Fire Starters

[HARDTRAILZ]

Been trying to figure out a couple good ones for BOB or truck or on person. What do you guys have or tried or recommend?

I always just kept matches and lighters around, but think a starter or few would be good to have around.

[nvrs]

I like the duraflame ones, ignite-o(small size light weight), and diamond gel fire starter...

[Hillbillybonez]

http://www.hillbillybonez.org/camping-tips-firestarters/

[JMHinAZ]

Not completely a starter but works great at the beginning to help build until you have a good base.
Mix melted perfin/candle wax with wood saw dust and pour into paper cup cake molds. Once it hardens you have a water proof, light weight compact starter puck. Hbonez link may have something like it.

[Conner299]

I keep at least two Bic brand lighters in the truck. Even if they run out of fluid, you can still get a good spark. Just remove the metal cowl. I also have my flint and steel striker, from the Boy Scouts, just in case. I see no need to pay a ton, for a fire starter. As long as your tinder and kindling base is what it should be, a small spark will get it going. For that, I love dryer lint.

[TBYODA]

Those are great, when I was Boy Scout I use to make tightly rolled news paper rods about 1.5-2" long and 1" thick and soak in wax. Same thing really.
Another thing that is very compact and starts a fire like nobody's business is mineral oil socked cotton balls a few drops on each in plastic bag with flint and steel and you good to go. You can stuff a bunch of cotton balls in quart bag and it takes no room really and you only need one ball to start a fire with good small tinder and the sparks ignite the oil instantly.


These are good also, the large block is magnesium and the small rod is flint, you scrap a bunch of magnesium of on to some dry tinder and strike the flint. But I prefer the cotton balls better cause it is easier to start fire.

[djthumper]

Dryer lint and then take some dipped in paraffin wax. the lint catches very easily.

[HARDTRAILZ]

I guess i was thinking more for a striker. Like this
http://www.thefirestore.com/store/produ ... MgodPUwA7Q

or

http://www.allhandsfire.com/Aurora-Fire ... MgodDksA5g

I take egg carton and fill it with dryer lint and either wax or petroleum jelly then cut apart each egg for starter. Works well and cheap.

[Wahugg]

I like blow torches. Laugh but they are super effective, don't take up much room in the truck if you already packed gas for a grill, and can be used to aid in trail repairs.

Now if you're on foot, I've always carried around lint and matches. More recently, cotten balls placed in a sip lock baggie with a VERY little amount of alcohol works great as well. Just be careful as you can't always see the flame if it lit, and they are HOT!

-Wahugg

[navigator]

These are good also, the large block is magnesium and the small rod is flint, you scrap a bunch of magnesium of on to some dry tinder and strike the flint.

I got a couple like this from HF for about $3 each but I haven't really tried to use them yet.

I like blow torches. Laugh but they are super effective, don't take up much room in the truck if you already packed gas for a grill.....

-Wahugg

this is exactly what I do when camping. The little torch nozzle and some kindling and you can get a fire going. We once had an unexpected shower and our wood got pretty damp but after a little coaxing we were able to get a fire going with the torch.

[djthumper]

I have a blastmatch in with my SAR gear.

http://www.amazon.com/UST-Blastmatch-Fi ... re+starter

[DirtyBacon04]

My favorite 'primitive' combo is a flint striker and cottonballs + petroleum jelly. The cottonballs (when covered in the jelly) will catch a spark quickly and hold it for a good while.

[navigator]

My son had a Smith's knife sharpener that always put on a nice edge on pocket knives rather easily.
It was like this.

JamiesSharpener.jpg (4.57 KiB) Viewed 19854 times

I kept my eye open for one and found this one

mysharpener.jpg (3.49 KiB) Viewed 19854 times

It gives a good edge, has the firestarter, a weak single LED flashlight, whistle, hook sharpener and a compass that seems to work pretty well. It is a cheap multi-tool of sorts but could help you get out of a pinch if needed.

[Trail X]

Interesting that you bring this up Kyle. I had looked a few weeks back for a small spark striker or other sort of starter for my keychain. I've been looking at trying to put together a cohesive EDC all-pocket carry system. I could not for the life of me find anything small enough for a keychain for EDC. I still don't have a solution to this. The best I could come up with was getting a mini keychain pill case and putting some strike-anywhere matches in it.

[navigator]

James, wouldn't one of these work on a key ring?

firestarter.jpg (3.98 KiB) Viewed 19837 times

http://www.amazon.com/Wilderness-Magnes ... re+starter

[Trail X]

Possibly. I saw stuff like that, but really thought someone would do a better job packaging it into something smaller and compact. Plus, the only real reason I see needing something like this for actual edc would be for a one or two night survival somewhere.

The most likely scenario being something like a broken engine in a snowstorm while on a trail or podunk back road. The least likely scenarios being a plane wreck in canada or a terrorist attack while traveling. Both latter scenatios seem to be likely to supply found objects that could start fires.

I'm not sure why Kyle was looking into something like this, but those were some of my main thoughts. Ideally I'd be looking for a mini lighter that had a water-tight screw-on lid that attached to a keychain. I think that would be ideal.

[dvanbramer88]

Ideally I'd be looking for a mini lighter that had a water-tight screw-on lid that attached to a keychain. I think that would be ideal.

http://www.countycomm.com/sslight.html

You mean the peanut lighter?

[Trail X]

Yeah, basically exactly like that. Nice find!

[dvanbramer88]

[prepper1212]

you really don't want a metal match on a key ring in your pocket could become a enLIGHTing experience. especially in the pocket of some cotton paints. my edc is a 1/8" fire steel bought on line and carried in a small PLASTIC match case. broke it in half to fit in the case keep a couple of quick tender in there with it. works great and no chance of starting a fire in my pocket.