You’re out camping in the outback and your matches are ruined. How do you start a fire?

Sure, a good boy scout or Special Ops guy could maybe whip up something with some wood and string after a while, but for something that works in any weather or altitude, a flint striker has long been a dependable backup. It’s not often we review something on here that has been around since before the Roman Empire, but this kind of mechanism has been the go-to firestarter for a very long time. Hard metal strikes flint and sparks go flying.

That doesn’t mean it’s easy though. I tried this out for a backyard weenie roast in the chiminea and it took me a good 10 minutes to get something going. No merit badge for me. If you think about it, a match gives you a few sustained seconds of flame, but this gives you flying sparks. So those flying sparks have to hit something very dry and flammable to get a fire going. If you’ve got nothing but damp paper or twigs, you’re out of luck. The best bet is dry leaves or grass.

But hey, we’re evaluating a product here, not a method, so what matters is that it does what it’s supposed to do. It’s basically magnesium flint on a handle, a metal scraping device, and a cord to tie it all to something. Like most products from Coghlan’s, it’s simple and reasonably priced. There’s no wasteful plastic packaging and this leaves nothing behind at the campsite except microscopic metal shavings. You can get it for around 5 bucks at Amazon or at REI stores.

Consider it a cheap insurance policy if you do a lot of camping or hiking in remote areas. But I think on my next trip like this I’ll carry Coghlan’s waterproof matches instead. I only made it through cub scouts.

See the whole line of their camping and emergency products at Coghlans.com.