Speaking as someone whose main firestarting practice comes from trying to light Duraflame logs in our fireplace, I nonetheless try to be prepared. <br><br>In my everyday kit, I carry a couple of disposable lighters and a box of matches, double-bagged in Ziplocs. I also carry a handful of trick birthday candles. <br><br>Is there anything else you would recommend prepared beginners carry for firestarting that you don't have to be wilderness survival experts to use?

Your candles would serve pretty well for this, but you might consider carrying some tinder. Doug discusses some options in his gear section on this site. I carry a big rubber band for that purpose.

I carry enough firemaking options to make me suspect in our frequent,arson started California brushfires. My favorite, for reliability and ease of carry is the SPARKLITE. The biggest flaw in emergency firemaking is lack of initial tinder. All the starting devises and seasoned oak splits are for naught without this critical step.There are any number of options;your candle, dryer lint, steel wool, char cloth, wax and sawdust blocks, soaked cotton and last (but often unavailable) native vegetation in the form of litter or dry bark and fungus.