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Survival Fire Starter

The Complete Guide To The Best Survival Fire Starter Tools

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If you’re an adventurer, you’re going to find yourself without the comforts of civilization (and your favorite survival fire starter tool) at some point down that unbeaten path. When this happens to you, you’ll need to know how to start a fire in some of the most extreme and exhausting conditions.

So, how are your survival fire starter skills?

Survival Fire Starter Skills

Picture the scene.

It’s 11 o’clock on a bitterly cold Winter’s night. The temperature is well below zero. The icy twigs bristle underneath your feet.

In a dark, shadowy woods, you find yourself alone. Alone and lost.

In desperate need of some warmth, you need a fire, and you need one now.

How are those survival fire starter skills holding up?

It’s not an exaggeration to say that in a situation like this, your ability to start a fire could mean the difference between life and death.

When your survival hangs in the balance, two things matter more than everything else: Your knowledge, and your tools.

Knowing how to start a fire using creative techniques is one thing. Actually having the correct tools to complete the job is another.

In this article, we’re sharing everything you need to know about survival fire starter tools.

Read on for the full scoop!

The Complete Guide to Survival Fire Starter Tools

1. Everstryke Match Pro

Why bother with a million and one different tools when one awesome tool like the free everstryke pro can do the trick?

The EverStryke Waterproof Match will start your fire immediately, even when wet! You can drop it in a lake, or accidentally run it over with your truck, and it will still work!

Sounds impressive? It is. In fact, it might just be the last fire starter you’ll ever need!

2. Matches

We’re not re-inventing the wheel here, are we?

Matches are one of the most important things to carry when you’re out on an adventure but remember that they do come with two major downsides.

  • What if they get wet? A wet match is no use whatsoever.

To keep your matches intact, be sure to store them in multiple places. Don’t put them all in the one box, rather store them across your gear in different canisters.

Better yet, consider purchasing or making your own waterproof matches.

  • Matches consume themselves with each lighting attempt.

In the wilderness, you have got to make single match count.

3. A Butane Lighter

Disposal lighters are cheap, cheerful, and they’ll be invaluable to you if you’re out in the elements.

Consider purchasing an entire packet of butane lighters before your trip and be sure to pack them separately in your bag.

Super easy, and almost weatherproof, one click and you have a flame.

4. Cotton Balls with Petroleum Jelly

Starting a fire is one thing, keeping it lighting is another. For this reason, you should consider bringing some cotton balls along for the ride.

But, we’re not talking about just any cotton balls. We’re talking about petroleum jelly cotton balls!

To make them, scoop some petroleum jelly into a Ziploc bag, put some cotton balls in and rattle it around.

Cheap, light-weight and completely fool-proof, homemade cotton balls will last an incredibly long time, and they’ll survive virtually any weather too.

5. Wax

Wax can be your best friend when you’re trying to start a fire. Consider bringing some old candle wax with you into the great outdoors.

Alternatively, you might want to bring some trick birthday candles. You know the ones that won’t blow out? Not only will they stay lighting, the wax inside might just help you start your fire!

6. How To Start A Fire Without Matches

You can always use the tried and true ways of starting a fire without matches… most of which have been around since before our Caveman days.

Check out our 8 proven ways to start a fire without matches blog post for more info.

So, now you know the survival fire starter tools you should never leave home without.

It’s time to let the adventure begin!

 

Fire Starter Kit – The Ultimate Survival Checklist For Starting A Fire

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Whether you are just getting started in the world of survival gear or you are a long-time expert, you should do a quick review of your fire starter kit. Are you sure that you have all the gear that you need?

In this article, we’ll give you a run down of what every survival fire starter kit should include to make sure that you are ready for anything.

Putting Together Your Fire Starter Kit

You should always keep in mind the specific conditions that you are likely to encounter on your trip when you are putting together your fire starter kit.

Will you be likely to encounter wet and windy weather conditions? Do you expect to be able to find fuel easily, or are you going to an area where wood might be a problem?

A smart survivalist always plans for the worst in whatever conditions they can expect. So, the fire starter kit that we are describing here might not have everything you need, depending on where you are going.

However, these are the basics that you will need, no matter where you are.

A High Quality Survival Lighter

This is probably the most important thing that your fire starter kit can have.

A good survival lighter should be designed to work in even the most sever conditions. They should be waterproof, meaning they will still work perfectly even after being submerged completely in water… which is exactly what the FREE Life strike lighter can do.


It should also be extremely durable. You don’t want to be without a source of flame just because you dropped your lighter onto some rocks.

The EverStryke Match, for example, can survive being run over by a truck.

A Ferro Rod Fire Starter

A Ferro rod is basically a rod made out of a metal called ferrocerium. When you strike ferrocerium with steel, it creates extremely hot sparks. They can be up to 5,430 °F.

At temperatures like these, you can start fires easily, as long as you have dry tinder.

A Ferro rod is a great backup to have in case anything happens to your survival lighter. They are durable and can be used for years.

Magnesium Fire Starter

Magnesium fire starter tools are cheap, reliable, lightweight, relatively safe, easy to use, highly transportable, and compact, which is why they are one of the most popular fire starter tools among campers, hikers survivalist, preppers and outdoor enthusiasts of all types.

Check out our list of the 6 best magnesium fire starter tools.

Waterproof Matches

As another backup to your survival lighter and Ferro rod, it’s a good idea to carry a small pack of waterproof matches.

These matches will work even if they have been soaked in water, meaning you can start a fire even in the rain.

Vaseline Coated Cotton Balls

Keep a sandwich bag of vaseline coated cotton balls in your fire starter kit. These make for great tinder, as they catch fire easily and continue to burn for a while.

They can help you get a fire going even in poor conditions.

Here’s a video I made for you that shows how a cotton ball fire starter with vaseline starts a fire with a single strike from the everstryke match and its built in ferro rod.

Tea Light Candle

A tea light candle is a great way to have consistent flame when you are trying to light wet wood or kindling.

Fire Starter Stick

Just like the cotton balls, fire starter sticks burn for a while, giving your kindling enough time to catch, even if weather or wood conditions are wet.

Fire starter sticks like Fatwood are lightweight and easy to store. They are a no-brainer for any fire starter kit.

Starting A Fire Without Matches

The ultimate survival tool for starting a fire is learning how to start a fire without matches. So, here are 8 proven ways to start a fire without matches.

Wrapping Up

These are the must-haves that any fire starter kit should include. Of course, you could easily add more fire starting tools to bulk up your kit, especially to suit the conditions that you will be in.

Happy camping!

How to Start A Fire in the Woods For Any Survival Situation

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Every survivalist needs to know how to start a fire in the woods. If you’re a little rusty or just never got around to mastering this particular skill, this is the guide for you.

We’ll cover what you’ll need to get a fire going, how to construct a fire, and the mysterious Rule of Three.

1. Gather your things

The first thing you need to do when you’re learning how to start a fire in the woods is gathering your ingredients. Just like a recipe, it pays to be prepared when you’re starting a fire in the woods, so get everything you’re going to need.

How to start a fire in the woods supply list

  • Tinder: No, not the app. You’ll need tinder for the initial flames to get things going. Typically, fire-starting tinder is small, dry, extremely flammable materials like Fatwood, pine needles, dry grass, or bark. Really, anything small, dead, and dry that will catch quickly. However, you can also use vaseline or petroleum jelly soaked cotton ball fire starters like the one I demonstrate in this video. Regardless of the type of tinder you choose, it will provide the initial fuel that will create enough heat to light the bigger pieces on fire.
  • Kindling: The next tier up from tinder. If you’ve spent anytime car camping, you’ll have seen this for sale in orange bags as a tidy bundle of smallish sticks. But when you’re out in the woods, your kindling will simply be larger pieces of your tinder. Bigger bits of bark, larger twigs, and small pieces of wood will all work. Like your tinder, kindling works best when it’s small and dry.
  • Logs: this is the final tier of fuel. You’ll need bigger logs that will catch and provide a sustained fire. The best wood is old, dry, dead hardwood that will catch quickly and burn hot for a long time. But when you’re in the woods and you’re cold, any old log will do (especially if you have infinite matches!)

2. Build your fire

Equally important to putting the right stuff in when you’re wondering how to start a fire in the woods is to get your construction right. You want to build it so that there’s plenty of airflow (since oxygen is essential to a fire) in and around your logs, but in such a way that your tinder rests on your kindling and your kindling on your logs.

The general idea is to build your structure before you start lighting it so that you don’t use your precious kindling and tinder up too quickly.

As a general rule, for the most success rely on the Rules of Three. Basically, if you want to burn a three-inch stick, you need three one in sticks burning first. That ratio holds true for everything in your fire.

The rule of three has a second part as well which can help your when you’re first learning how to start a fire in the woods – namely, the first getting going… and then promptly going out.

The second part of the Rule of Three is that to have a sustainable fire, you must ALWAYS have three sticks burning at a time.

With this rule and its two parts in mind, you can’t go wrong when you’re learning how to start a fire in the woods.

3. Your fire source

Finally, you need a fire source. Waterproof Matches can run out and something like a magnifying glass requires the sun (a problem if it’s cloudy – when you need a fire most). That’s why one of the best options is a Ferro Rod – it lasts virtually forever, it’s self-contained, and it’s very low-tech so it’ll never, ever break.

Another great fire-starting tool to have on hand is the Life Strike Lighter, it’s waterproof and it’s free!

You should also check out our How To Start A Fire Without Matches blog post for 8 proven and reliable ways for starting a fire without matches.

There you have it – the three principals to starting a fire in the woods. Now the next step is to get out there and do it! Just make sure you’re kitted up before you head out there.

Which Survival Lighter Belongs in Your Bug Out Bag?

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Whether you’re using it for camping or keeping it in an emergency kit just in case, you need to know that your survival lighter is going to work.

The wrong survival lighter could leave you stranded without a flame which, depending on your circumstances, could mean you’re in for a very cold, hungry night.

So how do you pick the right survival fire starter? This article will show you how.

What Makes a Good Survival Lighter?

There are four very important qualities that set survival lighter apart from a regular lighter that you could get at any store.

First, they must be waterproof. You could drop it in a lake, and when you retrieve it, it must still work as well as always,

Second, they need to be durable. You’ll be bringing your lighter into situations where anything could happen. It needs to be able to survive being dropped, stepped on, anything! And it needs to be a material that will not rust.

Third, it needs to be easy to carry around. The smaller and lighter, the better.

Fourth, it should provide a direct flame. Think “blow torch” rather than a regular lighter’s flame. This is valuable because you will still be able to use the lighter in bad weather, like high wind or rain.

In addition to this, there are features that it is nice to have without being necessary. A survival lighter that floats in addition to being waterproof will help ensure you don’t lose it on a boating trip.

Investing in a refillable lighter will save you money in the long run, as you will only need to purchase fuel.

The Best Survival Lighter

There is a lighter that provides all of these qualities, and more.

The EverStryke Match Pro (also known as the Life Strike Lighter) passes every one of these tests with flying colors.

It is a highly durable survival lighter. In addition to being able to survive being dropped, even from high distances, it is tough enough to continue working after being run over by a truck.

It can take anything that you or Mother Nature throws at it.

Of course, it is waterproof too (thanks to the o-ring seal). It works immediately, even after it has been completely soaked in water.

That means that no matter the weather, you’ll always be able to start a fire. And this lighter is perfect for boating trips because you never have to worry about dropping it in the lake.

It is small and light. You can fit it in your pocket, or clip it to your bag. The flame it provides is direct and powerful.

It is also refillable, and has a easily replaceable wick so it will be useful year after year.

Conclusion

The EverStryke Match Pro lighter clearly fulfills all the requirements for an effective survival lighter.

Durable, light, waterproof, and refillable, it has everything you need whether you’re out on a camping trip or building an emergency kit.