Regarding using the magnesium fire starter: What were you trying to light (besides the magnesium)?

In my own mind I KNOW that my sparker is only a backup to my lighter (which is refillable and always checked before heading out). If all heck breaks loose and I'm not doing well I'd much rather use the lighter than the sparker. BTW, I use the Vaseline-impregnated cotton balls and find they ignite rather easily if "rolled" inside out. I actually find the Sparklite easier to light with than my Magfire, since the Sparklite stays in one spot while sparking. Still, although I always carry the Magfire rod since it will last a lot longer when practicing.

Regarding forgetting the signal mirror: You might consider carrying a compass with a mirrored sighting system (assuming you carry a compass). They are more expensive and larger than some other compasses, but the mirror makes a great signal mirror. I'll heartily recommend the newer style (with a red bezel) Brunton 15TDCL, which is the original beloved Silva Sweden AG ranger-style compass.

By the way, mirrored compasses are also somewhat easier to use with a map since the cover, when flipped open a full 180 degrees, makes the compass much longer and therefore easier to align with your route and/or the map's edge (depending on what you're doing).

What is "piggin string"???