Survive in the Wilderness With These 4 Fire-Starting Methods

Survival anywhere can be dependent on your ability to safely start a fire. There are many different methods to do this were experimenting with different types of fire starting devices.  In the video below, you’ll see the technique of lighting Vaseline soaked cotton balls.

We used four different fire starters: a cheap magnesium one from Harbor Freight which costs $2.99, the Sparkie which sells for around $9, a large good quality fire steel which sells for about $15.00 and the Lightning Strike from Holland Shooters Supply which cost about $50.

In the following video, you can see how they each function in the hands of someone with a minimum of training.

As you can see, they all do the job.  Some are a little easier to use than others.  To me the magnesium fire starter from Harbor Freight can be a bit hard to use.  The magnesium scrapes off easily enough, but the striker is pretty poor. If I were to carry this, I would carry a backup striker.

The Sparky works well and it has the advantage that it can be used one handed.  The large fire steel works well and will do the job.  After this test, we consider the Lightning Strike to be the Cadillac of fire starters. It’s a bit pricey. It is not cheap but it puts out a large volume of sparks when used correctly. When the strike wears out, you can purchase a spare and reuse the unit.  I like the fact that it lets you carry tinder in its base.  I have a Lightning Strike in my own kit.

All of these fire starters work and could save your life in an emergency. From what I have observed when there is a failure, it is normal the fault of the operator not the device.  With any method, practice is necessary.