What do you think would be your first choice for starting a fire in a survival situation?

Assuming that you have several options available.

When taking outdoor trips for recreation, it makes sense to vary the methods of firemaking to develop and maintain those skills, but in a "best case" survival scenario, what's your first choice and why?

Usually I have 4 options:

the first one is a BIC-lighter: because it's so simple and fool-proof!

Redundant options I have available:

2 Firesteel

3 Wind/waterproof match

4 magnifying-glass

Other things you could do:

5 Potassium-permanganate, sugar and sulfuric acid.

6 primitiv methodes: fire-drill, etc.
(good luck with the last two......)

WP... works first time, every time <img src="/images/graemlins/shocked.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" />

Troy

I always like to poke into the cold ashes of the past for these questions. Waaay back some brave soul picked up a burning stick from a natural fire, probably after scavenging a burned animal that tasted a bit better than the raw stuff they grabbed from a lion kill. The advantages for warmth, illumination, hunting and protection were and remain obvious. The methods have expanded from sparking stones and friction devises to flint and steel, the chemical age of matches, P/P and TNT <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> . Everything has elements of the older system; friction, flint and steel, fuel. It's ironic, but that old standby the match is almost obsolescent! With tobacco smoking and wood fires disappearing from our urban lifestyle they may soon join knives as social suspects! I carry and am more or less competant in using all these strategies. My primary tool is a cheap old bic lighter. When your wet, cold and shaking the others take a steadier hand. My fantasy kit is to stand on the highest peak, draw down the powers of Heavens like Mickey Mouse as The Sorcerer's Apprentice sending fireballs on the day's frustrations. Makes me all warm and fuzzy just imagining it <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

Hailstone,

I like the way you think! <img src="/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />

-Blast

Really, my first choice for "best case" would be dry strike-anywhere matches. But for most practical applications, a flint and steel; it works the same all the time even in bad weather.

IMHO, it's the fuel and preparation that's the more important than the spark or flame choice....

Well as a nasty ole smoker, I always have a butane lighter of some sort. one in my pocket, one in the car, several in different kits. I also have mag fire started which I am practiced with and can usually start a fire with minimal effort. For awful, wet, conditions I keep several road flares in each car. If you can't start a fire with one of them, you need a boat.

That's an easy one. My first choice would be a Bic lighter. Followed by Sparklite+Tinderqwik.