I just bought some fire starters made by Landmann, I will try them out later today & let you know how they are! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/smile.gif" alt="" />

did you get them for a good price?

What kind did you get? Are you talking about a flint/steel setup or tinder?

I tried to light them with a strickforce ,but it would not light, it lit with a match very easily & burned for about 3 minutes, with a very hot flame, you could easily light a good fire with one!

I gave $5.99 for a box of 24 it says that they burn at 1500deg.f & burns up to 10 mins. mine burned for about 3to5mins.with a blue flame!

Even though it would not start with a direct blast from a strickforce, with a cottonball or other tinder on top of it, it will light very easily & burn long enough to get a good fire started! & they are waterproof!

Although I have a few of the NRA kits, I still include a magnesium block firestarter in my kits. Those shavings burn HOT ! I also keep a few trioxane heat tabs - tried and proven. Tom

Trioxane tabs work great. Though, I prefer to use them as an alternative to starting a fire since they burn so long. Unless it's REALLY wet, that is. One trioxane tab will burn long and hot enough to boil a small/medium pot of water. Great to use for a quick break during a hike. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />

The only downside that I've had with them is that they can crumble into powder if left in your pack too long. I recently opened the pouch I keep them in to find that the packages were nearly empty! <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/eek.gif" alt="" />

<img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" /> <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

What's your favorite fire starter?

I personally carry a magnesium/ ferro rod combo and a Bic lighter as part of my standard kit.

The problem that I have with the magnesium is that it can blow away if not really protected from small breezes, however for damp tinder it works great. (Which in about a couple of months will be quite plentifull here.)

I haven't used anything besides flint and steel to start a fire for years. I keep a magnesium/flint bar on my keychain so it's with me at all times, because ya just never know. For tinder we use pitch wood because it's so prevalent in the area, but still have to be careful of the wind blowing the shavings away.

For quite a while there, a group of us from the area would go out into the woods for some fire/coffee/knife time. Hopefully we can get that started again, soon (with new Scrap blades!). It was always a great time and was a great way to practice our basic skills. <img src="/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/laugh.gif" alt="" />

Ferro rod, cotton balls, and fatwood.

I to like the primitave way but I do put a modern spin on it. The only firestarters I carry Are ferro rods and tender. There are many types of tender to be used. Apparently fatwood will catch a spark and start a fire but its not as common on the east coast. Those west coast guys can trip and will land on a piece of fatwood. I prefer to carry cotton balls and an accelerant. I like to take A piece of bicycle tube with me, just cut off a small piece and place it on the cottonball. The cotton starts the fire and the tube makes it burn hotter and longer, thus allowing you to start wet/damp wood. Trioxane tabs are great but I dont use the hole things. I crush mine up and use very small ammounts (less than 5% of a tab) to get the fire started. Trioxane will burn in flooded areas. Hexamine/firepast works really well but its messy/bulky to carry and more expensive than vaseline. Vaseline works well mixed into a cottonball as it allows the cotton to burn hotter and longer but its messy to carry. Some people like to use a cardboard egg carton with dryer lint and then covered in tallow. I think these are to bulky to carry and take time to make. One can also use powdered magnesium however it will splatter when hit with water thus very dangerous to use in rain/drizzle.
I also like to practice firebow techniques but its very difficult to learn and would only be used in an extreme emergency as it takes a while to build the pieces and its very bulky to pack.