Fire Starters

Recent Fire Starter Reviews

Primus PowerLighter

Do not buy this piece of junk! I purchased this lighter brand new from a retailer here in Sweden. Took it home, waited until I had the necessary adapter to fill it from a camping gas refill. Filled it and then tried to use it... NOTHING. You can see it occasionally try to light but never does. It sparks just fine. I have even tried adjusting the "intensity screw" both to minimum and maximum and many stops in between. Still Nothing! I would not recommend this lighter to anyone!! An expensive waste… Full review

Emberlit Flint and Steel

I have the Trout and T Rex strikers—they work great. I have the Trout and T Rex strikers that I bought back in 2017. The striking surface is shorter than other strikers that I have and I believe this is why they appear weak to other strikes. I did a comparison between my two Emberlt strikers and two other strikers: https://bushcraftusa.com/forum/threads/flint-striker-comparison.270433/ One of my other strikers did not do good at all. Maybe the steel was not tempered right. My other Pskook striker… Full review

InstaFire

This product sucks. Total waste of money and they're hickory??? Particle board knockoff blows!!! Horrible! Hahaha! What a joke... Full review

BudK Waterproof Permanent Match Survival Lighter

Someone on Trailspace asked about amazing gadgets out there for camping... Look no further: The Budk Matchless lighter fits the bill. This innovative lighter is self contained. It uses easy to find Zippo lighter fluid, a flint, and a metal rod with a wick on the end to create a fire up to 15,000 times. Unlike a Zippo that draws the lighter fluid through the wick-like material to produce a flame, this match only uses the lighter fluid that has been saturated on the striking match wick. When not being… Full review

Exotac titanLIGHT

This company has a non-responsive customer service attitude. Sent a TitanLight to be investigated for a leak issue. Repeated attempts to contact someone regarding the issue have not been successful. Phone calls and emails are never returned. Now I am out the purchase of a unit and no unit. Horrible business practices Full review

Outdoor Element Firebiner

Well made carabiner with fire wheel that sparked pretty much every time. Also has a sharp cutting tool, bottle cap opener, etc. Enjoyed trying out the fire wheel to get a fire started. With the tinder from Outdoor Element or other homemade ones, we were able to get a fire started in a couple of seconds each time. We got a couple of these for a recent camping trip since I thought they’d be fun to try out with the family. Having never used anything other than a lighter or matches to start a fire,… Full review

UCO Sweetfire Strikable Fire Starter

I started using the UCO Sweetfire fire starter sticks this season. They have become my primary go-to for starting fires. I've used them in wet conditions and in winter without fail. I've used them in alpine conditions and in the damp Smokie Mountains in the springtime. One stick is all that you will need to get the job done. This has become an essential fire tool for me. Check out my video featuring the UCO Sweetfire:  Full review

Coleman Fire Starter Magnesium

The Coleman Fire Starter Magnesium is another option to get a fire started. It requires patience and persistence, but does work. It’s not the best option, but it’s never a bad idea to have alternatives to start a fire. This fire starter is my last resort. It’s not the greatest, but it works. The way that you operate this product is you take the serrated end and use that to shave pieces of magnesium off of the giant block you have. You need to get a lot off. It takes a long time because you… Full review

UCO Stormproof Matches

The UCO Stormproof Matches are great for all types of weather. No matter the conditions, you can count on getting a fire started with these matches. These matches are amazing. They are definitely stormproof. I’ve taken these matches with me in all seasons in all sorts of weather conditions. They haven’t failed me once. I live in Washington where it’s wet and cold seven months out of the year. I’ve started a fire with these in the rain and snow as well as in the humid summer air. These matches… Full review