The Heatsheet blanket is the same size a mylar sheet blanket, the bivy rolled up is about the size of a clementine.

And I don't think you'll find a lighter like what you are describing- there would be safety concerns that would probably bar it from being sold in most of the Western world. At least when you are talking pocket sized; get into things like blow torches, there are different factors.

And what you are describing with the "pull tab and drop" type of fire starters are probably closest to the half sized Orion hand flares that I used to see occasionally. Basically, a 5 minute road flare, about 3.5-4" long.

I once had a car with a leaky trunk seal.

I would rephrase your questions as "how waterproof they aren't".

The following two links are about hypothermia kits and how to use them for adventure kayaking type events, all based around a PFD. The hypo kit is a good start and does not rely on a fire for heating in the immmediate aftermath; rather heat retention and small heat addition. Take a look.

Everglades challange, emergency action
http://www.watertribe.com/Magazine/Y2002/M12/SteveIsaacWhenGodsPlay.aspx

Hypothermia kit
http://www.watertribe.com/Magazine/Y2002/M12/SteveIsaacMakeAHypothermiaKit.aspx

Bill

last time i tryed lighting a fire with a flare it was a total
wash-out..this was late 50's--yup..scouts again..we had been
playing around with road flares using them to melt caves
in snow banks..so i took one on a winter camping trip..
when we had a big pile of wood ready to light i did a--
"check this out!!!" and tossed it in the pile--zip--zero--
burned all the way down while we watched..i was flumuxed--
but--but--it's making flames..at this point our wise old
scoutmaster steps forward----it's a chemical fire boys--
its not making enought heat--lesson learned..not all flame
burns with the same amount of heat....i have thought about
wraping a flare in magnesium ribbon..and other "bomb" like
devices...heat tabs--fatwood sticks--in short someway a
cold,wet.numb person could light a fire with big easy
movements rather that trying to work a lighter--sparker
or strike a match...

Whenever I bought a zippo I always put about 5 or 6 of them under there so I'd never have to worry about it. I never went through more than 4-5 flints before the lighter itself was lost or stolen. Oh well, at least it was a good excuse to buy another one.

I wish I could find an old Vu-lighter. They worked about the same as a Zippo, but had a clear base filled with lighter fluid, and a smaller "cotton" area above. When it wouldn't light anymore, you turned it upside down, pushed a little button for a few seconds, and fluid flowed into the cotton. That way, you did not have the fuel evaporation problem you have with a Zippo. Might have to check on e-bay or something I guess...

i have see Zippo adds in older outdoor magazines--40-50's
the drawing showed a hunter warming a cup of coffee over a
Zippo lighter..the text was something like--only the Zippo
will stay burning--other lighters i assume were lighter
fluid versions of the Bic..strike--light and when you took
your finger off the lever it was capped and snuffed out..
the Zippo lit and with the top flipped back would burn untill
the fluid was gone...
i brought up the idea of a "fire bomb" because i have read
accounts of fire light problems in do or die situtions..
a very good book on outdoor survival is "the long labrador
trail" by Dillon Wallace--1905 or so..while making a frantic
rush down a rapid filled river as winter was comming on he
and his partner overturned ..getting ashore in a state of
hypothermia they tryed to start a fire..Dillon's partner
stumbled around trying to set trees on fire by holding a match
to a branch--he was really out of it...Dillon pulled some
sticks together--getting the safe open involved teeth--
numb hands..so on---he had only a few left in the safe
and the first ones failed to light--with "new style" matches
gone he tryed a "old"sulfur match lit on the the first
try---fire going--lives saved--Wallace went on to become
one of American's best know outdoor personalities...
so a "pull the tab and drop" fire lighter seem like a
good idea--however..now that i think about it..that sort
of device may be not be lawful these days...