I've decided I'm carrying at least one fire starter on me at all times. For the ONE fire starter that will be on you at all times, what's your ONE choice?

For the last month or so for my ONE fire starter, I've been carrying around a tiny ferro rod, cotton balls, Burt's Bees lip balm and a folding knife. All items were already there except the tiny ferro rod. Also, everything has multiple uses besides the tiny ferro rod.
http://firesteel.com/products/FireSteel-Pup.html#

That setup is more efficient for me than a mini Bic, which is my next best ONE option.

Some generous ETS community member let us know about the Neo Azen lighter:

http://www.sportgearusa.com/lighters.html

Reliable, one-handed operation, etcetera.

Outside the city, if limited to one I'd carry one of my firesteels (am also a fan of www.firesteel.com). For tender, vaselined cotton balls.

In the city, a firesteel would be awkward for lighting peoples cigarettes.

In the city I have a CountyComm Split Pea lighter. Other places, I'll typically have a firesteel, REI Storm Proof Matches, a Bic and a Peanut lighter. Only one? I'd say a Bic.

For me it would be between a Ferrocerium rod and a BIC. I like them both equally for different reasons.

With this in mind, I always have a BSA Hotspark ferro-rod on my keychain and a BIC lighter in my jackets/coats. I figure, if I'm going outside I've probably either got my keys on me, my jacket on me, or both.....therefore, I've always got at least one method on me.

(I've also got a magnifying glass in my wallet, so you could count that as a back-up method.)

My EDC is a mini-Bic.

I carried it for a long time without an significant leaking or issues but I've taken to wrapping a blousing band around it a few times. It isn't evidence based but I suspect that the band riding under the gas lever may help prevent leaks. The band, along with pocket lint and the cotton pocket material itself, provides a reserve of tinder.

Every two weeks or month I pull it out and test strike it and check flame height and condition to make sure I have a decent reserve of fuel. I keep spares at home but one lasts many months, well over a year.

I think years is closer to it. I wrote the month/year I first used the Bic I'm carrying now but the writing wore off. It's been that long.

Yes, I know. I'm not going to boost my reputation as a rugged frontiersman pulling out something as pedestrian as a mini-Bic and kindling a fire in seconds without theatrics or arcane techniques, I may have to relinquish my Kit Carson club membership card, but it works.

If I wander off the beaten path I stuff a second one in a pocket. A ferro stick and tinder, mag block/ferro stick, or matches sealed into a bindle, makes a third.

But for simplicity, ease of use, effectiveness, speed of getting a fire lit in lousy conditions with poor fuel, weight/size, and reliability the mini-Bic wins. For about a buck a piece they are a bargain.

Napalm

I've always wondered, does somebody have a good way to tell how much fluid is left in a mini Bic? If not, then I'll just have to label my mini Bics as "new" and "not new".

I carry a light pretty much all the time, either a standard Zippo or a Zippo upgraded with a Z-Plus butane insert. I also have a Country Comm Stainless Pea Lighter on my key-chain.

If I had to pick just one fire starter to carry with me in the field it would be a Spark-Lite kit, specifically one of the metal ones. So far, Spark-Lites have been 100% reliable for me in all conditions I have used one.

Shine a light behind it and you can see the fuel level through the plastic. It works better with the lighter colored models than the darker colors though, which is why I stick to orange/yellow/white bics.

I've taken a Bic lighter (or any with a flint) and removed the metal around the flame. I used a multi-tool and cut a V notch in the front, and replaced the metal onto the lighter. It now shoots sparks like a spark-lite and has the benefit of having gas if needed.

There are usually vents in the front of a lighter and I cut down on either side from the flame area to the outside of the vents and remove the piece. It funnels the sparks out the front.

YMMV

Tip the Bic lighter forward,& Look at the bottom,You will see the butane level,Because All bics have white bottoms,So Red,Black,Green,Brown,Purple-No Problems!

Cricket Piezo lighter. Hold them under water for a minute or so, blow the water out, light 'em up.

Tinder: Zippo lighter fluid. Will set a water fountain on fire.

Mini-Bic for me, hands down.

I've been carrying them for 15+ years as EDC.

They are eminently practical and tough. Test fire before you carry: very occasionally (1%?) one will have a valve problem that's obvious right away. Relegate those to wood stove duty.

Alternate uses abound, making them entirely practical EDC:
- church key for top-shelf beer in non-twist-off bottles
- lighting candles in church (this has happened -- fewer smokers these days I guess) or birthday candles
- fuse ends of poly/nylon rope or webbing
- double-flick the flint wheel to light your way through compete darkness without wasting butane; you have to flick twice to make persistence of vision work IME, don't ask me why; not recommended for checking gas in the lawn mower

And: they're small and cheap enough that every jacket/shell/kit has a spare mini-bic tucked into it. Redundancy rules. Surprisingly, they're quite washable as well (whoops).

Full sized Clipper lighter.

I have and use mini-bic's and they are, without question, the lighter of choice for a PSK. However, I personally have found them to be a bit small to easily manipulate if your hands are cold.

To fix the Mini Bic too small problem, wrap a few feet of duct tape around the "Handle" and you have an easier to use bic and duct tape, but make sure not to get it crooked, its too bulky otherwise.

Thank you for the tips here about how to check for fluid amount in a Bic. The solution was hiding in plain sight!

Another fix on the smallness of the mini Bic is to wrap the case with bike inner tube. I take smaller sized inner tube (forgot size), cut it into 1cm strips, and double up each strip around the casing. (I'm not sure if I described that well.) The whole casing can be wrapped with as much inner tube as you desire. You then have a casing with some grip to it. It's not pretty, but it's lots of functionality in a small space. Inner tube is outstanding tinder, but only for emergencies because the fumes are toxic.

+1 on the firesteel; I've got one attached to my SAK with a little piece of fatwood for scraping tinder.

You might want to look at the Exotac nanoStriker. A bit expensive, but small and it works pretty well.

http://www.exotac.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=66&products_id=181

I wrap a piece of Rite in the Rain paper around the ferrocerium/magnesium rod for tinder and put a piece of Coghlan's Emergency Tinder in the striker compartment.

Me too. Although in real life I can have two, so I carry a ferro rod also.

If only one was allowed it probably would be the Blast Match. I always want at least one method which only takes one hand.

I'd probably pick my Bunker firesteel.

Anything with ferrocerium *and* built-in compartment for a tinder.

ESSE Fire Kit

StrikeForce (if weight and size is no object)

Or possibly something with magnesium block or rods like this one from TOPS.

road flare!

I made an off-the-cuff answer earlier that my one source would be a lighter, because that is my EDC.

But in reading here from time to time, I seem to be missing the thrust of this thread. I am guessing it is because I am assuming your EDC, PSK, and camping gear all include fire starting stuff, which means on a camping trip you are always carrying a "kit" with multiple options if you are ETS.

I would have, for example: an EDC lighter and key-chain striker-ferro rod; a PSK spark-and-tinder quick plus a few REI matches and strike strip; and in the camping gear more REI matches and strike strips in a match safe, another lighter, a knife-ferro-rod-magnesium bar, and a piezeo-electric propane stove.

Of course we all know when you assume, you can make an "ass" of "u" and "me."