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 your fire starter kits 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 your fire kit is 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, which could very well end up being a survival kit.
Will you be likely to run into wet and windy weather conditions find yourself in need of an emergency fire? 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 to carry in your fire starter kits, 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, is an emergency fire starter that 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. They are typically made from a solid magnesium block or magnesium rod with a built-in flint bar to create the initial sparks necessary to start your emergency fire.
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 or stormproof matches.
Stormproof matches are windproof, waterproof and will work even if they have been soaked in water, which makes them an important part of emergency fire starter kits.
Vaseline Coated Cotton Balls
Keep a sandwich bag of vaseline coated cotton balls in your fire starter kit. These fire starters make for great tinder, as they catch fire easily and continue to burn for a while.
Vaseline fire starters are the perfect fire starter for starting an emergency fire under the wettest of 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, which is why they are an important part of any survival kit or emergency fire starter kit.
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 and should be part of any emergency fire starting 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 emergency fire starting kit, especially to suit the conditions that you will be in.
Happy fire starter kit building!
