In emergency situations it's surprising how often starting a fire can be a life saver. Depending on the emergency type you may need a fire for warmth, cooking, light, or protection. Have a reliable fire starter handy is so important.
We're fans of carrying multiple types of fire starters depending on the activity. Some work better than others and some last longer than others.
We've experimented with dozens of fire starter devices, matches, bush craft methods, etc. and found there is a huge variance in ease of use and duration.
Since the beginning of history, man has depended on fire to survive. Even now, we heat our homes, cook our food, and make most products we use with some sort of fire.
In an emergency we often need fire to survive. Fortunately, we don't have to start fire today with sticks or flint.
So, which one is the best fire starter option?
The goal is to have a fire starter handy that is easy to use and lasts long enough to get you our of your emergency.
There are many uses for fire. In an emergency the uses become very basic.
Texas Power Outage
In 2021 Texas has a massive cold spell that brought down the grid. Electricity went out for millions of people. Stories filled the internet with people trying to survive the cold without conventional home-heating methods.
Some resorted to building fires just to stay warm. Many were using outdoor grills to cook food. It was very primative.
When normal services become unavailable fire is used to:
While we like BIC lighters for their simplicity, reliability, and price, we chose new rechargeable arc lighters are our preferred fire starting method.
An arc plasma lighter uses a battery and a couple of nodes to create dual electric arcs. Some claim they "work on the same principle as lightning". The arcs produce intense heat, in some cases as much as 2000 degrees Fahrenheit.
That's enough heat to light nearly any tinder on fire.
We've tested them. We were able to instantly start dry kindling, paper, grass, and more on fire. Simply touch the plasma arc to the tinder source and it lights up.
Many arc lighters now come with flashlights that run on the same battery power so you always have flame and light with you.
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