I nearly halved the ferro rod of my Mora Bushcraft this past weekend trying out a few materials to catch the spark.
Dry grass is available almost anywhere almost any time of the year and it works great, but you never know...
I tried the very soft and papery bark of the Acacia galpinii (Monkey thorn), and despite appearances it didn't work all that well......
Commiphora bark......1st time!
I've also tried and failed late one chilly afternoon right on the beach, and that time I had a magnesium bar as well. It was 2 days after spring tide and everything on the beach was still wet, I was wet and cold, and it would've take a hike up the dunes to look for some (very scares) plant material that might be dry.
Made me think about all the shipwreck victims on the Skeleton Coast through the years, they had nothing....
......and if you do have the kit, practice, because you never know.....