- To start your fire just scrape the starter with a knife and ignite the shavings
- A flame source of 5400 degrees gets the fire started
Product Description
A must for every field trip. The magnesium fire starter is easy to use. To start your fire just scrape the starter with a knife and ignite the shavings. A flame source of 5400 degrees gets the fire started. One starter will provide enough shavings to start hundreds of fires.... More >>
Coghlan's Magnesium Fire Starter
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Redundancy. A back-up plan for the back-up. Emergency survival is all about being prepared.
Now let’s talk about that for a second. Emergency survival. If you’re looking at this item, you have most likely seen Man vs Wild & Survivorman. Now it’s time to be realistic. It is just about impossible for any of us to be walking around in the city, taking the train, going to our offices, and eating California cuisine; to suddenly find ourselves in the middle of a dense jungle and have to survive with our wits & a knife. The only way for any of us to get lost in a forest, is that we actually take ourselves there. And if you’re actually going to camp in the woods, then you go prepared. This is one of those things that you bring with you.
A basic skill needed for survival is making fire. Forget about the hand drill and bow drill, and all that other rubbing two sticks together stuff. Be practical.
Some old crumples newspapers with Sterno works great. Vaseline and cooking oil will also work with the newspaper. You can use clothes that belong to your ex, dryer lint, or even traditional kindling found in the woods like dry grass, straw, leaves, twigs, et cetera. Another item to keep handy are Esbit fuel tablets that are used with the Esbit pocket stove. Any of the above, any combination of the above, and all of the above can be ignited with the magnesium fire starter, Swedish fire steel, and yes, even conventional lighters & matches.
Just like in a war, there is no magic bullet. There isn’t any one weapon that is “the ultimate” stopper. You should “layer” your mix of techniques in a survival situation. Take advantage of all your resources. Set more than one kind of trap. Fish with more than one line. Carry a back-up gun. Keep a girlfriend on the side that your wife doesn’t know about.
If you’ve got your ex-girlfriend’s favorite jeans; cut it into strips, spread petroleum jelly, and then shave the magnesium onto the Vaseline so that the petroleum acts as a binder for the magnesium & fuel for the fire. Soak shop rags, tissues, newspaper, or your wife’s favorite tank top with grease, WD-40, extra virgin olive oil, kerosine, or any other handy propellant; then ignite with an Esbit fuel tablet & fire steel.
To sum it up. Don’t depend on any one item to be a surefire solution. This tool works. But have more than one option. Bring a combination of several things that work. You’re not being pushed out the door of a helicopter. You are going camping at your own free will and volition. Be smart. Bring lighter fluid, Duraflame starters, matches, a Zippo, a butane jet flame lighter, and even your own wood if you can fit it all into your truck. You’re not walking to the campsite. You’re driving. Pack your truck with common sense.
Rating: 5 / 5
I purchased several of these repackaged at WalMart (though they still say Coghlan on the brick) as well as one at Amazon. Rather than rehash what the other reviewers have said (which is essentially accurate) I’ll just say it works if you do what you are supposed to do. I keep one of these in each of my various packs (3-day bag, Camelbak HAWG, Camelbak Ambush) as you never know when you might need a fire. Yes, your handy lighter might work, but if its out of fuel, the weather is bad, etc. this little gem will still get ‘em started. 4 stars instead of 5 as it would be better if it came with a small piece of metal for the stiker/shaver.
Rating: 4 / 5
This is a great, very inexpensive, extremely light weight, tried and true fire starting tool for emergencies. I have about five of them in total taking up permanent residence in my parka, hiking Backpack, emergency kits, and gun bag. This way I never forget to take one with me.
Helpful hints:
* The packaging says to make a pile about this size of a quarter for best results. This is very accurate however the pile should be at least 1/8 of an inch deep (eyeball it).
* Be extremely careful when using a knife as a shaver/striker. I found the tool pretty effective without having to bear down on it very hard.
* Use a straight, smooth, fluid motion both for shaving the magnesium off and striking the flint. DO NOT chop at the magnesium or the flint. I watched in dismay as a friend made a mess of his by chopping at it recently so I thought I would include this. The chopping motion is dangerous (when using a knife), ruins the tool, and does not yield NEARLY the same results as using a smooth motion.
* If you have to use your knife, use the back side of your knife or the base of the blade if it is squared off and not sharp. Most fixed blade knifes are squared at the base. If your blade does not lock or is not fixed, USE THE BLADE. Do not try to use the back of the knife if the blade is not fixed or does not lock. It will most likely close on your fingers/hand causing injury if you try to use the back of a non-locking blade.
* Don’t just buy this tool and not test it out. Spend 15 minutes playing with the tool and starting a fire (in a safe and controlled environment) BEFORE you actually need it in an emergency situation. Trust me, this tool will last you a LONG time. You are not wasting it.
Cons:
* The product does not come with any kind of striker/shaver attached. This tool could really benifit from a small piece of metal to use as a striker and to shave magnesium off.
* Shaving magnesium off and striking the flint with your knife will dull the blade pretty quickly.
Rating: 4 / 5
This product works great, I have used it many times to start campfires in the wilderness. Regardless of conditions, this will never let you down, even if submerged in water, just dry it off, and it works. The only downfall is that you will need to scrape off a lot of magnesium for it to do any good. So, if you don’t have a lot of time to spend scraping, you’re better off with waterproof matches. But keep this in your pack just in case.
Rating: 4 / 5