Magnesium Firestarter
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Knowing how to build a fire and maintain it is Survival Skills 101. Firecraft is good survival knowledge.
Magnesium Firestarters Work Even When Wet
The problem is how to start a fire when your survival gear may be wet or even damaged for the myriad reasons we get ourselves into survival situations. Waterproof matches and butane lighters can fail, that is a proven fact sadly recounted dozens of times by those who managed to live and tell the tale of their lack of having a fire. These firemaking tools are fine to carry with you but never rely upon them alone.
Fortunately there is a tool start a fire that you can rely on whatever the weather and conditions you are in. Not only does this tool always produces a flame no matter how damp the conditions, it has no unreliable or breakable parts and is intrinsically its own tinder!
What I am writing about is commonly known as the “Magnesium Firestarter”. The magnesium firestarter is simplicity itself - just a bar of soft magnesium metal with a hard flint running the length of one edge. It is inexpensive, small, very light weight, and its flat shape makes it very easy to pack. All excellent attributes for the survivor on a budget who likes to go light.
How to use a Magnesium Firestarter
To use a magnesium firestarter to make a fire, the usual physics of fire apply. First gather up some kindling. The usual bits of bark, small twigs, charred cloth, hairy dry material, etc will do just fine. Then you merely scrape metal shavings of magnesium from the bar and gather them into a small pile about the size of a dime on top of your kindling. Because water cannot soak through the bar of magnesium, it is automatically a dry pile of metal. Use the edge of a knife, a rock, a key, or whatever hard surface is at hand for a scraper.
Next, use a hard surface to quickly scrape down the side of the Swedish firesteel that is built into the bar of magnesium. The back of a knife, a hard rock or piece of glass will do nicely. This action will create a shower of hot sparks that when aimed correctly will instantly catch the magnesium metal shavings on fire. No blowing of air on the pile is needed – it goes off like a flare. And the magnesium fire is a hot fire, over 1000 degrees F that would possibly burn clean through to your bone if it were on your body.
Because the magnesium burns so hot, it can set ablaze even damp kindling in the hands of a reasonably skilled firecrafter. If your first attempt at building a fire using a magnesium firestarter fails, no worry – the bar is large enough to start fires by the hundreds.
Get a Magnesium Firestarter for Your Survival Kit
I recommend you always have a magnesium firestarter handy in your survival kit wherever you go. When you are in a difficult situation and you need assurance that your firemaking tool will come through for you, a magnesium fire starter could very well save your life.
Survival Camp
Louisiana
I have had pretty good success out of the blastmatch. I like that I don't have to use shavings to spark against. The blastmatch sparks on it's own, and I didn't think the sparks would work on it's own at first, until I lit my tinder with it and watched the flame grow. It doesn't require shavings, and is operated with one hand, allowing use of the other hand to shield your tinder from the wind. It takes about ten strikes to break it in, then emits alot of hot sparks. I found it was worth the try.
colorado
Norway
The firesteel is a must but I have a pretty foolproof way to keep matches working. Prepare a block of candle stearin that you melt and make to your preferred size at home on the stove. Keep the matches inside the block, you put them in there when it is melted. Keep the wicks from the candles you melted too.You now have working matches and material to make your own candles or candle heather.
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