Fire starters, what's Hot and what's Not.

Here's my list:


What's HOT!

Blastmatch - works with one hand throws a bunch of very hot sparks that will light just about anything!

Strikeforce - big brother to the Blastmatch but not specifically designed for one hand use.  Stores a Wet Fire cube in the  back of the case.

Bic lighters - not as reliable as the above 2 but they do work almost always and are cheap and light enough to carry spares.

Mini-Bic lighter - as above only smaller.  Great for small kits.

Spark-Lite - one handed good for small kits, but does not throw a huge amount of sparks. Works well with the supplied tinder.



What's Not...

Doan magnesium block/striker -  The striker is good but too small.  Scraping off enough magnesium is a PIA and it blows away with the slightest breeze (I have tried the duct tape trick but the 100MPH tape I used didn't burn well). Magnesium shavings burn too fast.


Light my Fire Firesteel - I kind of like these but mine do not work as well as the Blastmatch, Strikeforce or even the striker on the Doan....easier to spark but the sparks are just not as hot.  Will work with good tinder.


Zippo lighters - heavy and the fuel evaporates out of them.  The cotton inside can get soaked with water.


high tech "flameless"/windproof lighters - need special fuel or they will permanently clog.  Eventually they will clog even with the special fuel, usually at the worst time! Unreliable and expensive.


Diamond Stike anywhere matches - I use to like these but all I have found lately are poor quality.  Even after culling the ones with bad heads and carefuly packing in match safes, the strike anywhere tips will begin to deteriorate and stop working after a few years of storage.  Not water proof as they come from the box.


Non strike anywhere kitchen matches - just as bad as the above but you need a striker to light them.

....Just my opinions.  I am looking forward to learning yours!

I find the Swan brand 'vesta' friction matches are pretty good

Also Clipper lighters come in a couple of sizes, last a good while and the flints can be replaced

Firesteel firesteels are the best in my experience, they come in every size imaginable and give off a healthy amount of sparks. Good striker too.

Alcohol wipes (for pre injection/cleaning wounds) make great tinder. Just a couple of sparks will set them alight, and they burn long enough to light your kindling. They also normally come in waterproof sachets too, and weigh nothing.

Ditto your opinion on zippos, they are overated and unreliable, their only asset being their ability to use most liquid fuels.

Corrugated cardboard rolled into a cylinder (with the corrugations running lengthwise) and soaked in wax make very good firelighters and burn for some time. I have also experimented with Kitchen paper towel rolled up tight and soaked in wax, this also works very well.

You can make a travel stove like this, an open tin can with a tight coil of cardboard inside soaked in wax. Poke a few holes in the top half of the can.

I think I used to have one of those clipper lighters, it seemed OK but Bics are a lot easier to find in the USA.  I have never seen Swan strike anywhere matches here either. The old strike anywhere Ohio Blue Tip matches were great, but I haven't seen them in years, only the Diamond brand which have been pretty poor quality for some time.


For tinder I like pjcb's (petroleum jelly cotton balls), fat wood and shavings from Esbit stove cubes.

Just a word of warning on the Bics.  They freeze up in really cold weather.  Not that they actually become solid, but they stay liquid.  Won't gasify and thus, no flame.   I knew a derrick worker who claimed he could still get them to burn even in freezing cold on top of a rig.  But he didn't like me and wouldn't say how..  I tried holding one in my mouth for a long time and still couldn't get a light.
I like the Blast match and strikeforce both. 
If ya don't mind, could you reduce your font size some.  So big makes it harder to read and I like reading yours, you have some good posts.

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796

If you keep them close to your body, they stay warm enough to light.   If you need to warm one up just hold it under your arm inside your shirt for a few min. 


If they get wet and won't spark, shake/blow out the water and spin the wheel along your pant leg (without pushing the on the gas lever) until it drys out and sparks.

Almost forgot something else I use for tinder - little "trick" birthday cake candles, the kind that don't blow out.   These are great for getting a fire going in the wind.  You need to get them burning for a few seconds and after that they won't blow out.  They do burn down kind of quick so you need to have all your other stuff ready.

Xso great info, thanks.
Now just have to find where i can get them in Holland.

MattBlack those alcohol wipes are indeed great to start a fire, i've found out accidently.
 
When i go camping i take a few of those BBQ fire starter blocks with me.
Those tiny white things. They can be crumbled over wood and when they
catch fire they burn for quit some time. They weight nothing and fit in the smallest spaces.

Si vis pacem, para bellum. If you want peace, prepare a war.

I'd like to depart this world the same way I came into it - screaming and covered in someone else's blood"  

A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity. ” Don B. Kates, Jr

I am not sure what BBQ fire starter blocks you mean.  Perhaps that  is a European thing ?  Haven't seen anything by that description here.  The trick birthday candles are a good idea.

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796

Wetfire is great tinder and is like what Ti lite is describing.   I use in all of my kits.


I still like my Zippo but it is for cigarettes, a survival thing.


I like the Sparklite, the one handed version of the Blast Match a lot better than the original one.


I guess I am just a lucky guy as I seem to be OK with the Magnesium fire starters, even in the wind and I don't use tape but that seems like a good idea.  Same with the fire steels in general and the Light My Fuego in particular.


Bics are worthless if they are wet and stay that way until they dry out, they are also for cigarettes for the most part.

I have to agree with you 100% OP!

My firesteel is good, it throws a lot of sparks but I've had trouble lighting a fire with it.

Bic lights are what I usually recomend to people because they are simple and cheap. Other no name brand lights are just useless.

Zippos are fun, but I found my self constantly having to refill the fuel.

And the matches, man have gone downhill. I remember camping when I was a kid using them, and they worked great. But lately, they don't seem to light easily or for any amount of time.

Great writeup on your thoughts, I'm going to look into the blastmatch

dodgecoltracer, one time I was using a blastmatch to light some dry weeds that I was holding in my hand.  I thought I would press the spark rod with my finger and then blow on the weeds to get them burning but when I lightly pressed the rod the weeds burst into flame and I had to drop them fast.  Then I saw that there was a spark from the blastmatch that had burned into the palm of my hand and was still burning!   The blastmatch's sparks are like little molten balls of burning magnesium.


Warthog, you can dry out a bic very fast by spinning the flint wheel against your pant leg until it sparks. When you do this don't press on the gas just rub the wheel so it spins and drys out.


Both the blastmatch and the sparklight are designed for one hand.  Here's a excellent review of both by Doug Ritter:

http://www.equipped.com/firestrt.htm



And here's a vid on the blastmatch:




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYRKzdSXH34

I have wondered if matches have been made weaker---or maybe just the trhill of playing with fire has diminished for me with years (and experience with bigger flames ;)
I got one of these little things about the size of a book of matches supposidly military

        Fire Starter
         Avaition
         survival
        Spark-lite
It is not nearly as good a firestarter as the blastmatch or the Sparklight---but I do like it for its small size and light weight.  It is basically just the flint wheel from a lighter and some tinder.
Which brings to mind one advantage of both the Bic and the Zippo---even out of fuel you can get sparks.

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796

If that's it, it's  the one Doug Ritter uses in his pocket survival pack and reviewed in the link I posted.


Not the same as the Strike Force:


http://www.ultimatesurvival.com/product_view.cfm?product_ID=435

Thats it.  Yeah , not the strike force.  I just like it for small and light. 

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796

The Spark-lite is not that great of a sparker, I only put it on the hot list because it is so small/light, can be used one handed and has an endless shelf life.....basicaly the same reason Doug Ritter uses them.

One that I forgot to add to the not hot list is the little Coglhans green head waterproof matches; they're OK but too small and while the matches are waterproof the strikers on the cardboard boxes are not.

These are the bbq firestarter blocks i was talking about.


The stuff you're talking about isn't available over here, i think i'll import some of that from the US.

Si vis pacem, para bellum. If you want peace, prepare a war.

I'd like to depart this world the same way I came into it - screaming and covered in someone else's blood"  

A fear of weapons is a sign of retarded sexual and emotional maturity. ” Don B. Kates, Jr

Well I don't recognize anything about that stuff Ti lite.  don't think it is available here, but I will watch for it---it would be handier than the lighter fluid I am taking to New Mexico this weekend.

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796

Might be some sort of  hexamine which is what Esbit tabs use.

SPARKIE is the one handed version of the BLAST MATCH, both made by Ultimate Survival.

I did mean the Sparlite, which is the one handed Doug Ritter one that you posted a picture of as well under the name of Aviation Fire Starter.

Fine Products all though I really do disagree on the Bics for an emergency type of fire starter since they are no good wet.

Otherwise I can't understand the reason for your seeming disagreement since I actually was attempting to agree with you.

As for the BBQ stuff, I was thinking it was similar to wetfire by his discription alone but now that I see a picture of the product it is more likely that you are correct, probably something like the esbitt fuel or maybe it is like the stuff Cohglan's sells as their "Fire Sticks"?

Dunno...

here is a picture of personal blast match/sparkies... I have a few of both.  sorry it is so dark.

Attached Image(s)

I wasn't trying to disagree, just didn't know what you were refering to as the blastmatch is a one handed firestarter.   I didn't know about the smaller one handed sparky, apparently this is something new!

I do disagree on the bics for $2 and 2 oz. of weight a pair of Bics (or maybe 3 or more mini-bics) in a ziplock with some tinder is worth having as long as you also bring a good ultra reliable back up such as the blastmatch.

Grat topic xxo,
 
Beleve it or not potatoe chips are great tinder, light and watch burn for several minutes. I have only tried ruffles with ridges but on the up side the plastic bag they come in can doubble as a pair of sunglasses if the lable is not too opaque. The bags are usually mylar. I reccomend chips that are high in oil i.e. fried in oil.
 
So chips have three uses food, firestarter and sunglasses.
 
Found one you guys missed.

To many hobbies, not enough time.

Great tip BigJoe, I'll try that out later

potato chips is a new one on me---I will have to try that this weekend.  Thanks !

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796

fritos are good too, we used to light fires with em back in the scouts. we also used to use cans of bug spray as mini flame throwers!

We had someone early on in these forums talk about using that sort of flame thrower on a wasp or something in his house---had to repaint or something after I think :)
If you take virtually any fine powder--like non dairy creamer---and sprinkle it over a small flame----like a zippo sitting on the floor---you get some nice pyrotechnics.  I don't know that its useful for anything--but its entertaining.  but then I am easily entertained by shiny objects and flames and things that go boom.

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796

/\-  Uhh, that was me...

Didn't have to repaint afterwards - short, controlled bursts are the trick ;)

You only have to take their wings off

Ah.  Thank you .  I remember better now.   Had an early morning today and been a bit off since.   Not a morning person.   I was reminded of your incident talking to my son when I was in Colorado.  They have a hive of bees in the house.  Finally reluctantly decided to eliminate them by blocking their entrance, but they found another way out of the walls in the bedroom.  He is killing them with pliers.  I probably shouldn't have mentioned the flamethrower in front of the wife.  Women can be funny about such ideas ;)

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796

With pliers?? What, like Mr Miyagi style?

Yeah--cept not on the wing.  They are making a big ball inside his window and he just picks them off one at a time.

"One loves to possess arms, though they hope never to have occasion for them."  Thomas Jefferson to George Washington. 1796

Check out Ray Mears vid on making fire and cooking with bamboo:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMgAP6GTaPM