Emergency Fire Starter Kit

Outdoorsmen and women have probably heard about what they should carry with them as an emergency first aid kit. When it comes to starting an emergency fire for survival the most likely thing people think about is matches and lighters and that's probably what most people will take with them. But what would you take along with you for an emergency fire starter kit?

Matches sometimes get wet and when that happens you won't be able to use them until they dry out and sometimes after they dry out they are unusable. Similarly lighters can get water in the fluid and not light and there are times when a lighter just stops working.

As a backup system in case of losing the assistance of matches or lighters you should carry in your emergency fire starter kit a welding torch igniter. These nifty creations are hand held and when mashed inward they will throw off sparks. The sparks ignite the welding torches. Given an emergency situation where you need a fire you can pile up dry kindling and mash the igniter over the kindling until a fire starts.

Flint that you can sharpen a knife with can sometimes be tapped hard enough to spark if you have nothing else to use.

If you are having difficulty starting a fire and don't want to keep holding a match or lighter to the kindling then be glad you brought along a box of sparklers. Sparklers that can be bought at firework stands are an addition that shouldn't be left out. In most cases they are legal to use year round. All you have to do is set a sparkler in the middle of the kindling and light it. The sparks should catch the kindling afire and you can save your fingers from getting burned by holding a match or lighter too long.

Another way to light a fire when the wind keeps blowing out your match or lighter is by taking along a trick birthday candle. When the wind blows it out it will re-light itself.