I love 000 or 0000 seel wool. It is the most reliable source of tinder and the one that can be lit the most ways.

It will charge with a battery. everyone here has a cell phone. the battery works well to ignite the steel wool, unless it's an i phone. Camera batteries and radio batteries are also a source of ignition. It will ignite with a magnifying glass, it will ignite with sparks from a ferro rod, or even a lighter with no fuel.

Steel wool is very inexpensive and found at all hardware stores.

Once lit, it will continue to glow in even high wind conditions. In fact, it makes it hotter.

... Just don't store your steel wool in the same container you do your batteries. Yep! I've seen it done several times and each time it wasn't pretty.

the ferro rod is very easy to use one-handed and even teach the one-handed method in my courses... No hands is another story, LOL! In combination with Steel Wool the ferro rod is even more of a guarantee then VIC balls or tinder-quik.

What steel wool won't do, rather rarely does, is burst into flame. Instead you have a big, very hot glowing ember ready to ignite whatever comes in contact with it.

Alan