So, there's a video of a guy taking a Mini Bic, and pulling most of it apart, leaving just the striker intact, and a small chamber in which to cram tinder. Neat for Altoids tin survival kits and such. So, I made one... out of a 33 cent cheapo lighter, and was absolutely unimpressed. I couldn't get tinder to light. At all. So I built another one from a Mini Bic. And still... I mean, unless it's PERFECT tinder, I mean a super fluffed up cotton ball, and using 10 strikes... It just didn't want to work for me.One of those dumb things i hear repeatedly from Survivalist types is how ferro rods are SO superior to a lighter, but the dirty little secret is... that spark isn't coming from flint. People CALL it flint, but it's just a little ferro rod. So lighters are just using little ferro rods to spark, and doing it with ONE hand. Knowing this, i figured they'd be just as good at lighting tinder, because they are WAY more accurate. But, no. At least, not for me. I have yet to try putting petrolium jelly on the cotton ball, but I don't think that actually changes ignition, just burn duration.I have a little altoids tin survival kit i put together. It has a little Ferro rod (a refill rod for a little exotac). It ALSO has a Mini Bic. 100 out of 100 times, I'd go for the open flame produced by a lighter. I know folks have talked about lighters failing, but that has never, I mean EVER happened to me, and I've spent a LOT of time out in the woods, making fires.So... this is a neat idea, and might have some use, but mostly, I'd rather have the lighter intact with fuel in it. I'd love to report some awesome thing I discovered every time, but this was a project that ended up being... meh. Oh, but I DID learn how to catapult lighter flints across my dining room, into carpet, never to be seen again. So... there's that... I guess.
Oh, but I DID learn how to catapult lighter flints across my dining room, into carpet, never to be seen again. So... there's that... I guess.
Quote from: Lynn LeFey on November 22, 2017, 06:43:15 AMOh, but I DID learn how to catapult lighter flints across my dining room, into carpet, never to be seen again. So... there's that... I guess.You did make sure that your test subject still had a flint inside, right? I wouldn't be able to spark a cotton ball without it either
The size of the spark shower certainly is the question mark for me too. I have a 6inch by 1/2 ferro rod that throws stupid showers of molten metal. Am I confident this will light tinder when needed? Dunno know I'd go that far and say CONFIDENT. I am one who does believe options are nice within reason. A lighter is a lighter and as such works as advertised. I have Bic lighters and have not had issues with them. I use a small zip tie to "lock" the lighter so no unintended activation releases the gas. I now carry one ( mini ) at all times.
Quote from: Aloha007 on November 22, 2017, 06:11:28 PMThe size of the spark shower certainly is the question mark for me too. I have a 6inch by 1/2 ferro rod that throws stupid showers of molten metal. Am I confident this will light tinder when needed? Dunno know I'd go that far and say CONFIDENT. I am one who does believe options are nice within reason. A lighter is a lighter and as such works as advertised. I have Bic lighters and have not had issues with them. I use a small zip tie to "lock" the lighter so no unintended activation releases the gas. I now carry one ( mini ) at all times. 6" by 1/2"? Just how many Sparks exactly?
Styx, yeah, this is a poor man's version of the survival kit you pictured. With a little searching, I can find the 'Spark-Lite Fire Starter', what you have pictured, for about $12.If you make this from new, this one costs $1.50 or so.
I have an ever-evolving little Altoids survival tin I build, pull apart, and rebuild. It always has a mini bic and a little ferro rod. I haven't ever had a lighter fail on me (When I think they're getting low, I just get a new one, and give the old one to some smoker), but I grant that it COULD fail, and a small ferro rod takes up little space for the benefit of a backup method.On prep... absolutely. This, and the quality (read dryness) of available tinder is super important. I've only failed to get fires going a couple times, and it's always been due to not having dry tinder.
Cool Lynn! Never tried something like that. I tend to view lighters and ferro rods as equals. Both have there pros and cons. But I have had lighters fail on me, and some of them where Bics. But going through the amount of lighters I use in a years time, the probability of one failing is low. Something I have noticed is that people are way over thinking this. Some people say that lighters are better than ferro rods and ferro rods are better than.....bluh bluh bluh. Use what you like. Most of the work in fire making is prep. I lost count watching people try to light a fire with a lighter and get nowhere. Some goes with a ferro rod. Practice is key. I tend to use flint and steel for most of my fires. It works, it is fun and I like it. But that is just me.