An interesting point made on that survival topics website is the need for fuzzy tender to get a fire going with a firesteel. Which means you either need to carry cotton balls or quiktinders equivalent to the number of fires you want to make (do you carry one hundred pieces of tender?) or rely on finding fuzzy tinder in nature. Consider with shivering, numb hands and fingers the dexterity to make dry fuzzy tender from available sources with out taking your thumb off with your knife.

Lets face it, each fire starting method has its own strengths and its own weaknesses. And honestly when you're cold and wet, relying on starting a fire inherently has problems. One, fire is not the fastest or most efficacious way to warm up someone who is hypothermic. Two, trying to start a fire using any method when cold and shivering can be damned difficult. Three, starting a fire is most difficult when its most needed, when everything is wet. So when I'm out and about in the winter time, I not only carry multiple methods of starting a fire, I carry multiple methods of getting and staying warm.

I carry fire starting materials, matches, lighter and firesteel. And the requisite tinder. All packaged to be waterproof. I also carry a small butane stove. Stoves are easier to light then fires, especially when wet and require no collection of materials. With a stove I can make a hot drink, which warms the body much faster then the radiative heat of a fire. And I can make that hot drink much faster then I could with a fire. Finally at the lowest level, I carry a flameless ration heater and hot beverage bag. Together with water, I can make a hot beverage and put the heater inside my coat to warm me up. Requires almost no dexterity to use and weighs only what the water weighs.

The flameless ration heater and hot beverage bag is one of my favorite tricks since its so light and flat. Of course it helps that I have a steady and limitless supply of MRE's.

As most of you have probably guessed. I'm a bit of a pyro. As far as matches go I've pretty much given up on on them. Most match cases can hold a dozen to maybe 2 dozen matches. Call it on an average 20 fires. A Bic or equivalent lighter is about the same size or a bit smaller. Never tried to figure it out but at a guess they can generate well over a thousand fires. It's no contest. If I have space for a match case I'll carry an additional Bic. As a smoker I carry 2 or 3 at all times anyway A user, A backup and one just to be sure. And that's just in the house.

Yes when out I carry other means also.

Biccity, Biccity, BIC!

I don't use matches anymore.

I got a firesteel that I use to light up my MSR Windpro stove, or just to show people what it is and how it can be used. I got a tiny Spark-lite stored in my utility/survival kit.

After shooting down the 'urban E&E' thread as dangerous fantasy, I'm a bit reluctant to give this information.
But here goes anyway:
When we did Escape and Evasion exercises we were trained to coat matches in wax and slip them inside clothing seams. One thing about matches; they are the smallest fire making method.
It didn't work of course; the platoons doing the hunting for us had had the same training. They simply took all our equipment and clothes and gave us new ones. Maybe it would be helpful if you were travelling in the middle east or somewhere being held prisoner by amateurs is a possibility. Concealment equals guilt in LE eyes; so I'd avoid it anywhere civilised.
The Sock

I don't understand what is comical about a 1/2 x 4 inch firesteel. It fits in the palm of your hand. That's not any kind of burden.

And I tell you what, 1/2 inch diameter firesteels give off a huge shower of sparks compared to the thinner ones. That makes starting a fire a heck of a lot easier.

That may have been me. I just don't think they are worth it. They are quite bulky for the number of lights you get. They are vulnerable to water. They are hard to use one-handed. They are not especially wind-proof. They can be dangerous eg if you allow friction to rub heads together.

A lighter is my first choice, with a ferro rod as backup. And then another lighter and another ferro rod. I do often carry a Sparklite as well, because it has small size, one-handed use and in my experience has been my most reliable method of starting fires, but I think a ferro rod is ultimately simpler and more trust-worthy. (I have played with other methods, such as potassium permanganate, and Fresnel lenses, but I wouldn't rely on them at all.)

I carry a small amount of tinder. With a firesteel, you can use improvised tinder when that's convenient and prepared tinder in emergencies.

When camping, I carry more tinder because I find it helps even when using a lighter.

I try to carry at least 3 different ways of firemaking, sometimes more, since they are usually quite light.

I still like matches, although after 10 years of storage, I've found them to be iffy. My fault. I like the REI's, but once the chemical coating burns off, they go out. You have 15 seconds of great flame, then good luck. I prefer a regular match with 45 seconds of good (not great) flame.

I tested different ferrocerium rods out on my last camping trip. I was very surprised at the difference. The larger ones not only put out a lot more sparks, but much, much hotter and longer lasting. I still keep a small one on my keychain, but pack the big boys for everything else.

I still love my zippo, but pack bics also.

It's interesting discussion sitting at my computer, but when I'm wet and shivering, I don't really care how. Knowing different techniques with different equipment give me options, which I appreciate.

Next camping trip, I'm going to try some old road flares I've had laying around for years...

What people tend to forget is that firesteel can also be used as a signaling device. It´s a little bit like a strobe light because the sparks are visible from every angle unlike concentric beam of the flashlight. In addition it doesn´t need batteries. (I am not saying that it´s better than flashlight/strobe light etc. or whatever - just another signaling tool in your arsenal). In this case it´s good to have rather bigger firesteel - you get brighter, more visible sparks, it can be held more comfortably in your hand when signaling and it will not run out of sparks when signaling whole night.

You can also need to dry out some tinder by "bombing" it with shower of sparks before it catches the spark. Again the more (and the bigger) sparks your firesteel can produce the better.

So I think that bigger rods can be useful. But my EDC is rather small Pro Force firesteel which is attached to my Maxpedition keyper because something with larger rod would be too heavy for my pocket. However I don´t mind carrying big Strike Force in my backpack.

I think at the end of the day it boils down to your personal preference - whatever works for you is good. Many of us carry at least several fire starting solutions and various tinders so I guess we are quite prepared. It could be worse. I bet there are people that carry only several ordinary matches and think they can start a fire whatever the conditions.

I have a few fire steels none of them that ½ by 4 inch one. And they work well. I do notice the bigger they are the more sparks. This means I have talked myself into ordering one of those big ones to play with. Actually a few of them (my 18-year old son will want one) and I like to have spares of most things. Need it? NO! Want it YES!

The signaling aspect of it is interesting, never thought of that.








I carry a Swiss Champ Swiss Army Knife, it’s the biggest one they make. I have had it in my pocket every day for 30-years. I feel naked without it. It’s big, bigger then most people would want. I have left for work a few mornings without it and then turned around to go back and get it.

I think while an item may be big it still can be very useful and like my Swiss knife people will see the worth of having it.


I also agree that the small key chain fire steels are of limited use because of the small spark. I have a few of them but they are now with my camp stoves, they produce enough spark to easily light gasoline, alcohol or propane. I have a pouch that I put my Svea 123 stove in, I hooked a fire steel on the cinch strap of it so it’s always with the stove.

No. Absolutely and utterly, NO.

Matches DO have the just about the worst light per mass/volume ratio out there, no doubt about it. But they don't freeze up like lighters (ANY lighter) that isn't in your pocket will.

Likewise flame-based ignition systems, either matches or lighters, don't touch the much touted thousands of lights on even a smallish ferro rod. But spark based ignition needs two things- dry tinder, and somewhat fluffy tinder. That rules out candles, anything waxed or shellaced, and natural tinder that is damp.

Everything in the arsenal has a role. Run the ferro rod when you can, the lighter when needed, matches when you must, flares when nothing else will do. And if you have no other choice, follow Heinlein's advice- rub two Boy Scouts together.