They've had these for quite a while but I just got a couple, $1.00 each:

http://countycomm.com/matchcase.htm

They are pretty rugged, waterproof (gasketed), screw top. Internal depth is 62.4mm, internal diameter 20.4mm at the top, tapering to maybe 17.5mm at the bottom (I can't easily measure but a nominal 17mm diameter CR123A battery drops down there easily). OAL closed is 73.1mm. OD (max) 30.4mm, OD (min, at bottom) 26.5mm. No lanyard attachment point but a nylon wire tie tightened around it would probably work pretty well.

People keep suggesting storing stuff in film cans. I've never had luck with those. The lids always pop off. This thing seems a lot more reliable.

One small gotcha: when you unscrew the lid, if you're not careful, the gasket can slip off and you might lose it. I might stick it down with a dab of super glue.

I do wonder whether petroleum products (i.e. vaseline soaked cotton balls) would dissolve the plastic or anything like that. Aside from that, with due respect to the workmanship of the K&M aluminum match cases, I don't see the point of paying so much for match cases.

These look pretty good for what they are. I highly doubt vaseline will damage them in any way but that would be a pretty easy test to make. As far as carrying matches go, they remind me of those orange Coughlins cases. The one I bought was pretty cheesy so I relegated it to a backup kit. Maybe these are better. I think somebody suggested using them for spare CR123 batteries.

Besides having a built in compass, the K&M looks to be a far more sturdy product. I bought two to give as Christmas gifts but I may end up keeping one myself <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />. Firemaking is such an important aspect of survival that I don't mind paying extra for the quality of the K&M.

Regards, Vince

I haven't examined the Coughlin's cases up close but I wouldn't call these things cheesy. They're not like the K&M's of course but they seem durable. I'm mostly interested in them as an alternative to film cans for carrying either cotton balls, or other small items. I guess I'll try a vaseline test. They're unfortunately not quite deep enough to hold two CR123A's (123A's are about 33.5 mm long). They should hold two CR2's perfectly well. The only device I can think of that really needs 123's these days is the MSR Miox water purifier, which needs one 123A and some salt. Maybe this match case could hold both. For flashlights I think the Fenix L1P (powered by one AA cell) is a better bet than most small 123-powered lights these days. Maybe I'll post a separate article about it.

I realize there's already been exhaustive discussions of firestarting and there's lots of wisdom from folks much more experienced than me, but I'm sort of missing the point of using actual matches any more. It seems to me that a Bic lighter works 95% of the time and is very convenient, and for the other 5%, something like a Magfire is close to bombproof. Matches work in only a few of the situations where the Bic lighter doesn't. Plus, they break, they get wet, you need a striking surface and that mustn't get wet, it's easy to run out of them, and the strike-anywhere kind can self-ignite from bumping around. So I'm imagining stuffing this case with tinder instead, or maybe just fill it with vaseline and have dry cotton balls or cloth in another container. Does that make sense?

Yep, these look a lot like the Coughlan's brand orange match cases, or the orange ones at Wally World for $0.97. The only trouble I see with buying the green version from CountyComm is what if you drop it on a hike? Hard to locate.

Just for the heck of it I pulled the tiny compass from a Brunton watch band compass and glued it inside the cap of mine. Works well. Also cut a round piece of skateboard/tread tape and put it on the outside of the cap for a striking surface.

I will always carry a lighter and spark-lite as a backup, though. And I've been eyeballing those Magfires, as well as the nice K&M cases. I guess those would be good Christmas presents to myself. <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

I've had Vasoline/cotton balls in a green plastic matchcase like that one for the last 5 years or so. NO problems at all.

todd

You make a great deal of sense. My first and second means of firestarting are Bic lighters. I have honestly never had one fail, and I smoked for 20 years. But I'm not ready to give up on stick matches yet. I may try the lifeboat matches
(which I have zero experience with) when K&M comes out with the longer case. Besides, a couple of trick candles along with a straw stuffed with vaseline-treated cotton balls fits in there pretty well also.

My Surefire G2Z takes CR123's as well as the G2 I just ordered (Christmas gift for my father). Sorry to hear they don't fit the Countycomm case. It would have been an affordable container.

Regards, Vince

For a pair of 123's, try an APS film can (your local minilab will probably give you a handful of those for free). They're elliptical shape and hold a pair of 123's side by side just perfectly. Tape it shut so the lid doesn't pop off.

You could also think about the Surefire Spares Carrier (I don't remember exactly which one). It holds 4 (or maybe 6) CR123's and a spare lamp assembly for the G2/6P series.

With regard to the Surefire spares carrier, I think they all carry 6 123s. They do at least two types, and if you want one just to carry batteries (not a lamp) I'd recommend you look at the type that's used with the M6 (and others). Since these larger lights don't have an integrated lamp and reflector assembly, the space for the lamp in the carrier is smaller, so the carrier takes up less room. (Unless you have another use for that space, of course.)

Good idea with the APS film canister, I'll try that. Incidentally, the PentagonLight 123s I have each come in a bit of plastic that protects the terminals from contact with conductors, which is a nice feature. (It doesn't provide water-protection, though, as the sides are open.)

Four 123s fit in a paintball tube, with cotton balls between to keep the rattle down. Or just trim to fit. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

I think the E2/E2e spares carrier holds four CR123a's and a lamp. The E2 lamp is just a bulb, not a bulb/reflector assembly, so it's also small. But in any case I think you WANT to carry a spare lamp, whether it's a bulb or a reflector assembly. So for the G2 that means the larger carrier.

At a certain point maybe you want to think about a drybox (small Pelican or Otter case) instead of these tiny containers, for protecting your matches, batteries, etc.

Well, yeah. <img src="/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" /> My plans are to pick up some otter boxes after the new year. As for the little containers....

I bought a half gross case of paintball tubes. I"ve been looking for a use, ANY use for them. :P Right now, I'm working on a couple kits using those and shotgun shell holders.

They have 3 carriers. 2 hold 6 cr123's and a lamp and the other holds 4 cr123's and a lamp for the Executive light series.
I use the model that holds 6 with the smaller lamp space and I hold a spare A23 battery in the lamp space.

Biggzie, what do you do if your lamp burns out?

I have 2 Surfire E1e's one sits next to my bed with a lamp the other is my EDC light which has a KL1 led head.
I keep my spare lamp in a film container just in case I need to throw it in and the old lamp assembly with a lamp is also in another film container ready to go if I need it, both packed with foam.
The led head gives me longer battery life and seems to take the knocks better. As I use this as a work light the longer battery life is an issue.
I also plan to get the spares carrier for the Executive series so I can keep 4 batteries and my spare lamp, then sit it with my spare E1e next to the bed.

Paul, I have a couple of the Coughlin's match cases, and they have room for two of the Titanium brand CR123 batteries, plus a very thin bit of foam which stops end-shake and rattle. It's a great spare battery case for my little Nuwai flashlight, which takes two of them.

I agree with you about the Fenix. I just got mine a few days ago, and wow! If I could have gotten it back when I bought that little Nuwai, I wouldn't have gotten a flashilight which used the 123 batteries. I don't think there's much need for those now, certainly not for most of my purposes.

That Fenix is bright, cheap to run, seems well made, and generally, it's as nice as everyone over on Candlepower forums said it is.

Nels

If your Coughlin cases hold two CR123A's then they almost certainly not the same as these Countycomm cases, which are definitely a bit too short.

The Fenix doesn't have quite the build quality of the Surefires and it doesn't have the tactical tailswitch, but it's at least as bright as the E1e and has longer runtime, even on an ordinary alkaline AA cell. With a lithium or high capacity NiMH cell it does even better. There's now also an L2p (uses two AA's and is about as long as a Minimag). The L2p is a bit brighter than the L1p and has perfectly flat regulation, around 1.75 hours on two alkaline AA's, 5 hours(!) on lithiums. Output estimate (not yet measured) is 42 lumens vs about 60 lumens for a G2, so I'd say they're in the same ballpark. The L2p is heavier than a G2 though, I think.

I wasn't aware of that 3 watt Nuwai (I have a Q3 which is a 1-cell light). It looks nice and the 2-stage switch is a good thing. It should be quite a bit brighter than the Fenix L1p, and smaller (at least shorter) than the L2p.