Quote "The US Army survival manual says that you're supposed to use a char cloth if the only thing you have is a spark-producing device, but the char cloth itself is a royal pain in a** to make, so maybe it just isn't realistic to depend on flint and steel if you're going to be out in the boonies for an extended period of time. I would prefer to use what nature provides, but the thought of carrying something like a "Blast Match" or a "Strike Force" is very appealing to a beginner such as myself because they really don't weigh very much at all. "

Again starting a fire is like caving you alway carry three sources. Lighter, matches, and spark producer. Then from there you use what nature provides.

cheers