Magnesium fire starter tools are cheap, reliable, waterproof and readily available at dozens of online retailers (see below for our list of the 6 best magnesium fire starter tools and the best place to buy them).

They are also lightweight, relatively safe, easy to use, highly transportable, and compact, which is why they are one of the most popular fire starting tools among outdoor enthusiasts, survivalist and preppers.

A magnesium fire starting tool usually includes a block of magnesium with a built-in ferro rod or flint and a scraping and striking tool.

Simply scrape-off some magnesium shavings onto a dry leaf or other kindling and strike the built-in ferrocerium rod with the back of your knife or the included scraper to produce a shower of sparks and the shavings will ignite.

Once ignited, the magnesium will burn very quickly producing flames that reach over 5,000 degrees so it’s very important that you have your fire bed and kindling prepared and ready to go.

If you’re planning on getting a magnesium fire starter tool but have never used one before, it’s a good idea to practice with it a few times before you find yourself in a situation where it’s your only option for fire or survival.

Check out our How To Use A Magnesium Fire Starter article for more info.

Best Magnesium Fire Starter

Here are the 6 Best Magnesium Fire Starters (I may earn a commission from Amazon for qualified purchases)…

• Fire-Fast Trekker
• The Friendly Swede 3-pack
• SE FS374 Magnesium Firestarter Kit
• Doan (U.S. Military Government Issue)
• Survival Spark
• Fire-Fast Inferno

1. Fire-Fast Trekker Magnesium Fire Starter

The Fire-Fast Trekker is a combination Ferro Rod and Military Grade Magnesium Rod of massive proportions that’s made in Austria for old-world reliability and craftsmanship.

The Trekker has a hardwood handle that provides for the surest of grips, even under the most extreme weather conditions including freezing cold temperatures, snow flurries and even pouring rain. An added bonus is that the hardwood handle can be shaved-off and used for tinder in an emergency situation.

The included striker/scraper is made from hardened steel and is sharp enough to create a shower of sparks to light your fire with ease, but not sharp enough to cut your hand.

The paracord strap has a tensile strength rating of 550lbs and is made in the United States by a certified U.S. government contractor, so it shouldn’t rot or break even under the most adverse conditions.

The Fire-First Trekker hardwood handle and the striker/scraper both come with pre-dilled holes that allow them to be attached to the paracord strap, so you’ll never have to worry about losing one the most important pieces of your fire-starting kit (try that with those chintzy little steel-ball straps that other lower-quality fire starting tools come with).

The Fire-Fast Trekker is durable, reliable, waterproof, and designed to light thousands of fires, even when wet. It’s one of the toughest fire-starting tools around, and it’s built to stand-up to years of use and abuse.

Click here for the best price for the Fire-Fast Trekker on Amazon.

2. The Friendly Swede Magnesium Flint Fire Starter – 3 Pack

If you’re looking for a smaller tool, then the Friendly Swede has you covered. It’s only 3 inches long, less than ¾ inches thick and less than 1 ¼ inches wide and only weighs a few ounces, which means it easily slips into your pocket, your EDC backpack, your get home bag, or anywhere else where your gear needs to be compact and lightweight.

This handy 3-pack of The Friendly Swede means you’ll be able to keep one in your glove box (which is what I do), one in your bug-out bag or with your camping equipment, and one on your keychain or around your neck so you’ll always have quick access to a dependable waterproof fire-starting tool when you need one.

Each one can be use approximately 5,000 times and contain a solid block of magnesium, a steel scraper to shave off the magnesium, an embedded flint rod and steel striker to throw sparks hot enough to ignite the magnesium shavings and a steel ball chain that helps prevent losing the individual tools. It even has a built-in bottle opener, so you can use it to enjoy your favorite cold-beverage in front a roaring fire!

The Friendly Swede is waterproof, lightweight, compact, dependable, provides its own tinder and it’s own spark to light your fire, and it’s easy to use even under the most severe weather conditions including extreme cold, snow, rain, high winds and high altitudes. Try all that with a butane lighter!

Click here for the best price available for the Friendly Swede Fire on Amazon.

3. SE FS374 2-in-1 All-Weather Magnesium Firestarter Kit

If you’re looking for an inexpensive pocket-sized tool that you can toss in your fire-starting kit, then the SE FS374 is worth checking out.

It comes with a solid magnesium bar that should last for a few hundred uses, a built-in flint striking rod, a metal striker with a serrated edge, a ball chain link, and a bonus mini-compass (I wouldn’t bet my life on the accuracy of any compass included as a bonus at this low of a price, but it’s nice to have around for a quick bearings check).

The SE FS374 Fire Starting Kit may not be the sexiest option, but it is a reliable option that gets the job done.

Click here to check-out the best price for the SE FS374 on Amazon.

4. Doan Magnesium Fire Starter U.S. Military Government Issue

This is an Authentic Doan that’s made in the U.S.A. and ships in the exact same packaging that is supplied to the U.S. Military. It even includes that same easy-to-follow instruction sheet that is standard U.S. Government issue.

They manufacture the Doan U.S. Military specs to be durable, reliable and dead-simple to use. They even clearly mark the Magnesium block side with big, bold letters that read “Shaving Edge” and the flint rod side with the words “Sparking Insert”, so there’s no confusion about which side to use during even the most stressful emergency situations.

All you have to do to do is shave the magnesium into a pile the size of a quarter, sprinkle the shavings on a small mound of kinder, flip the tool over and strike the built-in flint rod with the edge of your knife and a shower of red-hot sparks will ignite the magnesium to start your fire.

The genuine Doan is designed to be one of the most reliable and dead-simple fire starter tools you’ll ever use.

Click here to get the best price on a certified-genuine Doan on Amazon.

5. Survival Spark Magnesium Fire Starter

The Survival Spark is wind-resistant, waterproof, lightweight, easy to use and consistently provides a huge shower of fire-starting sparks up to 15,000 times.

It includes an extra-long striker/scraper that is easy to grip (even when you’re wearing gloves). Use the serrated edge as a scraper to create a small pile of Magnesium Shavings from the included rod, and then use the flat side as a striker to create a cascading shower of sparks to ignite the Magnesium and start a fire. You could also use a permanent match to ignite the shavings.

The Survival Spark also includes an integrated emergency whistle that has been tested at 150 DB, as well as a small compass to help you find your general bearings in the wilderness.

The Survival Spark is a 3-in-1 survival tool that makes a great addition to any fire starting or survival kit.

Check out the lowest prices on Amazon for the Survival Spark.

6. Fire-Fast Inferno Magnesium Fire Starter

The Fire-Fast Inferno features a superior European Flint made from rare earth metals, a large chunk of highest quality Magnesium that is 97% pure, and a generously sized spine and handle made from hardwood which can be scraped for wood shavings and used as tinder for your fire.

It also includes a spring steel striker that is attached to the hardwood handle with U.S. made high-tensile strength paracord.

The Fire-Fast Inferno is the probably the most functional (and coolest looking) fire starting tool you will ever own!

Click here for the best Fire-Fast Inferno price on Amazon – you won’t be sorry!