>>I carry a Sparklite, lifeboat matches, safety matches, magnesium bar, metal match and a lighter in my main kit and person! A survival scenario is no time to replicate QUEST FOR FIRE!<<<br><br>Hear, hear. While I'm grateful for whatever skills I learned in 18th C. camping and reenacting (and they are NOTHING compared to the skills of our ancestors), one thing it really teaches you is to appreciate modern tools.<br><br>I managed to make fire with a drill exactly once, with VERY dry materials, great weather and a great deal of time and effort, so Chris' skill is far beyond mine. I can't even say I'd look forward to doing it again.<br><br>I've always carried at least 2 sources of fire in the woods, even if I'm not planning on being out overnight. When I was a teenager I used to backpack with a metal matchsafe hung around my neck, so there was NO chance of losing it. I recently purchased a Windmill lighter and have taken to carrying it every day, in civilization- and I don't smoke.<br><br>No skill learned is ever wasted, but if my life is really on the line, I'm going to want the most practical solutions, not necessarily the most interesting. Primitive skills are often more about history and learning than survival today.<br><br><br>