Did you buy Coglan's? This glorified sizzle isn't going to light anything; been there,done that. All "storm" type matches do indeed burn rather rapidly, so you need your tinder ready at hand. This is the tradeoff between a match using it's own wood stick as tinder and the weatherproofs that rely on more sophisticated ignition heads. You can get true lifeboats from several sources; Exploration products listed in retailers and perhaps Barry @ Blueline. They do require practice to light and are relatively expensive. their one flaw is a readily snapped stick. Buy a sacrificial unit and PRACTISE. The Coglan's are still better than paper, so hang on to them until you upgrade.