What do you use to start your fire/stove?

I prefer matches (stick) for canister and white gas stoves. I prefer a hot spark (similar to Light My Fire) for alcohol stoves. I find that if I use lighters, it is hard to light the stove and not fry my fingers. With a fire sparker, I can easily light the top of the stove and the pre-heating drops on the side.

As for starting a campfire or wood stove, I prefer stick matches or a miniBic.

I've been using firesteel for years and I love it. I like it better than lighters because it lasts a lot longer and is more durable. If you are willing to sacrifice durability for lighter weight then you can go with the mini firesteel. However, make sure you practice a lot with the mini firesteel before using out on the field as there have been numerous reports of these breaking if you are too rough with them. The mini firesteels are really thin and require some finesse.

I also carry matches as back up.

You're right on about the Bic being simple. It's also light and reliable. I've been using them for many years and have yet to see anything better. I carry matches and a very light spark generator for backup, or if I have to start a wood fire for whatever reason; haven't had either out of my pack within memory.

Bic lighter – been using it for years. It's light, simple and reliable.

Maybe it helps to understand that by Bic most (if not all) mean "Bic" not Bic like …
Franco

Is there another meaning down in Oz?

For those of you who carry the bic, do you carry matches as back up? and if you do, how many

I use my stove to start my stove :)

Piezo?

I generally carry a handful of matches, maybe one or two per cooking period. They weigh very little, are strike anywhere, and live in a waterproof sack in my FAK. A small book of matches would be good, too.

I use a mini Bic and carry about 3 waterproof matches for each day out.

I tried the Firesteel magnesium things but found that I just am not coordinated enough :-(

A lot of people confuse brand names with a type of product, in this case Bic with any type of similar lighter.
Tarptent for a tarp tent
Thermarest for a mat
Band Aid
Kleenex
Vaseline
Memory Stick
Scotch Tape
Fridge
Black and Decker
Hoover
Xerox

Franco
(THE Franco, not a Franco)

I always use a firesteel to light my alky stoves. Not only does it work well in the wet and windy times, I never have to "reach in" like you do with a match, the shower of sparks light the stove easily.

Michael, don't give up on the firesteel. The trick is to hold the striker plate still, and draw the steel back against it. That way you can direct the sparks and you don't jab towards your stove, letting you get in close without knocking it over.

I've always just used a mini Bic with the safety thing removed. They work great and are insanely reliable.

When I got my BushBuddy I decided to go old school. I've started using a LiteMyFire Scout, which is only 1 ounce. I've got 20 cotton balls soaked in vaseline and cut in half to make 40 tinders total. They all fit in one pill bottle and all of them plus the bottle weigh 1 ounce.

Each tinder will burn for about a minute and a half, which is much more useful than a lighter. Try to burn a lighter for that long, and you'll see what I mean. I've used completely rain soaked wood in the BushBuddy twice now (peeled most of the bark off with my knife) and a single half cotton ball was more than enough. For dry wood I will tear half balls in half again, and they are still more than enough. So, the 1 ounce worth of tinders will get me 60-80 fires depending on wood moisture and quality. As my skills get better, I'm sure I'll be able to get by with much less and get more fires per tinder.

That said, I still carry a mini Bic. The fire steel replace the Bic as primary, and the Bic replaced the backup matches. I also prefer the steel for lighting my alcohol stoves or my Snow Peak Giga.

Usually the tiny Firesteel setup. Last trip I just brought a small box of matches carried along in a tiny ziplock, worked great.

i have one on a lanyard that is quite small & light – use it with a small knife most of the time

sometimes other things, though, depending on situation, trip, etc.

for the bushbuddy a firesteel & a coghlans tinder (1/2 tinder in ideal conditions & sometimes up to 2 tinders in unideal)

…

I use a mini Bic for general lighting chores and carry a mini firesteel and some tinder in a spy capsule for backup emergency fire starting. If you carry a Bic for backup, find an o-ring that will fit under the fuel lever to keep it from being accidentally emptied.

If you need more reach than a Bic provides to light a stove, you can use a twig or pine needle to save your pinkies. I haven't had a problem myself.

A firesteel works fine. If you use it infrequently, you may find it corrodes in some climates once the outer coating has been scratched away. A little clear fingernail polish or other thin paint will seal it, or just rub it with a candle and the wax will coat it.

I find that many people have trouble with a firesteel by trying to scratch too fast. Slow with more pressure works better for me. I've had no problem holding the steel still and moving the striker. I do get the nose of the steel right down on whatever I'm trying to light. With an alcohol stove, the sparks travel more than far enough to keep my fingers from being BBQ'd.

Do carry some redundant form of fire starting and a bit of tinder. Petroleum jellied cotton balls are fine, or you can buy Tinder Quick tabs, or Wet Fire tinder tabs. IMHO, an Esbit tab is a great tinder/fire starter. If you want a really easy fire starter, a dab of alcohol gel hand cleaner on an Esbit tab will light with one stroke of a firesteel, or a even Bic that has run out of fuel but has an intact spark wheel. This is all CYA stuff.

To light my alky stove, I dip my spoon (Ti, not plastic, of course) into the fuel, and then use a mini-bic lighter to ignite the spoon, which then lights the stove. Not only does this keep my fingers away from the flames, but also ensures a disinfected spoon.

For backup, I use a LMF sparker and a few tinder tabs.

This gets backed-up with a couple strike anywhere stormproof matches, a trick candle, and perhaps even some hand gel in a pinch.

You're probably thinking I'm some equator-hugging person who is paranoid about being chilled, but to the contrary – I love winter trips. In fact, I'm convinced my wife only keeps me around as a furnace for sleeping on cold nights as I am quite a warm sleeper. Guess I just spent one too many on sub-freezing or even sub-zero hikes where a fire was my best friend.

Hope this helps add to everyone's perspective.

Eric

I've noticed many people refer to "vaseline-soaked cotton balls" as a firestarter. I see why that would work, but how exactly do you "soak" them in vaseline?

I've noticed many people refer to "vaseline-soaked cotton balls" as a firestarter. I see why that would work, but how exactly do you "soak" them in vaseline?

I was amazed at how well it works, and they are easy to make too. At first I just tried smearing them with vaseline, which works well for a few, but it's kind of a messy process. Much easier was just heating a little in a small frying pan over the stove – it melts in just a few seconds like butter. Then I just dipped the cotton balls in it. A little on each ball goes a long way. When you are done, a paper towel cleans up the pan quick and easy.

Stove: I use some kind of spark generator…Spark-Lite, firesteel, piezo ignitor (taken off a Snow Peak stove) or a lantern lighter. I prefer the piezo ignitor and lantern lighter because both move my fingers away from stove burner heads…especialy a primed white/Coleman gas stove!!!

Fire: I use a firesteel with cotton balls as tinder…plain with very dry kindling or with a few drops of 91% isopropyl alcohol or HEET or white/Coleman gas for damp/wet kindling.

Waterproof matches backup for both cases.

b.gin

Dan,

I KNEW there had to be something easier than smearing it on – thanks for the tip. (I had to re-write what I wanted to say a few different times before coming up with this…everything else would've been censured)

Another vote for wood matches. I tend to empty all the fuel out of a lighter in about the first three attempts lighting the stove, plus I burn myself too easily. Maybe I didn't get enough practice using a lighter in college.

"vaseline-soaked cotton balls" as a firestarter.
Dan wrote:
'Much easier was just heating a little in a small frying pan over the stove – it melts in just a few seconds like butter.'

I haven't tried this with vaseline, but for things like parafin wax it's recommended to use a double boiler. Putting flammable stuff in a pan directly on the stove can start a fire. Just put the stuff in a can and put the can in a pot of water, then boil the water. It'd be easier to clean the pot also.