It's typically a lot easier to keep a single interconnected "bird's nest like" ball of cotton tinder from blowing away, than a few individual small flakes of magnesium that need to be kept together to work to their full potential. With that said, it's not impossible to loose a ball of cotton, nor is it impossible to keep a pile of magnesium flakes together.


Anyway, I've got a magnesium block fire starter that belonged to my uncle. He gave it to me when I was a kid and taught me how to use it. It was well used when I got it and is probably over 30 years old. I keep it in my truck as part of my vehicle kit. Last time I took it out and tried it, it worked just fine to light an outdoor campfire under normal conditions. Would I rely on it as my only fire starting method? Nope. Is it worth keeping around? In my experience, yes. Your mileage may vary, so to speak.

I think a lot of people buy these things from military surplus stores, have no idea how to use them, and expect them to easily light a fire under just about any condition. Suffice to say, it doesn't work like that. It's like any survival tool; you practice with it until you can use it in your sleep, you learn its limitations, and you decide if it's worth carrying, keeping in your backup gear, or just getting rid of it. Everyone has different experiences with various tools and supplies, you have to decide what works for you.