Fire Starters: Top 5 Best And Recommended Brands In The Market

Some fire starters are individual pieces of equipment. Others are more complex units consisting of both the sparking material and the flame, such as the famous Zippo-brand units which not only spark the fire but provide a prolonged flame.

What all the very best fire starters have in common is that they’ve got what it takes to provide whatever you need to catalyze the big, long, sexy blaze you’re going to need come rain, hail, sleet, or snow.

2. WHAT DOES A FIRE STARTER DO?

Even if you’re not an expert camper, at some point in your life, chances are, you’ve tried to start a fire before. And so you understand that while the pros make it look quite easy, it looks easy because they know all the common pitfalls to avoid. Lots of times, in nature, when you’re dealing with real, recently stripped bark or wood, it’s not going to possess the ideal combustion properties you need for a prolonged blaze straight of nature.

The reality is that most wood you get straight out of nature has got moisture in it, and that moisture can mean the difference between being able to get your fire off and roaring or being stuck with a pile of damp wood. Ideally, you want to catalyze a bigger flame by using your fire starter in conjunction with the materials that you find in your surroundings. Any dude with a match and a piece of combustible fire-starting wood can make a small blaze.

What takes talent and skill, and what will pay off in dividends – maybe even helping you save your life – is being able to use the fire starter that you’ve been lugging around to its maximum potential by using it in conjunction with other materials.

In other words, fire starters have the most life-saving potential when they’re used as catalysts, not merely burning by themselves. Because when you’re in a survival situation, you only have as much fire starter materials as you can carry, so you’ve got to be very economical in the way that you burn it, and not use it all in one place or situation. It may have to last throughout your entire camping trip, so use it economically.

3. HOW DO FIRE STARTERS WORK?

Fire starters aren’t a one-size-fits-all solution. Among the top fire starters we reviewed, we found that some will include a variety of features, including tinder in the package, while some more economical solutions can be as simple as a keychain-sized fire-starting bar on a lanyard. One of the larger packages we reviewed even includes a multi-purpose knife, among which fire-starting is one of the tasks it handles.

The ultimate decision about which of our premier fire starters is best is really up to you, however, we do have our own ideas about which are more effective, both survival-wise and cost-wise. We’ll get into all of that shortly.

4. WHERE CAN YOU BUY FIRE STARTERS?

You can buy fire starters from a variety of retailers, both of the more traditional-style department store persuasions as well as your do-it-yourself big box stores and the smaller local hardware store. Our editors have a clear preference for Amazon, and so we’ll be sharing links to Amazon here, however, we encourage you to shop around and see which prices work the very best for you.

PRODUCT SPECS

If you’re sure you’re going to be in a situation with some workable tinder, look no farther than this highly economical go-to solution. It’s elegantly simple and portable, so it won’t weigh you down, but with the right tinder, you’re off and running. All you really need is a dry tissue to get this fire started and blazing effectively with this mini fire starter, which places an emphasis on small size.

PRODUCT SPECS

Following a long history and tradition of capable, rugged, durable, dependable survival tools, the Light My Fire Swedish FireKnife & Tinder-on-a-Rope combines the inventiveness and compactness of a Swiss Army Knife with the functionality of a full-blown, all-situations fire starter. It’s among the more pricey offerings among the firestarters listed here, however, this Swiss solution doesn’t fail to amaze. Its capable stainless steel blade will serve you in many more ways than simply being a great fire starter, but we trust in all things it will be sure to light your fire!

PRODUCT SPECS

A must in any survival scenario, the simplistic yet capable design makes for a fire starter unique in its ease of starting a fire, as well as being easy to find in a pinch! The rod is constructed of solid, fast-oxydizing ferrocerium. It’s also got a handy lanyard, keeping all 3.4 inches of this fire-starting marvel easily accessible at all times. Not only that, it’s surprisingly easy to tote around at just .8 ounces. You can easily and quickly connect it to your keychain, or even a zipper. Not surprisingly, it was designed by an ex-British Special forces officer who knows a thing or two about what’s necessary to survive in the wild, particularly when every second matters.

PRODUCT SPECS

The tried-and-true ferrocerium material here is key, and while this durable, reliable piece of survival hardware isn’t flashy, you can count on it to get the job done every single time. It rapidly expands in size when you need it, and tucks away compactly when you don’t. When you wear out the ferrocerium, which you certainly will even though it lasts an astounding 3
,000 strikes, you can replace the rod, but you will never tire of using this amazingly affordable, yet rugged, strong, powerful fire starter increasingly trusted by campers all over the globe. And best of all, it’s made in the best country in the globe, putting good Americans to work.

PRODUCT SPECS

Zippo isn’t just a snappy brand name that has won over the imaginations and hearts of millions of not only Americans, but fire aficionados worldwide. Just one aspect of Zippo’s superior charm and design lies in its super-compact, yet ridiculously effective air-tight, hermetic seal facilitated by maximum closure of the lid, and manifested by the water-resistant O-ring seal.

That’s why the Zippo Emergency Fire Starter Kit isn’t just flashy, although you’re more than welcome to show-off your superior fire-throwing antics in a YouTube video, as hundreds of happy Zippo owners have done. This fire starter of fire starters will have your camping buddies wondering how you did it so fast, and with such style, with the elegance, power, and even theatrics that the Zippo brand has become synonymous for, ironically among both smokers and survivalists alike.

Don’t be fooled by the familiarly styled Zippo lighter’s simplicity and reliably predictable delivery of a solid, powerful flame. It’s much more than a famously sporty Zippo lighter, though it’s all that with an orange finish that will never leave you struggling to find your Zippo in the wild. This Zippo over delivers on what you’d expect by including, within its hermetically sealed body, the ideal tinder to help you and your buds – or your wife – get a real fire started out in the wild.

Pros