Best Fire Starter for Emergencies and Survival

The ability to start a fire in emergency and survival situations can be lifesaving. Emergency fire can be used for warmth, cooking, light, protection and psychological benefits. Having a reliable, long lasting fire starter handy is so important.

We're fans of carrying multiple types of fire starters. Our go-bags contain easy-to-use lighters and longer-lasting ferro rods.

Lesson Learned: Bow Drill

Years ago, our Scout troop decided to give bush craft fire starting a try. As a leader who likes to go into a situation prepared I wanted to make sure I could use a bow drill to start a fire. I watched YouTube videos and asked around. I set up in a perfectly dry garage, followed the directions perfectly and couldn't get the fire going. I generated a TON of smoke and charcoal but the tinder powder never turned into an ember or created flame.

Not wanting to be beat, I connected the drill spindle to an electric drill. I proceeded to apply it to the tinder in high speed and STILL no luck. LOTS of smoke but no flame.

I became immediately aware of the importance of a reliable fire starter.

Top Emergency Fire Starters

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 longevity of each method.

The top emergency fire starters are reliable, easy-to-use and durable.

Best Ferro Rod for Survival

Hot Strike Ferro Rod Fire Starter

Best ferro rod fire starter for emergencies and survival

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Easiest to Use Fire Starter

Lighter

Ideal primary option for rapid fire starting

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Rechargeable Fire Starter

Arc Plasma Waterproof Lighter

Ideal enhanced option for rapid fire starting

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Best Fire Extinguisher

Fire Extinguisher

ABC dry chemical class ABC fire extinguisher

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Learn About Survival Fire Starters

Since the dawn of man, we have depended on fire to survive. Even now, we heat our homes, cook our food, and make many of the products we use with some sort of heat or fire.

In an emergency we often need fire to survive. Fortunately, we don't have to start fire today with sticks or natural flint.

Fire Starter Types

This list of fire starters are the most common.

1. Gas lighter - think BIC lighter
   1. pros
   1. easy-to-use
   2. instant flame
1. cons
   
   1. not super durable
   2. not waterproof
   3. not long-lasting
2. Matches - Whether standard or waterproof, having a dry stick to help you get started comes in handy
   1. pros
      1. instant flame
      2. instant tinder
   2. cons
      1. water can be an issue, even with waterproof matches
      2. not long-lasting
3. Ferrocerium rod - special metal rod used to shave sparks into a tinder bundle
   1. pros
      1. long-lasting
      2. waterproof
   2. cons
      1. requires some skill
4. Electric lighter - newer electric arc technology is rechargeable and very effective
1. pros
   1. instant heat
   2. rechargeable
   3. often come with other electric functions
   4. often waterproof
2. cons
   1. not super long lasting - requires outlet
5. Bush craft methods - use natural resources to build fire (bow drill, etc.)
   1. pros
      1. can find materials anywhere
   2. cons
      1. require knowledge and experience

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.

Emergency Uses for Fire Starters

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:

• stay warm - from camping out to surviving power outages, fire is used to keep us warm
• cooking - whether we're camping or surviving, cooking food often requires fire
• lighting your environment - when the lights go out, we can use fire to light the night sky
• protection - fire can protect us from animals, insects, and even people

The Best Survival Fire Starter

We've tested as many fire starters as we can get our hands on. Here's what we've found:

1. Gas lighters are the best for short term emergencies. They light easily and provide instant flame and heat. We like BIC lighters for their simplicity, reliability, and price.
2. Ferro rod are the best long-term fire starters. They can light thousands of fires, even when wet and they're very hard to break.

Conclusion

We recommend having at least 2 types of fire starters in your emergency supplies. Go bags, bug out bags, and 72 hour kits are best with a lighter and ferro rod.

Hot Strike Ferro Rod Fire Starter

Best ferro rod fire starter for emergencies and survival

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Lighter

Ideal primary option for rapid fire starting

Buy on Amazon