You can never predict when you’ll need a fire starter. You simply must be prepared. It’s one of the most important items to have in a serious survival-type situation. You may need to have the means of starting a fire.
Imagine there’s a severe weather emergency and it’s extremely cold outside and you’re without power and heat. You will need to find a way to make a fire in your fireplace or a fire outside to heat food and water.
There are a number of options for fire starters. And you should have a few selections on hand as backup in case one of them fails.
A standard cigarette lighter is one option. You can buy the disposable ones at most discount stores.
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- The disposable lighters are simple, small, butane flame that’s cheap. These are great to have stashed around the house in drawers, since they’re small and don’t take up much space.
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These types of lighters do have their downsides, though.
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- They are not very durable since they’re made of plastic.
- They don’t hold up too well in wet situations such as floods.
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Still, everyone should have a pack of these lying around.
Emergency survival fire starters are another option. These are the types of items you’d want to keep in a bug-out bag or take camping. You can also keep them at home for emergencies. For example…
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- Waterproof matches. These are preferred over standard matches since they can get wet from snow or rain and still light. With a standard match, you’d be left without any way of getting a fire going.
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These waterproof matches also tend to be bigger, so they’ll burn a little longer, giving you a better chance of starting a fire.
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- Flint and steel type of fire starters. These are somewhat difficult to use, especially if you’re new to survival life, compared to the other examples, but they do work consistently.
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If you’re interested in getting one of these types of fire starters, opt for one with a waterproof compartment to keep some fluffy tinder in, so that you can start a fire under wet conditions.
A rechargeable electric lighter is a fancier and safer choice.
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- Rechargeable electric lighters are little pen-looking lighters that use electricity and a rechargeable internal battery to create little arcs, which are certainly hot enough to start a fire.
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While they’re often used for cigarettes or candles, these lighters can be a lifesaver if you keep them charged.
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- The main benefit of using an electric lighter is that the arc is very steady and can’t be blown out by wind the way a fire can.
- It’s also much hotter than a typical fire, so even if you have wet tinder, this should be able to dry it off and ignite it due to its high temperature.
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One big downside of this type of fire starter is that it’s powered by electricity and must be charged via USB, but is still good to have as an option.