I am going to go on a Just for Fun trip into a small patch of woods, 2 miles from my friends house, and I am packing extra fire-starting methods. I don't know what else to include, I have some stuff but I want to know your regular, extravagant, and your last chance. I want any method which I can carry, no Bow and Drill, but there is plenty of dry wood around, i could make one. I will be prepared, so worry, but I should be alright. I am definately bringing Jello now!

I usually bring a standard bic lighter.

To supplement it, I use dryer lint and hand sanitizer as starter materials.

As I backup I have a Swedish Fire Steel.

Depending on how big I want the fire I'll select from the following tools to gather wood: Pocket Knife, Sabercut Saw, Hatchet, Boy's Axe.

Is seems like we here on ETS are obsseded with fire. A quick look through some past threads came up with some you might find useful.

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=162467#Post162467

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=209081#Post209081

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=209760#Post209760

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=211673#Post211673

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=211557#Post211557

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=194718#Post194718

http://forums.equipped.org/ubbthreads.php?ubb=showflat&Number=210401#Post210401

I don't get the obsession with having 10 or 20 different ways to start a fire.

A butane lighter, some lint or cotton, a fire steel, and some PJ is plenty. The lighter gets the nod unless for some reason it don't work. Just the easiest.

It's not like you are going to go "live off the land" for the rest of your life. At worst you will need to start fires for a survival situation for a few days.

My Fire Kit:

REI Storm Matches
Weather/Water Proof Matches
Match Striker (ie emery paper strip)
Coughlans Tinder Cubes
Magnesium Flint Striker
Sparklite
Tinder Stick(s)

Covers emergencies. If you need supplies to start camp and cook fires on a regular basis, add additional quantities.

The magnesium and sparklite are more for emergency use than just firestarting materials.

Note, I also carry a lighter as EDC.

This a great opportunity for you to try as many of the various methods of fire starting that are mentioned in the cited threads. Nothing is as useful as experience! Just remember that when you absolutely, positively must have a fire, conditions will be such that it most likely will be somewhat difficult. All the more reason to get some experience

Fire building is a very useful skill, but I suspect you may conclude, as many of us have, that carrying a lightweight gas canister or alcohol stove is well worth the effort. You might include something like the Cat stove to compare with the traditional campfire in terms of meal preparation times, ease of ignition etc....

For Fire itself: I normally just use a Bic lighter. There's always one in my backpack, and I EDC one, so there's always one in my pocket as well. I've got a Spark-Lite as a back up as well as NATO life boat matches. Sacrilege, I know, but I don't always carry a fire steel.

For tinder: I always carry a few Tinder Qwik pieces as well as some of the Coghlan's tinder. I don't like the Coghlan's all that well and will not replace it when it's gone. I also carry toilet paper which makes good tinder in a pinch. In addition, I normally carry two or three cotton bandanas. I wouldn't do it unless I really had to, but a bandana can be used for tinder, particularly an old one that's kind of frayed.

Keepin' it simple,

HJ

I like the rule of three for firestarting, especially because it's so easy to cover those bases: lighter, REI waterproof matches, firesteel

Tender: vaselined cotton balls, fine steel wool, magnesium, fatwood.

I'll never be without a firesteel again, unless I lose my keys. Just added this firesteel tube to my key ring. It's very light.

http://firesteel.com/products/FireSteel-Tube-Pup.html


While it's good to search the website for previous discussions, ETS is not a terribly busy forum so redundant threads doesn't strike me as a problem. Especially not on a subject that is so fundamental to being equipped to survive.

I am obsessed with not freezing.

BTW, thanks for posting those links of previous threads, I'm going to check them out!

I carry mini Bics and ferro rods of various sizes. For tinder, I carry cotton balls, petroleum jelly, Burt's Bees lip balm, bike inner tube, and magnesium rods. I always have at least one candle in my car, and I carry a candle on me sometimes. If you pause to think about the benefits candle, carrying a candle is well worth the trouble.

I plan for my fire starter kit to start a fire in a freezing, wet environment. I need the tool itself to be able to get wet and still work. The ferro rods have passed this test. The mini Bics work again after they dry off. I don't carry matches of any kind because I don't trust them for my needs.

Regarding the rule of three, I don't view that rule as meaning three different types of methods. I view the rule as meaning 3 independent fire starters. I'd prefer 2 Bics and 1 ferro rod, rather than 1 Bic, 1 ferro rod, and 1 match set. I don't want matches at all. I know there are some famous outdoors men who carry matches, and that's good for them.

ireckon, we knew you were matchless!

Matches work fine, as long as you have a good, bombproof container. In that mode, they have come through for me for years. Something as simple as a 35mm film container can serve, although the K&M match container is far better. Exotac also makes a fairly expensive container that looks pretty good - I have no personal experience with it. For emergency situations, matches on steroids (REI Stormproofs or Lifeboat matches) are the way to go, because the standard kitchen matches are not made to the standard common some years ago.

Actually, I have been using a butane lighter as my first line gadget for lighting fires and stoves and I really can't recall when I had to go to another source of ignition. It has been at least a decade ago.