I'm old, cheap, and I hate things that don't work. One of the things that I've struggled with for more than 50 years is getting a fire lit in the backwoods anywhere and under all conditions. Rain, wind, snow, ice, all the things that can make getting a fire going problematic can be addressed with experience, and through technique. Getting that first little flame going can be an issue though.
Matches of various types and flavors have failed me. Even keeping them in a match safe doesn't really help. At some point you have to drag them out, strike them, and get a fire going. Under some conditions that takes a level of dexterity you don't have. Same with lighters. With the added problem of fuel, or charging the newer piezoelectric types. Flint and steel, fire bow, fire piston each have their own issues.
But, ferrocerium rods and slow match seems to have addressed all the issues for me, anyway. This stuff can be tossed into a bucket of water and left overnight. It'll get a fire going pretty fast when you pull it out and shake it off.
I bought the ferrocerium rod online, for cheap. The 1/4" copper tube came from Ace Hardware. The paraffin came from the canning section of Coastal Farm. The Jute twine you can get pretty much anywhere.
This is my spare jute and paraffin. Lots of slow match there!
This is the slow match pulled out of tube.
Matches of various types and flavors have failed me. Even keeping them in a match safe doesn't really help. At some point you have to drag them out, strike them, and get a fire going. Under some conditions that takes a level of dexterity you don't have. Same with lighters. With the added problem of fuel, or charging the newer piezoelectric types. Flint and steel, fire bow, fire piston each have their own issues.
But, ferrocerium rods and slow match seems to have addressed all the issues for me, anyway. This stuff can be tossed into a bucket of water and left overnight. It'll get a fire going pretty fast when you pull it out and shake it off.
I bought the ferrocerium rod online, for cheap. The 1/4" copper tube came from Ace Hardware. The paraffin came from the canning section of Coastal Farm. The Jute twine you can get pretty much anywhere.
This is my spare jute and paraffin. Lots of slow match there!
This is the slow match pulled out of tube.
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