I have a swedeish fire steel and a blastmatch or first strike.
For kindling I have a waterproof match container filled with vaseline impregnated cotton balls
and I also carry OB brand tampons. Cut them into thirds, fluff them out and hit it with a spark, you
got fire!. One other thing i carry is several petrolium gauze pads (the kind you use for a sucking
chest wound), if you make a small X in the center of one side of the package, peel back the
corners of the X and pull a bit of the guaze out, hit it with a spark and it will light and burn like a candle
wicking the petrolium jelly up the gauze. (Make a good candle)

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Retired Navy SERE (Survival, Evasion, Resistance, Escape) Instructor
certified pistol, rifle, shotgun, home defense Instructor
NRA Life Member
Survival & Disaster Preparedness Instructor

Just reading through some of these posts here and realizing that there are a whole bunch of items that people pack in thier survival kit. I'm trying to get a small kit together but not spend a ton of money eaither. Do I really need some kind of firestarter thingy like a blastmatch? aren't matches or a lighter good enough? Waht's really the benefit? Sorry if this has been answered in another post.

Matches or a lighter are fine, but you should always have more than one way of doing things. Consumables run out, and equipment does wear out and break. I carry several lighters with my and in my BOB. I also have a magnesium firestarter that I use at times to make sure I am proficient with it. In a long term TEOTWAIKI situation, lighter fuel and matches will be used up. What will you use to start your fires?

_________________
Hope for the best, but plan for the worst.

NRA Certified Instructor for Basic Handgun and Personal protection in the Home.
V.F.W. Life Member
NRA Member
U.S. Army Veteran

Hello Folks,
Just thought I would dropin as I had stumbled upon your site through research and see no one is talking about a most wonderful product for starting fires. After all my years of hitching about the country side and starting fires all sorts of way. A couple years back I stumbled upon the best of the best fire starters. Even after a year or more of sitting in storage. with a little work and lube I had it sparking up for me again.

Before I tell you what it is and where I got mine. Let me say that it is not for the light of heart in preparing. They are not cheap and unless you are serious about being able to start a fire no matter what then you won't spend the money for this item.

Oh and with a little research I found that when I run ot of lube I can use a host of other things like bees wax. and a roll of string will last past your life time. Your kids could use it.

Ok I'm done babbling. The item is called a fire piston. I just love it and we got ours here. One ready to go and one as a kit so we could learn how to do what is needed to keep it going for a life time.....

http://www.survivalschool.com/products/ ... istons.htm

p.s. I'm sure with a little research yu may be able to find them cheaper.

~AM~

p.s.s.
I agree with dclaarjr, Several means to start a fire is wise and not of them more then 10 or 15 dollars. Always have several back ups of a few things in your bag. Specially in snow country. Never know when you may need to stay warm, cook something, or make water safe to drink.... and if you have several, makes for a good barter tool.

I guess i better get some blast matches and a swiss fire starter great ideas thanks