I solve the spark vs fuel dilema with a permanant match. It's a great little (smaller than a mini bic even) sparker that can be used with or without fuel. The fuel chamber is small but the extra spark it can produce over a bic or SL make it worth it IMO. Also I am told that it will work with almost any type of liquid fuel known to modern man. This I cannot confirm however as I have used only Zippo brand lighter fluid in them to date. That being said one can not ignore Chris' (and many other's) mentions of redundancy. Take my latest PSK for example...

Admittedly I'm not as concerned with fire redundancy in the warmer Texas months and may only carry a small ferrocerium rod but as the winter months creep up and the weather man says to expect a cold wet winter, I have quite a bit of fire making redudancy. SL, ferrocerium rod and min Bic in the PSK with two different types of tinder (TQ and Alcohol Swabs) and that is in addition to the permanant match on the keyring which I religiously keep topped off on fuel. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> That combined with tons of practice makes me pretty confident that I can strike up a blaze under pretty much any conditions. Oh I almost forgot that little bottle of liquid bandage. That stuff is muy flammable! Pour that stuff on a some wet kindling and hit it with the tiniest of sparks and watch it light up like crazy. So go ahead and make that three types of tinder. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />