I still have my original BSA metal match safe and a GI plastic one, carried them all over the world with never a match lighting accidentally. Keep in mind, fire requires oxygen and there is simply not enough in a closed match safe.
I am surprised that strike anywhere matches are hard to find. I get mine at the regular grocery store, a pack of 3 boxes sells for about $2.99. I can't remember a grocery store that didn't have them somewhere on the aisles. I prefer Penley brand, seem to strike better than the Diamond brand, and the sticks are stonger. Back in the good ole days, the Ohio Blue Tips were the best. Diamond bought them out and so they faded away. Cheers!

Sorry Widget, but the match head itself does not need oxygen to burn as it has it's own oxidizer. Only the wood needs oxygen to burn. And if one of them ignites then they all will light and the container will blowup. Matchheads packed together can and do make a serious explosive device. But properly stacked matches in a container such as yours should not be a problem.

I carry them with me every day.

When they are in a match case, I load them half up and half down, with a cotton ball at each end. Keeps them from rattling, prevents the "poof-bang" sound of an accidental ignition of a bunch of matches, and gets one or two more in the case.

With a flat pack, I put them into a strip of cardboard, half in one way, half in the other, so that even if they do light, I'm likely to only loose half of them. (Although everything else in the tin might be pooched as well, though.) That goes into a heavy duty, mini zipper bag, then into a tin of some sort. I carry them like this for both my PSK (in the woods) and the survival module in my bag of tricks (around town).

In either case, I give them a double coat of clear shellac- they burn hotter and they are more resistant to moisture. In the flat packs, I put a bit of emery board between the strips if I'm carrying two, or taped down if I'm carrying one; in the case, I cut one a piece of one to fit, and make sure that I've got the cotton ball in there good. I find it holds up to moisture better than the striker on the box, and it ensures you have a striker that is as dry as the matches. (I used to not do that, but this place is good about pointing out your erroneous preconceptions.)

speaking of the infamous ohio blue tips

-yes i stand pround to say i still have probably half a box stored away in a air tight container..............when they began to disappear, i decide to hold on to a few for a rainy day

You guys and gals ever play "cowboy" maych fights as kids? Take turns striking each other match heads and the first one to light loses.

I have been having a hard time finding the strike anywhere matches in Hawaii for the past six months or so. I remember the blue tip ones. Those were great. Haven't seen those for a long long time.

Just pack them carefully and you will be fine. I have gone to a couple of calls where some kid thought it would be fun to put a bunch in a pipe and the friction lit them off and poof look mom no fingers. <img src="/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" /> Do a search online and i'm sure you'll find a video one of these Einsteins made.

typicaly i would store matches wraped in cotton wool, even though it takes up more space (my EDC is a bergen, and its not confused with a BOB). that also means that you have tinder for each of your matches. If they are tightly packed so that they can't rub on anything works, but the problem comes when you have used half of them. something to think about, doesn't matter if they store forever, when they blow up after you have used three or four.

the other thing is to try not to subject your kit to hard impacts(I.e. run over by a jeep or tank, droped out of second story windows, ect), and check it every now and then, particualy any fire hazards. you don't want to be in a survival situation because of your suvival kit.

i think in the regular waterproof match container that a cotton ball would do a pretty good job at preventing significant friction. even if almost all of the matches have been used. of course, if you must use that cotton for tinder then you should find a substitute. but even then, i'd say for nail polish coated strike anywhere matches it would take some serious impact to cause ignition. it would be an interesting test though if anyone has the time.

Would be glad to. But reluctant to send them through the mail. Check Wal-Marts.

Jon

Around here we have the more hazardous kind of the strike anywhere matches. The entire head is made from ignition material. Even with those match-to-match contact is no issue. The space in the container simply doesn´t allow the matches to achieve a sufficient speed for ignition. My main reason for packing cotton wool in the container was the abrassion on the head caused by the rattling.