My number one choice has been and will always be a MagFire Pro or Swedish Army FireSteel coupled with a healthy supply of tinder. Number two, carried in my mini PSKs, is either a BSA HotSpark or Mini Mag Sparky. Number three is a BIC lighter. I keep the BIC as #3 as I want a foolproof one handed firestarting mechanism with me in case I'm somehow disabled or reliant upon an untrained person to light a fire for me (or themself.)

After a couple incidents in extreme wet weather conditions, I think a few pieces of good tinder almost as important as the ignition device selected. A few pieces of TinderQuik, Coghlan's Emergency Tinder, or vaseline impregnated cotton balls can make a huge difference between success and failure, especially if relying upon someone with limited skills to start a fire for you.

For those carrying potassium permanganate as an ignition device, glycol (car anitfreeze) carried in a leakproof container in a separate section of your pack can be a safer alternative to sulphuric acid. An eyedropper full of glycol added to a small pile of potassium permanganate will cause ignition in seconds...

M

I think that this is very much a consumables issue. "Best case" presumes that you are unhurt and have access to adequate amounts of wood etc. Under those circumstances I would use my swedish fire steel. Purely because of it's low rate of wear & tear. Alterativley I would use my blast match. With or without a wetfire cube as circumstances dictate. Matches and or lighter would be reserved for last as they represent the greatest rate of consumption in terms of the no of fires you can make.

For the first few fires I'd use a Bic and some tinder. I doubt I'd worry about running out of fuel until much later. Even in a "best case" scenario I would expect there to be a lot of jobs to do, so I want to use the method which is quickest and most reliable and leaves me free for other stuff.

COOL... that's even better than the WP <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />.

Troy

Ditto on the fuel prep.

Troy

After have using the MagFire Pro I would say it is the best ignition source with Coghlan's Emergency Tinder as the best tinder. I also like to have some fatwood for kindling.

A good fire lay with air space under the tinder, treated cotton for tinder, fatwood for kindling makes for an unstoppable fire. The only thing better would be charcoal lighter fluid or a car flare, I don't plan on carrying that stuff!

Is that TSA approved? <img src="/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Oh sure! Where are you in Iowa? I'm east central.

I grew up in east central...sounds like L.A., doesn't it? Now in north-ish central.

Mt Vernon... Less George Washington