Thread: Alternate fire starter?

I have been thinking that a person should try and carry a couple different types of fire starter. Matches are great but if a person can get fire with a ferro rod , or fire piston the last much longer....**** if the weather in Oregon lets you I have been using a Magnafing glass as practice. My thought is that by using other methods your are not burning you consumables.

I carry a mag starter have for years. Works wet or dry, I also carry a tin of those gel blocks for additional help. Had one occasion to use it on a canoe trip from ****. I never get more than 100 feet from my truck when up in the woods without my pack.

A friend of mine carries the 'Firestick' - the one I believe is endorsed by Bear Grylls. I have watched him get a fire going in minutes with it. Always a good idea though to carry one 15 minute fuzee, shrinkwraped and protected to use in an extreme emergency. I always had one duct taped to a backpack rail when I used to backpack heavily but never had to use it - came close though once in a snowstorm.

Just the other day I dinked around with a cotton ball with a bit of vaseline and a old magnesium bar with the striker part. It took about 6-7 strokes with the striker part and "ta da" cotton ball burned for about 3 minutes.

I carry a stick with a flint and a steel on it , a quart size bag of shredded magnesium and two road flares in my pack - I feel pretty good about this combination. Never really needed them but feel I can generate enough heat to almost get anything burning.

James Ruby

yep I have used cotton balls dipped into wax & ferro rod striker with good luck. Heck i used to use the toilet paper oil filters on a piece of farm gear and they would burn like crazy but I dont want to carry the weight. even flares get to be to much for one use....Onces=pounds and pounds = pain.. I am alway looking for smaller and lighter ways to go. Better yet ones that last along time.

cotton balls saturated with vaseline and a magnesium and flint starter for the win. I put them in a altoid can and the vac seal them, have used five year old ones this year with no problems. I also put some strike anywhere matches in there with them in an old small pill bottle.

Lint from the dryer in an altoid tin and a titanium striker/flint, A votiv candle, Commerical product called "firestarter", waterproof matches. The list goes on.

put a trick birthday candle in your match container. they work pretty well in windy conditions. you can't go wrong with some form of magnesium fire starter as well.

For larger fires:
I gather old candles and gently melt in a cheap Goodwill pot.
I use paper cupcake forms filled with sawdust or dryer lint.
Pour the melted wax onto them and let cool.

For smaller fires:
Cut cardboard into 1/2" wide x 3" long strips. Be very careful cutting with a box cutter!
Soak the strips in the melted wax and let cool.

Try using a Blast-Match or similar item. It can be done with one hand if injured. It combines "flint/ferro" rod with a striker.

I still take trioxane fuel bars, flint and my Kbar knife with me on trips.

+1 for magnesium match and knife. Lint from the dryer is free and works remarkably well.

im really surprised know one has said a bic lighter they are light if they get wet you can still dry them out. that being said i always carry a magnezium flint fire starter with dryer lint in sealled containers but still bring a lighter .. i really never bring matches since if they get wet they are useless. even water proof matches over the years will deterorate

I think this is alternative http://youtu.be/wmin5WkOuPw

Ferro rod + 35mm film canister containing a Vaseline soaked cotton ball or three. Mag starters are difficult to use in a high wind for me so I opt out of that type.

read......Another bug out question