Do you carry a backup fire starter? What and Why or Why Not?

Of course you don't.

Ordinary fire starters (Bic lighter or matches) work for me most of the time. However, once every few years I get into a bad situation usually caused by very high wind. That blows out the fire, time after time.

If I expect that situation, I sometimes try to carry a higher-powered lighter like a windproof. That is not foolproof, either.

Where is Mister Zippo when we need him?

–B.G.–

My backup used to be a 2nd lighter – until it failed too and, like you, I had to borrow fire.

Now I carry a good lighter and a Firesteel setup, Especially if I'm using my TD Sidewinder ESBIT stove.

AND I carry Vaseline (petroleum jelly) soaked cotton balls for starting fires when wood is wet on the outside or just plain recalcitrant to light.

People are always amazed at how fast I can light a "pulled apart" Vaselined cotton ball with one or two sparks from my
Firesteel.

"Do you carry a backup fire starter on a longer than a weekend trip? "

Yes. You never know if you're going to have an emergency that extends a "weekend trip". My backup of anything is usually different than the primary. For example, matches or a fire steel are backup to a mini-bic and is carried on my person while the primary is in my cook kit.

It makes sense to carry a spare in a pocket where you'll always have it.

Years ago there was a group of hunters floating a remote river in Alaska. Here's the story to the best of my memory…

They came around a corner with a heavily loaded raft and hit a sweeper which flipped the boat and dumped them into the cold water. In an instant their trip went from a fun time to the very definition of life and death. I think there were about four guys. Luckily no one was "pinned." Some were swept far downstream. They ran up and down the bank yelling and frantically trying to find each other. Miraculously, all survived. But they were out there, tent long gone, tarps long gone, sleeping bags swept downstream. They had nothing but what they were wearing. At least one didn't even have shoes. They were soaked and shivering. Matches and lighters gone with their gear. This was before sat. phones and Spot.

Just about when they thought they were out of luck, one guy remembered he had a lighter in his shirt pocket. His wife had given it to him and made him promise to keep it there. They got it working and started a fire. It was days from the time they flipped until they were rescued. At some point another group of hunters came downstream and gave them a tarp and some food. That one lighter saved their lives.

On trips of moderate lengths I carry two lighters. I try to never depend on fire to save my life. In other words, carry what I need to carry and do what I need to do to avoid getting too cold without outside heat.

For really long, remote trips where I can't resupply I'll carry at least three ways to start fire. Redundancy makes sense when firestarting tools are so light.

I actually only use a firesteel. And then keep another for back up. Never failed, even in the rain.

Use the tiny laser from an old CD player

http://www.instructables.com/id/How-to-make-a-burning-laser-for-CHEAP/

Does it come in cuben?

Very cool.

"I was messing around with this laser one day, and I shined it at a mirror, and the laser shined back in my eye for a second. I heard a popping sound and I couldn't see anything for a couple of minutes."

Darwin award?

Eyes not needed evolutionarily?