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

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 rundown of what every survival fire starter kit should include making sure that your fire kit is ready for anything.

Key Takeaways

• Be Prepared for All Conditions: Whether you’re facing wet, windy, or dry conditions, your fire starter kit should be versatile enough to handle it all.
• Essential Components: The must-haves in a fire starter kit include a high-quality survival lighter, a Ferro rod, magnesium fire starter tools, waterproof matches, Vaseline-coated cotton balls, a tea light candle, and fire starter sticks like Fatwood. Each component serves a specific purpose and offers a backup plan for fire-starting.
• Quality Over Quantity: Opt for high-quality items that are durable and reliable. For example, the EverStryke Match is a survival lighter designed to work even under severe conditions, including being run over by a truck.
• Multiple Backup Options: Always have more than one way to start a fire.
• Personalization is Key: Your fire starter kit can be tailored to suit the specific conditions you expect to encounter.

By incorporating these key takeaways into your understanding of building a fire starter kit, you’ll be better prepared for any outdoor adventure or emergency situation. Remember, being prepared is half the battle won.

Fire Starter Kit Components

You should never forget the specific conditions 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 likely run into wet and windy weather conditions and find yourself needing 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 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 essential thing that your fire starter kit can have.

A good survival lighter should be designed to work in even the most severe 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 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.

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

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

And be sure to check out our Exotac fire starter reviews for some great ferro rod recommendations.

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, survivalists, 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 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.

Spark Wheel or Flint Wheel Fire Starter

A flint wheel, also known as a Spark Wheel, operates exactly like any flint-based lighter, including a zippo or a BIC, except for one important difference.

A flint wheel is NOT a lighter because it does not create a flame.

It is designed to create sparks to ignite your tinder.

You simply hold the flint wheel close to your tinder and use your thumb to spin the flint wheel and create sparks.

So, if you can use a lighter, you can use a flint wheel like the Exotac nanoSPARK to start a fire.

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/Fatwood

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.

Tip: Check out our how to start prepping post to learn more about being prepared for emergencies.

Happy fire starter kit building!

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