Let's look at this question from the perspective of the 4 Priorities:

1) Shelter: one can usually be put together faster if one has the appropriate cutting tools for saplings, vines, etc.

2) Water: requires a vessel to hold the water if it's going to be purified by a filter, chemicals, or boiling (fire). In the case of boiling, a firestarter of any type is a good thing to have.

3) Food: a knife can be used to cut vines & lines; striker on a flint or ferrocium rod; a spear point, skinning/prepping; cooking.

4) Fire or a source of heat: a knife can strike sparks; can be used to prep tender & wood; can make firemaking tools, a bow drill or a trough. A firestarter of any kind is good to have.

IMO: a good sturdy knife(ves) is actually more important than a firemaking kit(s ) but I carry multiples of each kind of steel tool and of fire making means (call me "insecure")

Funny, I have been less than excited by matches since it is almost impossible to get proper strike-anywhere matches. Safety matches requires TWO things not to get lost and kept dry while keeping both separate. I haven't figured out a safe way to do it.

When I had sufficient quantities of strike-anywheres, I kept some upright and others upside-down in a waterproof case after I coated them in clear nail polish. In one of my moves, I lost the ammo case where I stored several boxes. The current strike-anywheres don't work as well. Not sure why.

Where does one store the safety striker in or near the match case?

I agree flint lighters and ferro rods are almost bombproof.

I typically carry two mini Bics, a ferro rod, striker, and tinder (Vaseline in cotton balls, and inner tube).

I keep one turned striking side out in the match case with the matches. I'm not worried about them igniting because they are packed tight enough it can't rub a match head and are in a metal case.

I put the flattened cardboard match box, which had the striker surface, in a poly bag loose in the stuff sack that held the rest of my kit. If I had to redo it, I would put the matches and lighter in a Witz small sport or ID case along with the tinder.

For my 72 hour kit, I keep the matches, tinder, hone, pocket knife, and spare flashlights in a Rubbermaid sandwich container. Sort of a poor man's drybox.

Assuming you will be walking with the kit in your leg pocket. Stuff in your leg pocket rubs on your leg. That get old really quickly.

As for fire; BIC lighter, ferro rod and matches is all I carry. Tinder is generally cotton wool with vaseline, tampons and occasionally chips.

I've been using the UCO Survival Matches product ... 15 storm-proof matches in case with the striker on the outside:



They also have a larger kit that contains 25 matches with a more robust case.

Also, if you haven't had a chance to play around with these UCO storm-proof matches I recommend getting some to try out. They will stay lit even if submerged in water.

The UCO matches are a basic part of all my kits. REI also produces this type of match (probably same factory, just different branding). They do require the striker, which must be protected from moisture, but they work very well in all conditions that I have tried them (blowing snow, blowing rain, heavy rain). They will not extinguish even when dunked, lit, in water. You can play with packaging to fit you particular kit form factor.

Another benefit of the REI matches is that while there is a striker surface on the outside of the cardboard box, they also include a couple extra strikers already encased in heavy gauge plastic for packing in your kits. This makes it safe to keep the matches and a striker together inside a waterproof container.

See lower right in this pic:

Do you mean this stuff? If so it's fantastic stuff! My review is the first one listed. I use the stuff virtually every time I build a bire.