Matches vs Lighters what & WHY do you prefer the method?

[hunter63]

Here you go

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Starts a good, reliable fire....... until the battery goes dead.

LOL

Just before the battery goes dead........call DW and have her come an rescue you....wet, cold, dark, hungry........"Honey, can you come a get me...again, I can't get my fire piston to work".

[Shalako]

I normally use waterproof, strike anywhere matches. I also normally also carry a Zippo as backup. but I will use whatever is available.

[SARKY]

I've gotten so used to using a firesteel that is all I use anymore.

[crashdive123]

If you ain't cheating, you ain't trying.

sjj - now you have to leave your post up so people will know what I'm talking about.

[Firecraft]

Magnesium Fire Starter, I actually prefered a lighter but I wasn't very good with matches before so I chose lighter, but I'm pretty good with everything now, except for the bow drill which I never tried

[whitis]

TSA lifted the ban on common lighters (zippo, butane), but not torch lighters, on 2007-08-04. They were so busy confiscating as many as 39,000 lighters a day (avg 22,000), they were distracted from looking for bombs.
http://www.tsa.gov/travelers/sop/index.shtm

Molten lead or solder gets your attention much faster when you are wearing shorts - especially if you have hairy legs. Fortunately the quantity was smaller.

Butane lighter. cheap, convenient, fuel doesn't evaporate.
zippo (might as well be empty if used infrequently) in waterpproof container with can of fluid and repair kit. Can use alternate fuels.
firesteel/waterproof matches.

carbide lamp (provides fire, light, emergency heat, entertainment, 2400degC flame - higher than melting point of most metals). bulky. spent fuel needs to be packed out of some environments but actually is relatively non-toxic (even has food uses) and has numerous uses including as plaster, water treatment, CO2 scrubber. provides spark. Helmet mount. can be used for marking. You don't have to use it to make a fire, it is a fire; it can boil water and when used with a poncho or trash bag (normally carried in helmet) can keep you warm. When carbide added to fire, rain will make it burn more vigorously instead of extinguishing it. Prior to LED lights, they had better light to fuel weight ratios than electric. They start fires even when you don't ask them too.

[paul m]

I personally like Zippo.But you have to take what's going.

[Rick]

It gets your attention when you're 35 feet in the air and wearing Carharts, too. Just sayin'.

[sh4d0wm4573ri7]

I always try to have at least 3 different ways to start a fire and usually carry some my own home remedy tinder too

[sh4d0wm4573ri7]

I carry all and am quite satisfied. When I want a fire I want a fire in any conditions I face not later right now.

[Warheit]

I always try to have at least 3 different ways to start a fire and usually carry some my own home remedy tinder too

Great post, Shadow. Diversity is key!

[socom2173]

Why people carry only less effective ways to start a fire I do not know. When I want a fire it's no time to play "mountain man".
In a true "survival situation" do you really want to start with flint rods and matches then work up to a lighter?..
No, you go straight to the lighter, IF you brought one.

Say you're in the mountains its raining and you get lost, its starting to get dark and you slip on a wet rock while crossing a river or stream and fall in. You are cold, you're tinder is soaked and you are shivering. You have not long to get a fire going. Before you start to lose dexterity in your hands and Hypothermia is setting in. I know this is a worse case but, thats what I plan for. Thats why its called SURVIVAL and not Camping.

I have no doubt there are people that can get something going IF they could find/prepare a dry tinder but, I would not bet my life on it.
I don't know why anyone would even pack matches seems like we could just skip this technology all together. Firesteels are fun and Lighters are serious fire starters but Matches seem like just wasted space. Fire lighting technology has come a long way in the last one hundred years!

I used to smoke, I tried to carry a Zippo, I could not keep the fluid in it for more than 3 days. I got tired of refilling it all the damn time. It would just keep evaporating out. I could not recomend a Zippo as a survival tool.

I know it's fun to start fires with Firesteels. But you had better have a couple lighters on you as well and ALWAYS carry one on your body at all times!

[Rick]

Socom - I think it all has it's place. Here's a thread FinallyMe put together. If you scroll down you'll see the kit I put together off his idea. It's an outstanding kit, relatively inexpensive and it's waterproof. It doesn't get much better than that.

http://www.wilderness-survival.net/f...ighlight=decon

[randyt]

I carry a zippo and a fire steel and matches. The one thing I carry that I recommend is some trioxine (sp) bars. On a recent outing I set camp up in a rain storm. after camp was set I started a fire in my lavvu. Everything was wet even the squaw wood and it was getting dark fast. Birch bark wouldn't even light up. I gathered the driest squaw wood I could get and got the fire going with a trioxine bar. I didn't want to monkey around, I live in northern mich and the potential for cold weather is there. anywoo my two cents.

[Rick]

Dang, I thought I'd lot my mind. I thought I had posted a response to Socom then came back and it was gone. I guess we have two fire starting threads going. Oh, well.

[crashdive123]

Your matches probably got wet.

[Rick]

Yeah, my fire fizzled. Well, something did.

[socom2173]

Yeah, my fire fizzled. Well, something did.

You might wanna have your Testosterone levels checked for that

[BENESSE]

Dang, I thought I'd lot my mind. I thought I had posted a response to Socom then came back and it was gone. I guess we have two fire starting threads going. Oh, well.

As they say, the mind's a second thing to go.

[Rick]

No it's not. I just don't remember what is.