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 necessary. 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 well as water purification.

This is the millitary issue magnesium firestarter. The flint rod will not break off in extreme cold, heat, or dropping on a hard surface unlike other models. Something to think about when buying one of these. You want your fire starter to stay intact.