I try to keep my matches as dry as posible but sometimes they do get damp. Is there a way to dry them and what is the best surface to strike them on that you can carry besides the box?

The stuff on the side of the box is probably the best I've found so far- guard it from moisture.

As for the matches, several people make simple plastic cases. Really good would be a metal one, but some are a PITA to get open. Tuck a bit of the striker in with them, with the striking surface against the wall of the case. I actually carry the striker in a similiar but different colored case that has my odd bits in it, like the sewing needles, so that there is no way it can light the matches. Down side is that if I loose that one, the thing of matches is out of luck....

I know I need to come up with a better way. I just don't like the idea of a friction-triggered bomb in my pack, even if it is a little one.

I use the strike anywhere matches that are getting harder to find but are still available in many areas. Coating them with clear fingernail polish seems to make them resist moisture a little better. Some people use wax or varnish to coat them, as several things seem to work. I store them in a 2oz Nalgene bottle to keep them dry. There are match cases available but my bottle is very waterproof and holds more matches. You can keep a little tinder and a striking surface in the bottle as well. I once used a 4oz bottle to make a complete fire starting kit that included matches, tinder, fire steel and lighter but found the 4oz bottle a little big to carry around all the time.

Cut two striker panels and face the striking surfaces together. Wrap the pair in saran wrap before you place them in the container with the matches.

Also, enamels (most nail polishes are enamels) will degrade the head of an SA match in a short period of time. A spray lacquer or fingernail lacquer works much better, much longer...

M

Some 400-600 grit gp sandpaper or emery cloth ought to make a darned good striking surface. Matches are one of those things that I think those vac & seal machines were made for. Also, I've wrapped matches in waxed paper and rubber bands before, that works pretty well. Coating match heads with vaseline does not work.

I've heard of the "match case bomb" effect, but is it really likely? Is there enough oxygen within the match case to create a bomb effect?

<img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> Has anyone ever tried it? <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

Sue

It happens. While not as dangerous as an exploding disposable lighter, mainly due to the rugged cases and limited fuel, You do know about it <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />. Unless your getting the handmade lifeboat matches, the best plan is to keep your matches dry. The best brands employ a chemical mixture that will in time degrade. Maybe not as fast as our stored water, but they will. Safety matches were declared a HAZMAT item. The now exorbitant shipping costs forced many retailers to drop them from inventory. The old strike anywheres were discontinued because the heads were used in improvised explosives. The old nitrocellulose films were used this way in several revolutions and a few Federalis went up courtesy of Charlie Chaplin <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" />. Gear that needs a little mothering is not inferior. If you take the time to protect your matches, your less likely to wade blindly into a Yukon river without thinking first and might avoid drowning <img src="/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" />

A metal match case has always been the way to go for me.

I've carried the silver one on the right for years filled with strike anywhere matches. Haven't had an "explosion" yet. (My experience only - YMMV )

I recently acquired a couple of K & M Matchcases (left). They seem to be everything you could want in a match case.

The inside surface of the plug is specially textured to serve as a striker. I have also experimented with the knurling on the case itself and it works just fine as a striker too.

I've read of it happening, and I had a close call once. I had used some of my matches on a camping trip, with the strip of striker turned to face the case. Opened it up, and the striker was in the middle of them all. It must have shifted during the day. Nothing happened, but since that was my only thing of matches at the time, I consider it a close enough call.

The odds are low, super low, particularly if you don't do things like toss your pack off a cliff or anything so silly. I used the time bomb reference becuase becuase no matter how unlikely something is, if it can happen, it will if you wait long enough. While I have no problem with taking risks, if I can minimise them, I do so. Particularly if they are ones you didn't plan for. *shrugs* I hate suprises.

I use the plastic orange waterproof match cases with an O-ring seal. I glue a cutout of the striker strip from the side of the box to the Inside, top of the case. I then store the waterproof matches iginition side down, in the case. I my mind this should eliminate any chance for an accidental iginition from friction, plus there should be almost no oxygen in the case to support combusion.

Michael