Dumb question time:

Wasn't there a discussion about road flares a couple of years ago, stating (with some authority) that the off-the-shelf road flare was an utterly lousy firestarter?

Anybody actually tried this? Just askin', for scientific purposes.

I am no scientist, but I have heard that flares and explosives contain carcinogenic chemicals called perchlorates which are water-soluable. I would think that the flare would have to be sealed well to avoid spreading the chemicals around inside your pack. In non-scientific terms the smoke is 'nasty' too. Nothing beats PJ and cotton balls.

So how heavy is the sealed metal box that is required to carry around the explosives that constitute a flare? I certainly wouldn't want to carry around any flares in my back pocket.

I've used a road flare,to start a fire...Once! Conditions have to be correct,Such as wind or Lack of wind,wind direction or lack of wind direction,In otherwords, Make sure wherever you'd like to start that fire,There is Plenty of Ventilation for the smoke of the flare,& The resulting fire, should you leave the flare,Fireside!Also keep in mind the Fiery,Molten Sulphur slag that's produced Copiously from the flare.If any of you played with burning Hot Wheels track,as a kid,It's just like that except 7-fold the intensity!Brimstone Stinks!If you use a flare,then snuff it out,It will be a Bear to re-light,plus where do you plan on storing that 1/2 burnt Stogie of Brimstone?It will make everything smell like that 3 letter word,Often used in place of Donkey!Fatwood is the answer!It smells good when it's Not burning,It smells good when it's 1/2 burnt,It's easy to re-light,& It doesn't look like a stick of Dynamite!A little goes a Long way,& you can carry a little or alot,a Long way! Fatwood last's forever,Flares expire,& become hazardous with age,But if that is what you have with you,It will Suffice!

Nothing special is needed. I've tested all sorts of methods when it's -20 out and my firesteel can reliably start fire with all sorts of tinders, chemical tab, fatwood, or just regular wood shavings.

Have you read this by Jack London?

To Build a Fire

That's why I recommended a Zippo

Because you can do this: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P3_OnFDf6VM

Useful trick if you have frozen or damaged hands.

Flare or not? Depends on what you want/need...

NOT - I'm winter camping and want a nice cozy fire to sit by.

Definitely - I've fallen through the ice, gotten soaked, the only fuel at hand is snow covered and icy, and I need a fire before hypothermia stops me from doing anything. I don't care about odor, carcinogenic chemicals, etc. I just need fire fast.

As a military mountain survival instructor, I wasn't carrying a flare to light the fire to melt my C-ration (only peaches and applesauce were edible frozen). I was carrying it for a dire emergency.

For non-emergencies I've relied on strike anywhere matches, carried in a match safe, and lots of tender (usually pine needles) for over 40 years.

As far as using a road flare to start a fire, well, one just needs to watch their local fire department light a training fire...

The idea for me is that I'll have at least 3 fire starters. They will be attached to my person (e.g., jacket pocket, not an external pack). The fire starters will be in different pockets around my body. For those who have been snowboarding/skiing long enough, you know how anything inside a pocket can disappear magically if you merely open that pocket. So, I will NOT be keeping all the fire starters attached together in one pocket. The fire starters on my person should be reasonably small.

There are many good ideas here. For the sake of brevity, I'll focus on the negatives.

A Zippo generally works well, but it worries me. It leaks. In the high altitude, it will probably leak faster. Also, I don't understand the purpose of the one-handed trick for the situation at hand. I'll plan for everything on me to be wet. The trick would require rubbing rubbing the head unit on something wet. I would definitely want to avoid doing that. I don't see the point anyway if I can use my finger one handed.

Flares may be the nuclear bomb of starting fires, but the negatives may outweigh the positives. Size matters for the situation at hand. In the space of the flare, I can have at least 3 other fire starters plus tender instead of the flare. Keep in mind that I'll also be snowboarding and having fun. I'm NOT on a search-and-rescue mission, and NOT everything on me is dedicated for survival. Also, the flare is a one-time deal, too messy with the chemicals to keep with me after one light. That leads us to the problem of the chemicals leaking and getting all over my other gear. If I have an external pack, I can imagine packing a flare inside there, maybe.

As I recall, nobody has argued too much for waterproof matches. That's OK. My confidence in matches is so low that I don't even bother including matches in my regular survival kit.

So, based on your activity and restrictions for what you are carrying, then traditional fire starters seem the way to go.

Lighters (zippo / butane) certainly have issues at altitude and temps.

Matches tend to be unreliable as well, but may have uses.

Firesteels (fero rods) and spark lighters do well in any temp / alt. The key is dry tinder and shielding that tinder from the elements.

As stated before, a nice piece of fatwood will do wonders for you once you get the tinder lit and you want to step up into getting available wood to light. You can get fatwood wet and still be able to scrape off useful bits for a fire. It is easy to carry as well.

Getting a piece of tinder lit is easy. Building a functional fire is trickier, esp in winter / wet conditions.

The best advice, go out in a not survival situation, dress warm, and practice practice practice. Go out just after a rainstorm. Go out in winter where everything is covered in snow. Try using only one hand while building a fire. If you can get a fire going in those conditions, you'll be more prepared in case something does happen to you while snowboarding.