Any recommendations? This one leaked on me when I submerged it in shallow water:

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002AYO...;pf_rd_i=507846

Or maybe I got a defective one (?).

I just picked up one of these. Definitely won't leak. Well made from quality materials.

http://www.kmmatchcase.com

+1 on KM match cases. They are awesome.

You'll see a lot of copy cat cases out there, but KM is the best - and from what I understand - the original. Some of those copies use screws rather than the double o-rings. Big BIG difference. I put some o-ring lubricant (from the local pool store) on mine and it is smooth as silk. I would imagine that the lubricant protects the o-rings too.

Real good folks too!! Worth paying a bit extra for.

D' Oh!! I, too, am a fan of these matchboxes. My only complaint was that the double o-ring closure would be hard to open if you had to do it one-handed. But then I have never graced my o-rings with lubricant. Guess I will have to try that. Thanks for the tip!

I agree, they are well worth the money.

Thanks! An Internet search didn't help me out.

Totaly worth it great product.

Lee

Roughly, how many wooden strike anywhere matches can fit in the KM match case?

26 regular strike-anywhere matches with no striker material included.

13 REI Storm Proof matches, with a striker sheet.

This is with half of the matches striker end up and half with the wood end up.

I too was looking to a nice match case. I found and bought http://www.exotac.com/ through amazon along with the nano-striker. I bought for it was well thought out and I really liked the 2 types of striker on the match case. It also came with replacement strikers and a bit of para-cord.

Might be worth a look.

I've had both types of those match cases. The KM ones are nice and it's nice to have the compass feature. However, I now prefer to carry two Cricket piezo-electric lighters--one in my pocket and one in my kit.

My experience has been that, even if the match case is effective at keeping out water, when you need to open the case under duress when you and/or the case are wet, some water will manage to find its way inside at that moment. As I and others have pointed out in the past, you can hold the Cricket piezo lighters completely under water for 30 seconds or a minute, then blow out the water and they will light.

As I recall, I found the KM match case a bit clunky and heavy in my pocket. I think I had a brass one, though. The piezo lighters are very light and flat, and I have never had any issue with the Cricket ones lighting even at or above 8000 feet.

I used to get my Cricket piezo lighters at Walgreens, but lately they don't seem to be carrying them. Cricket still is making them and they have a website.

For nostalgia's sake, I have a couple of the old Marble chrome matchcases with the roughened striking surface on the outside. They always say "wilderness traveling" to me when I look at them.

In my bug out bag, I plan to have a few means of starting a fire. Matches are just one. A lighter is another. Firesteel with various tender is yet another. I'll check out the Exotac box and the Cricket lighter.

For me, Firesteel with magnesium tender is the most reliable and rugged (but not the easiest to learn). I can toss it into a pool, leave it there for ten minutes, go get it, wipe it off and then start a fire with it. I won't claim I can do that with any other method. Firesteel does require more practice than the other methods though.

Regarding lighters, I like the Peanut Lighter.
http://countycomm.com/sslight.htm