So called 'fire logs' are pretty common with indigenous populations where the rainfall is high and things tend to stay wet. In rain soaked jungle it can be a major problem to find anything that is dry enough to reliably use to create fire from friction or a limited amount of sparks. In such places, independent of a lighter or other modern means, creating a fire from scratch can be a really big deal. Not an experience you want go through regularly.

Once created the emphasis is on preserving fire. Usually as a glowing coal. The way this was accomplished was to create a fire log. A common form was piece of split bamboo about 3" in diameter that was filled with plant materials that had been carefully selected for their ability to support a coal and dried with the last fire. Once filled and a coal installed the split bamboo would be lashed closed and frequently provided with a shoulder strap. Set up correctly, the methods are an art form handed down from generation to generation and vary widely according to location and culture, they were recorded as being able to support a coal for several days reliably.