the fallacy of firesteels

I keep a waterproof Field Lighter in my pocket. With the roller engaged the lid cantilevers onto an O-ring, keeping it waterproof for 5 minutes. It also has a built in spare fuel tank that contains a few extra ML of lighter fluid that I could pour onto some wood to use as tinder.

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http://gearward.com/collections/frontpage/products/field-lighter

In my BOB I keep the 25 pack of UCO stormproof matches that come in the waterproof container, a firesteel, and waterproof tinder, along with a Bic's in little Mylar bags.

UCO_StormproofMatchKit.jpg
 
Last time I started fire in the very wet and still raining, I pulled from my fire starting ziplock bag a toilet paper tube stuffed to overflowing with dryer paper lint. Had no problem finding tender and lit a fire with that toilet paper roll very quickly.

Now-a-days I keep matches, a BIC lighter, a ferro-cerium rod, dryer lint, and birch bark in a sandwich sized zip lock in my pack. Weighs very little and takes up extremely little volume. Though I almost never start a fire, I can do so very easily with my kit. Fire is one of the "ten essentials".
 
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Thomas Linton said:
"Toilet paper lint" ?
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Dryer lint stuffed into a toilet paper tube.

I keep empty toilet paper roll tubes on a window sill in my laundry room. When we load the dryer and empty the lint screen, we stuff the lint in the tube. We use those lint stuffed tubes to start fires in our fire pit out back. I also keep one lint stuffed tube in my fire kit in my pack.
 
TP makes for poor tinder as it tends to suck up water easily. Doesn't take long before it resists burning to some degree then becoming very hard to blow into flames if coaling. But then again I am just making a statement based on experience in my AO doing what I do. If really dry it does ignite from a firesteel.
 
Woods Walker said:
TP makes for poor tinder as it tends to suck up water easily. Doesn't take long before it resists burning to some degree then becoming very hard to blow into flames if coaling. But then again I am just making a statement based on experience in my AO doing what I do. If really dry it does ignite from a firesteel.
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It's not TP, it's dryer lint,and it's not tender, it's a starter (a step below tender, if you will). For years, we've used it all the time to easily and surely start fires.

I now see I type toilet paper lint. Never heard of that. Meant dyer lint. Edited the post to state dryer lint. A toilet paper tube stuffed with dryer lint.
 
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leghog said:
It's not TP, it's dryer lint,and it's not tender, it's a starter (a step below tender, if you will). For years, we've used it all the time to easily and surely start fires.

I now see I type toilet paper lint. Never heard of that. Meant dyer lint. Edited the post to state dryer lint. A toilet paper tube stuffed with dryer lint.
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Oh dryer lint. I get it now. Thanks for the clarification. I always thought the progression was tinder then kindling then fuel? Not sure and what's in a name anyways. The starter aka method of ignition being the fire steel, lighter or matches? Again not sure.
 
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Aubrey said:
Firesteels have become fashionable for sure but don't play the player ...play the ball.

Why is your daypack 1/4 mile away ...on your person in such cold conditions you should have basics fire starting items., BTW, after falling in the water the lighter is useless.

Tinder compartment .... because when you are cold and wet there is nothing as quick and water proof as a cottonball with petroleum jelly on. You cannot touch your pinky to the thumb but now you want to go hunt for tinder? Sure way to get the hurt on.

Problem is not the firesteel .... it's the lack of skill that is hidden under a lot of hype.

All comes down to skills and what works for you.

I carry a lighter for that easy fire start but a waterproof combination of petroleum gel soaked cotton balls and firesteel will work even if wet.

Cheers from Africa

Aubrey
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Now that the Zombie thread IS ALIVE!!! I must interject. If you get a (Bic) lighter wet/submerged it is not useless. Shake out the water, blow into the top a few times to dislodge any extra drops to start the drying out. Then run the sparker wheel in reverse a few times and it will light just fine. I know from personal experience. If it has fuel it will work eventually. Depends on how fast you can dry it out.
That said I always have a new lighter, "commercial tinder" (wet dry or tinder quick), some waxed jute twine, UCO storm matches (the small waterproof 15 pack with added tinder quick replacing the cotton it came with and then YES a firesteel as the back up to everything else.
 
If you use a container for your fire kit you can add a layers or two of this stuff under the rest of your items. DIY cut to size.

[video=youtube;Xj3FDeZZVjQ]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xj3FDeZZVjQ[/video]
 
I recently tried the cotton ball/petroleum jelly starter with my scouts. It is great. Starts easily and burns for several minutes. I soaked several the put them in a water proof pill bottle. Thus is now my no. 1 method for fire starting (not including road flairs).
Ron Athay
 
Every option is a better option when circumstances are for it. A magnifying glass is the best option until its dark, storm-proof matches are the best until they run out, lighters are the best unless it breaks. You get the idea. The main thing is to have either enough practice and experience to win when things are tough, or stack the deck in your favor. a few ounces of firestarting tools will give you multiple options that you can try to work to your advantage when you go to light that fire. There is nothing wrong with having a method that is just there to try out and having a for-sure backup plan. "One is none" applies here like everywhere else.
 
I will never ''know it all'' and only have my personal experience, and that which I read. My experience was being on the north shore of Lake Athabasca in the dead of winter trying to start a fire with a lighter that barely worked, along with my body, in the cold. I did it, but the lighter AND materials were recalcitrant. I taught myself how to use a fero rod from practice in various environment and climatic conditions after that, and almost getting lost in the Boreal forest once....so out of fear basically. I went through the Vaseline cotton ball etc. thing years ago. These days I go nowhere without a fero as I am outdoors a lot for various interests. But I usually pack a couple of lighters with me for their speed and efficiency. But the rod is ALWAYS a back up. To each their own for your individual experiences and or environment.
 
Firesteels are not the fastest way of lighting up fire - but they are also not intended to be!

Firesteel is last and most durable, long lasting resource of fire ignition that you can carry with you into every possible environment without having to be worried of humidity, cold or wet, firesteel will simply ignite every properly prepared fuel... Of course it will not ignite wet wood - neither will do matches or lighter.

I understand the frustration that can happen when trying to light up fire in a hurry, but again - firesteel is last and most reliable artificial resort, however probably most awkward one, when significant work and effort must be put into ignition...

It's always great help to carry also magnesium stick (many Firesteels comes in combo - dually made along magnesium) which is creating extreme hot burning temperature when lighten up and increase chances of successful ignition rapidly, especially when it's bits concentrated in one hot spot within centre of fuel mass ...
 
I enjoy starting my fires with a firesteel but I have with it a bic lighter, matches in a waterproof container and various tinder like dryer lint and quick fire starters. I am not expert on firesteel but it's fun to use, so that's my primary firestarter.
 
That is the best thing I have read yet. Make a handle out of Fatwood. Not trying to sell anyone a firesteel. However, I did have a similar experience in March of 2004 in Tennessee where I fell out of a boat into 42 degree river water and 33 degree air temp and 30 mph winds, rain sleet and snow. The best thing I brought with me that day was a friend. But I have made that trip many years by my self and that day would have been a bad day if I had been alone. I still ask myself and I ask you this. What are you willing to carry on your person EDC, that would help in this situation. My answer after years of asking was a lighter with fatwood matches under a ranger band and a fatwood firesteel around my neck. By the way, I pulled my bic ligher from my pocket to use the other day and unknown to me it was empty. I am not saying that a Fatwood Firesteel would have instantly solved my wet body and clothes, but it would have given me a chance. What ever you choose to carry to get from spark to flame, you better also have some way of sustaining a flame to get that wet wood burning. I have since tested some of these methods in very wet and cold conditions without the wind. The fatwood was the deciding factor. Not just some scrapings, but a handle size piece that would go from spark to flame even in the wind, and the rest of the hand size handle cut in small pieces to allow the wet kindling to burn and build. Many of you have made good points, but remember the old army moto, "one is none, two is one". Never go with just one thing that can fail like liters and matches, or things that can get lost like 1 ferro rod. Bottom line is no one can convince you what is best. Go test yourself in controlled conditions and prove to yourself what you can depend on. Everyone be safe.
 
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I'll second or third the recommendation for having a good supply of dry tinder on hand.

However, it is important to closely examine how well you (or I) can actually *use* our fire-starting kit in adverse conditions.

Consider FatwoodFiresteel's situation above. Your hands are cold and your entire body is shaking/convulsing uncontrollably. Can you really, honestly make effective use of your firesteel? Can you actually hold onto and control that nifty, tiny little sparking tab to get the big glob's of sparks you need to get a fire going? I can't (unintentionally proved it to myself once several years back....).

Nowadays, in my fire kit i have 2 lighters, several plastic-sealed "OB method" tampons, petroleum jelly cotton balls, ~ 12 "sealed" Boat Matches (w/sandpaper to strike against), my firesteel (3/8" diameter and about 4" long) and my firesteel striker (not some dinky piece of hacksaw blade you have to pinch btw finger and thumb which is nearly impossible to do when hypothermia sets in - experience taught me this).

My fire steel striker is one of the "el-cheapo" steak knives you get at Dollar Tree or similar. I snap off the blade about 3/4" from the handle. By grasping the relatively large plastic handle, i can easily scrape *huge* globs off my fire steel.

Just a few thoughts to prompt a wider discussion.....
 
fmajor007 said:
Your hands are cold and your entire body is shaking/convulsing uncontrollably. Can you really, honestly make effective use of your firesteel? Can you actually hold onto and control that nifty, tiny little sparking tab to get the big glob's of sparks you need to get a fire going? I can't (unintentionally proved it to myself once several years back....).
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Yes, I can hold the ferrocerium steel just above the tender with it against my Victorinox's awl quickly pull the fire steel up and across the stationary awl. Doing that with my Gob Spark Armaggedon will assure a virtual shower of large sparks. Using that technique with that ferrocerium rod I usually only need one try. Not all fire steels are equal.
 
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