In general, the matches readily available these days seems to be inferior to those obtainable in the past. The matches I carry now are of a souped up variety,something like:

https://www.rei.com/product/106184/uco-stormproof-match-kit

On overnight trips, I usually carry a lightweight canister stove - very easy to ignite with a sparker or ferro rod.

Matches of decent quality are essential. I have lit a fair number of critical, "must have" fires with them.

Yep, the current crop of matches seem to be designed for something other than reliability and performance. That said, I can light most matches with my lighter and then use the match to reach places the lighter’s flame won’t go.
Signed,
Agwcmtowomf (another-guy-who-carries-more-than-one-way-of-making-fire)

I made this video a few months ago about Stike Anywhere Matches, figure it might be of some interest

[video:youtube]https://youtu.be/W0dgv5aLPOQ[/video]

In Canada they have become quite common again, most common are Redbird made in Chile or UCO out of the US but made in Chile as well.

Why bother with marginal commercial strike anywhere matches when there are so many alternatives available?

Or perhaps the issue might be better framed as "What are the most reliable, fool proof means of starting a fire?" This could lead to considerable experimentation, given constraints on weight and bulk,as well as considering different conditions - windy vs calm, cold vs warm, wet vs dry, presence of daylight, etc.

I have a lot of matches, almost all UCO Stormproof. Yes, they're relatively expensive at least compared to strike-anywhere matches (when they can be found in the US, which is almost never it seems). It's still a minor expense IMO. A box of UCO Stormproof matches is around $3 for 25 matches, not all that bad. Usually I use a firesteel or a BIC with the matches being a backup. And it's a rare situation when it requires more than one or two of them, so a box lasts quite a while.