I've seen this on the forum and on the ETS site, Why do you call coghlan's matches ''Waterproof'' , arent they so?

I also think that coghlan's wind/waterproof matches far outpreform the british lifeboat matches that are very difficult to lite and CAN be blown out by the wind! I've been there, done that.

Any match will go out under the right conditions. Although if that happens your chances of igniting a fire are somewhat slim. Lifeboat matches are not intended for lighting fires. Sorry folks, they ain't. They were originally developed for use in conjunction with distress flares. Modern distress flares have their means of ignition built in. Usually as a primer. of some description, that ignites the fuse or main propellant charge. You pull or bang the trigger, and up or off it goes. Up untill the middle of the last century or there abouts distress rockets had a gunpowder or salpetre fuse not dissimular to that on a modern firework. Obviously that presents significant problems in terms of keeping the fuse and charge dry. The usual solution was to incorperate the fuse into the main body of the rocket/flare with just a very small part of the fuse accessable through the touch hole. Waterproofing was done by the application of one or more coat's of varnish. Which did it's job very well. As I am sure you have all just appreciated, that presents problems in terms of igniting the fuse, in a lifeboat that heaving up and down, its raining sideways, and trying to get a conventional match lit is a non-starter. Not to mention trying to burn through the varnish over the touch hole. That is where the lifeboat match comes in. The very large head is intended to be lit & pressed against the touch hole long enough to burn through the varnish and ignite the fuse. Unfortunatly, that means that they are not best suited to conventional fire lighting. Any survivor who is attempting to light a fire will, if at all possible, always seek to light it under the calmest, dryest condition's possible. So the question of a match's ability to remain lit under adverse conditions becomes moot. They do have their uses, especially in an adverse weather,emergency hypothermial situation, because you can gather tinder, unwrap a hexamine/alcohol block & drop a lifeboat match on it. That more or less garentee's ignition. I personally happen to like the Couglans matches. It's a pity that they are let down by the diabolical quality of the match box itself. Best way to ignite a lifeboat match is to PUSH IT across the striker. Don't pull it. It will snap. Using your knife to remove the varnish from the very tip of the match also helps.

yeah. Gimme the wind/waterproof matches anytime. oh, and some of their tinder too....

Can somebody compare/contrast the Coghlan's with the REI Stormproof matches? I just picked up some of the latter to go in my new K&M case. How do they compare as far as burntime, length, and performance?

I don't know that anbout the REI's, but since they are included in the Aviator Survival pak by Doug, they should be good.....

I just bought the Coghlan's wind/waterproof matches. I tried to blow them out and didn't make it, so I guess they are really windproof. But their burn time is very short. Since I've heard that you can immerse quickly in water the real British NATO issued and they will relight, I decided to try it with the Coghlans. They were blown out instantly. Even a drop of water will blow them out. So I'm not sure if they are really waterproof. I want to compare them with the NATO issued but unfortunately for me, the only retailer I found in Canada that have them, survivalpro.com, don't have them anymore because the importer has discontinued this item. I will have to order them from the US maybe.

Frankie

The NATO match will not reignite if immersed in water. I tried it. It went out.

The burn time for the REI matches is about 15 seconds. It is like a blowtorch and it does re-light after dunking it in the sink. It might be a good alternative to the Coghlans.

I could even blow the NATO match out. It didn' t relight.
They are also really hard to ignite.
IMHO: lose the NATO's and get coghlan's wind/waterproof or REI

REI are "unable" to send the matches to Canada.