A 3.4oz fire starting insurance policy

Dale,

I trust you more that I do the Orion info but, just to double check, the specs at Orion for this product # and UPC code are:

Specifications:

Item Number: 750
Weight: 8 oz each
Dimensions: 6 X 9.5 X 1.25
UPC: 077403107506

Is the 8 ounce number incorrect?

Thanks,

Daryl

Well Daryl, lessee….

I weighed one on my scale and got 3.4oz each and they come two to a pack for a 6.8oz total and we can throw in a little for packaging, so we might have a 1/2-3/4oz descrepancy. What do you think?

Rex asked, "Why not cut off part of a standard flare"

I did that years ago. It's messy and it creates more opportunity for moisture and air to get into the chemicals. I imagine there is some risk to applying friction and sharp ferrous tools to something this flammable.

Air and moisture exposure shorten the shelf life of items like this (air equals moisture anyway) . That's why I suggested using a seal-a-meal bag for storage. Add the friction of bouncing around with your other gear in your pack and you can see why I want a nice sealed package.

I would be more prone to just carry a whole 15 minute flare if cost and availabity prevented getting the smaller version and conditions warranted having this sort of backup.

Interesting discussion. A quick google shows a 4 pk for 11.99 at O'Reilly auto parts,a bit better price break; don't know if those are national chains or regional, but we have them here.

O'Reilly auto parts doesn't actually stock them– first place I tried. They special order them and double the cost with shipping.

Walmart shows them on their website for $4.88/pack, but they aren't in stock and they are my last choice retailer. The other complication is that flammables like this are classed "ORMD" for shipping which means Ground UPS and extra fees.

@Dale Ah, I see. Guess I was just thinking they'd do the "we can have it here by tomorrow,etc…." like they do on parts, but had I looked into it further I'd have discovered the same. ;-)

Dale,

Thanks for the info.

My question was based upon a misreading of their website info. I (incorrectly) thought they were giving a weight of 8 ounces per flare.

"@Dale Ah, I see. Guess I was just thinking they'd do the "we can have it here by tomorrow,etc…." like they do on parts, but had I looked into it further I'd have discovered the same. ;-)"

I had to go to a store to get the info. They were supposed to call me back with an ETA and actual shipping cost, which didn't happen.

If you want these things, you have to be willing to hunt and pay.

"If you want these things, you have to be willing to hunt and pay."

Not much hunting, but certainly paying! I just paid $20 for a 2-pack, but they seem like such a good backup for winter backpacking I didn't really care about the cost.

Thanks for posting about these Dale.

…"but they seem like such a good backup for winter backpacking I didn't really care about the cost."

Agree! Most of us here think little about spending money on the latest, lightest gear :-)and when it comes to something like this it's definitely worth it IMO.

And yes, thanks for posting Dale, great and timely discussion! I also appreciated the fire building strategies shared.

Edit: I just talked with my local O'Reilly's 11.49 +10.39 to ship+tax. looks like about 6 bucks a piece for a 4 pk…..now let's see who do I know with a seal-a-meal :-)

I picked up a pair today from the Walmart store in Renton Washington. I ordered it online with store pick-up yesterday morning and it was ready for pick-up as of yesterday evening.

Looking forward to experimenting.

Thanks, Daryl! What was the cost?

Dale,

$4.88 plus tax for two.

Yes, thanks Daryl!

After tumbling down into a ravine in the dark one night (by myself) I decided that what I carried in my pocket(old Eagle Scout) was neither accessible enough or adequate. I made my own many, loop turkey call survival necklace that includes among a ton of other things: storm matches in a wax sealed container, fire steel and striker, 2 Diabetic strip containers-one full of magnesium filing and one of Vaseline soaked cotton balls. Have not gotten around to epoxying a keyring onto a Bic. Only issue is that the Paracord soaks up the sweat and smells awful.
Shortly thereafter, SPOT came out and was added so "my wife can find the corpse for insurance purposes".

Regards,
Paul