From the thread on using a lens for fire starting, and from other comments, it seems that many of us (me definitely included) carry more than one means of lighting a fire. While I am not a fan of redundancy because it can make for an unnecessarily heavy pack, more than one means of lighting up seems like a good idea..

I began getting out in Arizona some sixty years ago, and it was simple then. You carried matches to light a fire, from materials gathered along the trail. With time, we shifted to stoves - my first ever REI purchase in 1964 was a Primus 71L stove and cookset, elements of which are still in use today. For the last several years, I have carried a canister stove and traditional campfires are a rarity, for various reasons.

Still emergencies do arise, and a good Boy Scout is always prepared. Here is what I have in my "core bag" to get a fire going:
Bic lighter in Exotac case, 25 storm proof matches in Exotac XL case, 2nd Bic lighter, also encased; beeswax candle in tin. I also carry a LMF knife which works great with canister stoves. My cook set and stove usually has yet another lighter for routine use.

This is probably a bit excessive, and I think I will ditch the second lighter, but I offer it as an example to get the discussion started. I'll bet this group can improve on this selection and develop something virtually foolproof.

Yet another consideration. I began using the LMF recently when spending time in an environment where a wild fire would have been all too easy to start and hugely disastrous. The spark easily ignited the gas stove while also dissipating quickly - safety first!!

What is the best combination of items, so that one can absolutely, positively spark flame in a controlled manner when needed? This should probably include tinder materials as well.

I'm not convinced that this is the "best" combination of items, but the last time I updated our emergency kits I built what I called the "Fire Now!" module for each of them.

• Mini Bic in a "ranger bic" keyring holder (https://gearward.com/products/ranger-bic), inserted upside down for waterproofing and button-protection
• UCO Stormproof matches with striker
• UST Strike Force
• UST Micro Spark Wheel with extra flints
• Tinder-Quik
• Tinder Cards
• Esbit fuel tablets

I've been successful starting Tinder-Quik with every kind of spark-producer I've ever tried. The Tinder Cards are harder to light but seem to burn longer and hotter, potentially bridging the gap between tinder and kindling.

This packs down to a small size in a quart freezer bag. If I can't get a fire going with that stuff I've probably got bigger problems.

As a side comment: A few years back I was out walking the dog in the park on a rare frosty SOCAL morning and I saw a piece of yellow against the green grass. So I investigated further to find a yellow Bic lighter which was covered in frost. Picked it up dropped it in my pocket and continued the walk. After I got home I pulled out the Bic and tried lighting it. I had fire on the second strike -- good lighter, field tested overnight on a cold wet lawn. It is in my fire kit tin.

I love the Tinder-Quik as well as the Tinder Cards. ESBIT is also a mainstay of my fire kits.

Its kind of an odd looking thing, but I've come to like the Storm Candle Lighter over other lighters (Bic, Solo Storm, ...).

It has a pull-out extendable tube which makes it much easier to get the flame into the tinder bundle (usually lots of little twigs smaller than a match with a piece of Vaseline covered cotton ball in the middle).

It provides a Bic-like soft flame, which may not be so wind-proof, but its easy enough to block the wind while lighting.

It also may not operate well at altitude, but in the midwest I'm operating at all of 800 feet above sea level, so its just fine.

https://www.rei.com/product/833843/solo-camping-lighter.

I always carry a waterproof case with fresh strike-anywhere matches and a ferro rod too, but the lighter pretty much takes care of all my fires.

Disclaimer: I've only had to make an emergency fire once, after my son fell into a frozen river on a hike one very bitter windy winter day. We don't have fires very often, and in that instance, we had our canteen stoves and Esbit tabs to cook with. He needed much more warmth than that and he needed it NOW.

I'm a fan of three primary methods of getting a flame or spark, and usually carry all three in the non-summer: I've always got a BIC or mini BIC in a pocket, as well as in my fire kits. There's a ferro rod in all my kits too. I often have it on a lanyard attached to my body or attached to my knife or it's sheath. Storm-proof matches proved their worth to me that day at the creek with my son, when my own frozen finger couldn't work my BIC.

For me, the bigger concern is having dependable tinder, that's ready to go. That day at the creek, all the wood I could find was frozen, and the wind was howling. I needed good sustainable tinder to get that fire started. My fire kits generally contain cotton tampons, jute twine, fatwood, birch bark and a WetFire cube or two. I've always got lip balm in my pocket too, to extend the life of my tinder. I think I used them all that day.

As I foraged for firewood that day, and split branches with my knife to make different sized kindling and fuel, I directed him to take off his wet stuff and put on the back-ups he carries in his pack. After some quick but decent fire prep, I got that fire going, made him some hot chocolate, we roasted marshmallows, ate some cookies, and he and his gear warmed up and dried out. The fire may not have saved his life, but it sure felt like it did. He never made it past the shivering stage of immersion hypothermia and I don't like to think about what would have happened if he didn't.

EDIT RE: Redundancies - I tried to use the BIC in my pocket to light the fire first. Couldn't make it work. Wasn't sure if it was my fingers or the lighter, so I tried my back-up lighter. No go again. By now my fingers were definitely a problem. Grabbed the UCO storm-proof matches and they worked like a charm. In retrospect, my ferro rod probably would have worked, given the tinder I had. I decided against it because I couldn't find my scraper and didn't want to risk cutting my shivering self with my knife.

Tinder cards and the Storm Candle Lighter? I've never heard of either and I've already Googled. Thanks! I love you guys!

I've had my LMF knife for a few years now and I've come to love it. Light, on the small side for a fixed blade, razor sharp, comfortable grip and up to every task I've asked of it, and relatively inexpensive.

I find the ferro rod a little finicky to get in and out of the handle, so I didn't buy one for my son when he was ready for a fixed blade because I was 100% confident that he'd get frustrated with and probably lose it. Without it, the knife isn't as comfortable in-hand. (Even if it's a back-up, I want him to practice with and be comfortable with it before he needs it.)

Re: Tinder-Quick.

FWIW, I really like them but haven't restocked since my initial purchases. (All mine came in Doug's AMK PSKs, BTW. Thanks Doug!) I replaced them with tampons. Not sure how the cost-effectiveness compares, but they are dual purpose for me, and I buy them anyway. Add a little lip balm and they burn pretty effectively. They're also LOADED with tinder and easy to split up to get a two or more fires out of. Sometimes, you don't need a whole one so why not ration?

" Storm-proof matches proved their worth to me that day at the creek with my son, when my own frozen finger couldn't work my BIC."

I count about three occasions that qualify as real emergency fire lighting situations. Light that fire or else--i believe in every case I used matches. Matches are kind of old school, but they will ignite (if kept dry) with fairly gross motions, the kind I can manage as I descend into hypothermia.....

The stormproof varieties available today are definitely more reliable than the standard match of twenty years ago, which was much better than what is marketed today.