Ron; Thanks, but there's no need to "ditch" the magnifying glass - seriously, when I said "credit card size" I was being literal - it's a piece of clear plastic 2 in. x 3.25 in. and it sits in my wallet with my credit cards. Besides, it comes in handy for reading fine print :-)<br><br>But of course you're right, I absolutely would not rely on it as my sole means of starting a fire. Forget about snow flurries - even a thin overcast will make it worthless. (Although where I live, in Alberta, it's normal to have at least brief periods of bright sunshine most days.)<br><br>I carry a mini-torch in my car that takes a standard disposable lighter and produces a blue flame (cost me about $30 in Radio Shack, IIRC) and I'll probably transfer it to my First Aid kit. I also have a PSK (Altoids tin) that I put together based on tips I've read here - it's got 4 strike-anywhere matches with the tips coated in paraffin, a tea-light candle, a hexamine tablet, and half a dozen lighter flints crazy-glued to the lid (plus other stuff). And of course I have an even larger SK that goes in my backpack or my flight bag.