferro-rod and the magnesium block and if my life had been in danger, I would have been dead relying on the magnesium. It just takes too freakin' long and in the wind/rain, forget about it. I know that survival types romanticize about rubbing two sticks together to make fire and that magnesium is somewhere close behind as a 'life lesson,' but I'm all for making things easier in a deadly situation. Collect your dryer lint, get a few small pocket bottles of hand sanitizer and squirt the crap out of the lint, or cotton balls and use your BIC, Zippo, or butane lighter to start roasting those hot dogs and burgers you brought with you. Heck, Zippo even makes this 'hockey puck' type looking firestarter made out of wax and compressed sawdust and I got one as SWAG with my Mora knife purchase and I'd use that if I had to. Chris |
| I carry with me a paper match book, a bic lighter, and a ferro rod when I go backpacking. I use a ferro rod at least once on each trip just to stay proficient with it. Once you know how to make a fire with something like a ferro rod or a magnesium starter, most other methods become much easier. |
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I keep a WWII 1911 pistol mag pouch on my belt while camping.
It has: -BIC lighter -Magnesium firestarter -Pill bottle with vaseline cotton balls Everything but the lighter is waterproof and the cotton balls double as first aid ointment. Also carry lint/wax eggs which are my primary firestarter. I've been able to get wet wood started in the rain. Made for a far happier evening camping with the then-wife. *DISCLAIMER* Camping in the rain did not lead to the divorce 
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Quoted:
I actually have as easy a time with a ferro rod as with a bic lighter. I just make sure I have some easy to light stuff like jute twine or cotton balls and I am golden. Proper tinder is the key. I always keep a bic around anyway. Sage advice, for the win! Fire is one of those "essential" items and most advise some redundancy as prudent caution. I use a softer (more magnesium) ferrocerium rod, called misch-metal rods. They just give me a larger spark that is easier to control...opinions vary, it works for me. I always carry a backup Bic (or two) and sometimes waterproof-storm matches. Tinder is really the key beyond your ignition source. Shaving magnesium in the cold, windy rain sucks. I've had to use duct tape to keep the shaving from blowing away. My current preference is the cheap cotton balls mixed with a good dollop Vaseline mixed in. Jute twin soaked in melted wax is another effective method. For natural stuff, carrying a small chunk of "fat wood" is excellent to get some shavings that will light up with just a couple ferro sparks. For commercial tinder, I like "Tinder-Quik" paraffin cotton bundles; other good ones (but more expensive) are paraffin coated cotton wipes or bundles sold by Dave Canterbury (his "pathfinder" store)...these actually work well and are pretty waterproof, catch a spark very easily and stay lit like a candle until you can get your natural tinder going. Not method will work reliably if you don't collect a good amount of dry tinder, twigs or shavings...fire preparation is as important as your ignition and tinder source. ROCK6 |
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Quoted:
Sage advice, for the win! Fire is one of those "essential" items and most advise some redundancy as prudent caution. I use a softer (more magnesium) ferrocerium rod, called misch-metal rods. They just give me a larger spark that is easier to control...opinions vary, it works for me. I always carry a backup Bic (or two) and sometimes waterproof-storm matches. Tinder is really the key beyond your ignition source. Shaving magnesium in the cold, windy rain sucks. I've had to use duct tape to keep the shaving from blowing away. My current preference is the cheap cotton balls mixed with a good dollop Vaseline mixed in. Jute twin soaked in melted wax is another effective method. For natural stuff, carrying a small chunk of "fat wood" is excellent to get some shavings that will light up with just a couple ferro sparks. For commercial tinder, I like "Tinder-Quik" paraffin cotton bundles; other good ones (but more expensive) are paraffin coated cotton wipes or bundles sold by Dave Canterbury (his "pathfinder" store)...these actually work well and are pretty waterproof, catch a spark very easily and stay lit like a candle until you can get your natural tinder going. Not method will work reliably if you don't collect a good amount of dry tinder, twigs or shavings...fire preparation is as important as your ignition and tinder source. ROCK6 Quoted:
Quoted:
I actually have as easy a time with a ferro rod as with a bic lighter. I just make sure I have some easy to light stuff like jute twine or cotton balls and I am golden. Proper tinder is the key. I always keep a bic around anyway. Sage advice, for the win! Fire is one of those "essential" items and most advise some redundancy as prudent caution. I use a softer (more magnesium) ferrocerium rod, called misch-metal rods. They just give me a larger spark that is easier to control...opinions vary, it works for me. I always carry a backup Bic (or two) and sometimes waterproof-storm matches. Tinder is really the key beyond your ignition source. Shaving magnesium in the cold, windy rain sucks. I've had to use duct tape to keep the shaving from blowing away. My current preference is the cheap cotton balls mixed with a good dollop Vaseline mixed in. Jute twin soaked in melted wax is another effective method. For natural stuff, carrying a small chunk of "fat wood" is excellent to get some shavings that will light up with just a couple ferro sparks. For commercial tinder, I like "Tinder-Quik" paraffin cotton bundles; other good ones (but more expensive) are paraffin coated cotton wipes or bundles sold by Dave Canterbury (his "pathfinder" store)...these actually work well and are pretty waterproof, catch a spark very easily and stay lit like a candle until you can get your natural tinder going. Not method will work reliably if you don't collect a good amount of dry tinder, twigs or shavings...fire preparation is as important as your ignition and tinder source. ROCK6 Another +1... Tinder is key and practice makes you better. Preparation with fire making goes along ways. Spend a few extra minutes collecting material and you won't be running around to grab stuff once you have a flame. I usually have a zippo in my pocket, and a bic+candle+matches in my "emergency" fire kits. When I have time on my hands, or am practicing I always use a ferro rod, or give a go with friction fire. Practicing in wet weather is a good idea to: 
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Ferro rod when I hunt or backpack, I've had bic' s freeze up or flings shatter in cold wet snow and zippos the fuel will evaporate over time. Ferro always sparks.
For wet weather joy, I try to always have a few firestarters made from two or three cotton balls stuffed into each cell of an ice cube tray and fill with melted wax. 100% waterproof and when time to use pick out a little cotton on top of the cube, strike it with Ferro rod and they will burn with about a 6" high flame for around 20minutes each. Cheap to make and Very easy to get damp tinder/ kindling burning with. Heat tabs (Trioxane) light easier, but don't burn as long |
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I just made a thread about wax dipped jute twine in Survival Discussions. I had never thought about it before and it worked wonderfully. It burns for about 1 minute per inch with a nice hot candle like flame, but the flame is 3 times the size of a candle flame.
I cut 2 to 2.5" pieces of Jute and dipped each into candle wax one at a time..... |
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Exotac stuff is pretty neat. The new "Polystriker XL" offers something like 10,000 strikes vs the original Polystriker which offers something like 1,200 strikes. OTOH, the NanoStriker rods are replaceable should you need to. |
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And speaking of wax...
Where does one even find paraffin? Do grocery stores even carry it anymore or do you have to go to an arts and crafts store? I see that prices on a 1-lb. block of Royal Oak Gulf Wax vary widely. Oddly enough Wal-Mart has the highest price ($15). Jet.com wants about $4 free shipping |
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http://oblio13.blogspot.com/2012/04/favorite-fire-starters.html
And a couple disposable lighters scattered in pockets, packs and cook kits. "Djeep" brand is by far my favorite. |
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Quoted:
And speaking of wax... Where does one even find paraffin? Do grocery stores even carry it anymore or do you have to go to an arts and crafts store? I see that prices on a 1-lb. block of Royal Oak Gulf Wax vary widely. Oddly enough Wal-Mart has the highest price ($15). Jet.com wants about $4 free shipping Hit up garage and yard sales and buy up as many crappy old candles as you want for very little money. You can melt them on one of those coffe cup heaters in a glass container. |
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I carry things from matches, to ferro rod/mag block, and basic to advanced lighters.
For state-of-the-art I'd recommend a Soto Pocket torch that uses Scripto lighters in a clever way, to the Soto XT pocket torch which is a really nice butane lighter. All of which work well in my area in the winter. My .02 |
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Quoted:
And speaking of wax... Where does one even find paraffin? Do grocery stores even carry it anymore or do you have to go to an arts and crafts store? I see that prices on a 1-lb. block of Royal Oak Gulf Wax vary widely. Oddly enough Wal-Mart has the highest price ($15). Jet.com wants about $4 free shipping Check the "canning section" at the grocery store, or the local hardware store. This time of year any back stock may have been put in the backroom to make shelf space for other more seasonal items. |