Magnesium Fire Starter
Uses
magnesium as flame source of 5400° F. One fire starter should
provide sufficient shavings to start dozens of fires.
Great for any backpack, survival kit, bug out bag,
or as part of any emergency gear. The ability to make a fire in
a survival situation can mean the difference between life and death.
How
to use a magnesium fire starter - Use a knife to scrape along
the magnesium side of the fire starter. You want to scrape enough
to have a small pile about the size of a quarter. Be careful so
you keep the shavings in one spot. It helps to have a platform that
will catch what you scrape. You can use a piece of wood, a piece
or cardboard, or anything else that will help you keep everything
together. In high winds, a depression may be necesary. Once you
have a small pile of magnesium shavings, place your tinder next
to it and have your kindling ready.
On the other side of the magnesium fire starter is
the flint. You run your knife down this side to create a bunch of
hot sparks. These hot sparks will ignite the magnesium shavings
which will catch your tinder and kindling on fire. You may have
to scrape the flint several times to get the magnesium shavings
to ignite. It's important to have enough tinder, kindling and larger
pieces of wood available before you start. If you don't have enough
and your fire goes out, you will have to make another pile of shavings
and start over. Practice learning how to use a magnesium fire starter
before you need to use it in an emergency.
Even if you have a cigarette lighter, waterproof matches
or another means of starting a fire, a magnesium fire starter ought
to be a required item in your survival kit. As a backup, it will
be there when your lighter is used up, has leaked out, or you have
run out of matches. In fact, you should save your easier methods
of starting a fire for when adverse conditions require you to use
them. A magnesium stick is good for dozens, if not more, fires.
Using the magnesium stick saves your limited supply
of matches and will certainly not be used up even during a prolonged
survival episode. If you have the time, use the magnesium stick.
It's good to practice
with whenever you can so during a real world emergency, you'll be
an expert in its use and get a fire going much quicker. In a survival
situation, a fire is your main source of warmth, light, and comfort.
As welll as water purification.
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