What will you use to strike your lifeboat matches on?

I have just been smacked in the face with another of my survival misconceptions. I was under the impression that the waterproof/windproof "lifeboat" matches NATO 9920-99-966-9432 as sold by Lewis International, Inc., Miami, FL 33172, were the best available matches of any type for survival use. So I decided to test them the other day. What I discovered is that the only way I could get them to light by striking was to use the striking surface glued to the top of the non-waterproof bottle that they are packaged in. What prompted me to even try was that I had just read the section on fire starting in Paul Risk's book on wilderness survival in which he stresses the importance strike-anywhere matches in a survival situation. Mr. Risk makes good sense when he warns that varous types of "strike-only-on..." matches become worthless when the striking surface invariably becomes lost or damaged. I tried striking these on various surfaces including my kitchen stove burner grate, my multi-tool file, a piece of coarse emery cloth, and even on a strike-only matchbox striking surface. I ruined several matches and can only conclude that if the cap of that container in which the matches are packaged becomes damaged or lost, then the matches are worthless except as kindling. I am not the sort to take a manufacturer at his word when he says that these matches are waterproof. Rather, I prefer to imagine that they are very water-resistant and much more so than regular matches would be. Still I would never consider carrying them in anything but a true waterproof container. To do that means that I now also have to pack the striking surface (the entire lid) inside that waterproof container along with the matches. Not much can be done to reduce the chances of losing the cap and there is an even more likely chance that it will be damaged. The one match that I did strike on the cap (just to insure that they would indeed work) tore a chunk out of the striking surface, so I am now wondering just how long that would last anyway. Would I wind up with matches that I couldn't strike because the surface was torn up too badly?

Anybody have any helpful tips or solution to this problem?

thats weird, i had a hard time lighting lifeboat matches with the strike surface of the lid. In mine tests lifeboat matches work very well on normal match striking surface. In fact that what i use to light lifeboat matches. Scraping of the vanish like layer of the head first will save your striking surface.

i personnaly add lifeboat matches to the match box of the coughlans "waterproof" matches. This way i got waterproof matches and waterresistent matches, which are easier to use and cheaper. I ofcorse throw out some of the coughlans box first before i add the lifeboats to make space. They both work on the same striking surface.

your question is why I posted this
explanation about safety matches and why they NEED a special striking surface, two days ago...

Hope it will helpyou .......

I appreciate your reply and I did find your post on the subject. My post was as much to let anyone who might have made a false assumption (as I did) know that the lifeboats ARE NOT strike-anywhere. Your post was very infomative and appreciated. I am adding coated strike-anywhere's to my kit now though.

Oh, yes, I now understand what you meant ....
That could be .... disturbing (at the least !! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />) to find out, in the field, they are NOT strike anywhere matches.

Has anyone found a good source of strike anywhere matches. So far I have struck out locally.

Bill

I live in a major city and I buy them in huge bulk at the local Albertson's grocery store. They are what we use around house as our regular kitchen matches for the grill, fireplace, etc. No problems finding them here. Must be a Texas thing I guess. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

http://www.emergencyresources.com/er_p11.html. They are $1.99 box of 250 large ones, but be aware that there will be additional shipping charges due to the HAZMAT toll required.

Might be worth a try, but the last time I looked in Albertson's in west Ft. Worth, they didn't have anything but the Strike-Only kind.

If you have a Galyans near you they were selling 3 box packs of strike anywhere kitchen size matches. I'm not sure if they still do, but they are the only place i've found in NJ that sells them.

I got mine in Arlington at the Albertsons at HWY360 and GreenOaks so if you pass by that area you might pop in and take a look. It's only been a couple months since we last bought them there so I don't know why they wouldn't be carrying them anymore. It's still Bar-B-Q season isn't it? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I discovered the same thing with the REI Stormproof Matches. They come with two striking surfaces on the box, plus a striker sealed in plastic in each box, and you MUST use one of those or you can't get 'em to light. Once lit tho, they are pretty impressive. I stuck a lit match under a running faucet, fire went out. Pulled it out of the stream of water and it re-lit itself. Did that three times before it was too short to re-lite...

Strike anywhere matches aren't so common any more, but you can still find them if you look around. Try a big grocery store. They may be illegal in some places, I think I remember hearing something like that once.

They are not such a great idea. Safety matches are called that for a reason. If you drop a box of strike anywhere matches on the ground, the whole box can go up in flames if you're unlucky.

For PSK purposes I think you're best off with lifeboat matches and striking surface in your match safe, if you want to use matches at all. Those flint wheel thingies seem like a better plan to me. They're more nuisance to use, but pretty much foolproof, nothing to use up (within reason) or damage by soaking.

Everybody remember that TSA won't allow strike-anywhere matches either as carry-on or checked aboard airliners. I just got my answer from them today after 2 weeks. You can carry up to 2 lighters (either BIC or Zippo - type) and 4 books (their wording) of matches. Thanks for all the posts everyone. I will check out the local vendors for strike-anywhere.

If you put both matches and striking surface inside the same box, you may remove the 'safety" part from those matches......
By rubing against each other, during box movement, they can ignite ...... <img src="/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" />

True enough on all points, but the idea of redundant fire-starting capability is still valid. Besides, if I were physically unable to start a fire myself, I would much rather give whoever might be available the option of using whatever medium is most familiar to them - even if special instructions might be required to get those stupid LB safety matches to light. Frankly it appalls me that anyone would market a match as a survival implement without strike-anywhere capability. If anyone can tell me where my logic has derailed here, I would be grateful.

While that possibility does exist, I have a gut feeling about the probability of that ever happening and my feeling is that the chances are pretty slim. Having grown up in the era of strike-anywhere matches, I know of no one personally who has ever had any kind of a mishap such as unintentional ignition. I will acknowledge the possibility that during some forms of motorized transportation of these kinds of matches that there is the possibility of a vibration node being set up in a narrow range of resonant frequencies that could cause sufficient friction between the match and striking surface (they are not guaranteed to be in close enough proximity to make that likely in any event). But carry on one's person would serve to damp any such vibrations during motor transport and the whole vibration thing would never be an issue if the subject was walking or using non-motorized transportation. So how else would they unintentionally ignite within a match safe? In a sealed match safe, the limited amount of oxygen available for combustion would likely limit the amount of damage that could be done outside the match safe. Matches could be packed in the safe with cotton balls for filler so that movement within the safe would be further limited or eliminated altogether.

As we had only access to safety matches I routinely carried a striker in my match container. I simply used two of them with the striking surfaces facing each other. They couldn´t make contact with the match heads.

Frenchy:

I have my Coleman weather proof matches in match safes, and I cut one of the striker surfaces off the box, wrap it in wax paper and put it in the matchsafe. Any left over striking surfaces get warped in wax paper and put in my pack.

If you have strike anywhere matches for your matchsafe, you can lay them on a properly sized length of wax paper and roll them up adding a match as the paper covers the previous match.

It looks like I am going to be getting rid of my Marble's match safe soon as I see them selling for up to $37.00 on Ebay and I already have a $20.00 offer for it.

Bountyhunter

Well, the way to make a matchbox-bomb (yes, an explosion) is to:
1) invert matchbox (so stiking surface is on inside of box)
2)place match heads inside box
3) wrap very tightly in electritions/insulation tape
4) throw very hard on hard surface
5) run away very quickly from angry adults

Yep, I know that making those was very foolish. I am still young and foolish - probably because i run fairly quickly <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

When I was younger, we used to make bottle rockets with rolled up paper closed at the front, and we used only the tips of strike anywhere matches.

Controlling direction of flight once it left the bottle was not possible, so you had to have really good reflexes and feet.

The rubber band guns we made with clasp type clothes pins for the trigger and regular clothes pins for ammunition were upgraded by putting light nails in the head of the regular clothespins.

Bountyhunter <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

When I was a kid we "played Army" in the woods with BB guns. Of course that was before kids wore protect gear to do anything. We had a "no head shots" rule but it was rarely obeyed once tensions got high. It's a good this they were just the spring-powered daisy's and not the powerfull BB guns of today or I probably be blind and pretty scarred up. <img src="/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> ... ahhhh the memories. <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

Sounds like you had a REALLY interesting childhood, bounty. <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Troy

Yeah it sound like Bounty's, really the guy that's been there done that (in some case wont do it again) ran off with the tee shirts. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

But going back to the thread <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />, I too have the lifeboat matches it's just that I would like to buy a sheet say of the emery paper strike paper found on the top of life boat match cases, glue a strip say on the back of the P38, another to the handles on a sak, so should the one on the case get ripped up I've got at least two other places where they'll work. Any idea where to get such a marvelous product?

.... take it from other match boxes ??.................

Hi Frenchy

That's an option but then I'd have to buy more box's and destroy them to get the striker part. By having a sheet, I was thinking along the lines of contacting the manufactures and see if it's not possible to buy a sheet, cut it up in to several pieces and do as I suggested. I bought two packets of the lifeboat matches plus the storm matches you kindly donated. I think that enough spread around my various kits. So buying more just for the striker seems a little silly although if "such a marvelous product" does not exist or is unobtainable than your suggestion may prove to be the best alternative.

If any one does know where "such a sheet" can be found 12"x12" could not only serve me but quite a few members here to.

What I mean, is take striking surfaces from 'normal' safety matches, not Lifeboat ....

I seem to remember I tried using Windproof matches on ordinary safety matches striker and it worked.

Just a tip - you might want to try those lifeboat matches on regular strike-only striker material. My experimentation with it revealed that although I could get a faint spark now and then from the striker material, it never was sufficient to ignite the LB match. The ONLY material that I found that would light the LB matches was that which is supplied on the lid of the LB match container.

I tried the "special" matches on the regular safety strikers diplayed on the right side (a standard safety box and a paper matches booklet).



The 4 different waterproof or windprof matches are :
- on the left, Coghlan's matches
- center : german tempest matches and another brand, in the round plastic box

All four lighted easily on regular strikers.