The Greatest Firestarters of 2024

We’ve researched and examined over two dozen choices that will help you select one of the best firestarters to your wants. Packing the proper firestarter is among the greatest methods to outsmart any of the difficulties the skin world tries to throw at you, whether or not you’re tenting, searching, backcountry snowboarding, or stranded on the facet of the highway.

Writer and Senior Editor Chris Carter has thrown collectively his justifiable share of fires throughout tenting journeys and survival conditions alike everywhere in the world. He put over a dozen of one of the best firestarters in the marketplace to the check final 12 months and mined the collective data of GearJunkie’s crew of bushcraft lovers to create the choice you see beneath. He spewed sparks over numerous tinder bundles in all kinds of situations and climates whereas testing these, and left no stone unturned in researching one of the best of one of the best. For our newest replace, Andrew Potter examined two new potential additions to the listing and deemed them worthy. Over just a few chilly nights exterior of June Lake, CA, he examined these additions, pushing their limits with wind and water to make sure they’d perform in harsh situations.

Whether or not you need the general efficiency of our prime decide, the Wolf & Grizzly, or an easier, finances possibility of the Gentle My Fireplace MayaStick-on-a-Rope, we have now you lined.

As a observe of warning: Know your native hearth restrictions and consider carefully about whether or not you really need a hearth. By no means depart your hearth unattended, and be ready to fully saturate it till the bottom beneath it’s moist and chilly. Unattended campfires are the reason for among the largest, costliest pure disasters within the U.S., consuming thousands and thousands of acres of forest and destroying whole communities. A fireplace can save your life in chilly, moist situations, however we have to be accountable outdoor folks.

Take a look at our helpful comparability chart on the backside of the listing for a fast comparability, or observe our purchaser’s information and worth and worth part to search out one of the best firestarter to your package.

Editor’s Notice: We up to date this information on October 20 2024, by including a worth and worth part and the dependable and simple to make use of UCO Titan Stormproof Match Equipment, and the SOL Magazine Striker with Tinder Wire.

The Greatest Firestarters of 2024

Firestarter Comparability Chart

Firestarter	Value	Materials	Lifespan	Dimension	Most important function
Wolf & Grizzly	$27	Ferro rod, metal striker, paracord	20,000 strikes	4.9” x 0.8”	Emergency tinder
Gentle My Fireplace MayaStick-on-a-Rope	$4	Pine	Sufficient for greater than 10 fires	6.0” x 0.8” x 0.8”	80% resin content material
UST BlastMatch	$20	Flint-based bar with plastic service	4,000 strikes	4.1” x 1.4”	Waterproof housing
UCO Stormproof Sweetfire Fireplace Starter Factors	$6	Bagasse (Sugarcane waste), infused with vegetable wax	8 matches that burn for 7 minutes every	3.2” x 2.6” x 1.2” (particular person); 5.5″ x .75″ x .4″ (field)	Pure
Morakniv Companion Spark	$30	Chrome steel blade, magnesium alloy firestarter	3,000 strikes	9.4” x 4.1” x 2.5”	Firestarter twist locks into the deal with
Bernzomatic Set off-Begin Torch	$56	Propane gas, metal container	Varies relying on use	N/A	Burns at 3,400 levels F
UCO Titan Stormproof Match Equipment	$12	N/A	12 matches that burn for 25 seconds every	4.125”	3 replaceable strikers, waterproof and buoyant case
Gerber Fireplace Starter	$20	Ferro rod, metallic striker, cotton tinder, plastic casing	N/A	4.75″ x 1.1″	100 decibel whistle
SOL Magazine Striker with Tinder Wire	$14	Flint, magnesium, and metal	Over 100 fires	8.66” x 4.13” x 1.18”	Bottle opener included on metal striker
Darkish Power Plasma Lighter	$30	Plasma lighter, plastic case	N/A	3.75″ x 1″	120-lumen built-in flashlight
Überleben Zünden Fireplace Starter	$16	Ferro rod, 550 paracord, metallic scraper	12,000 – 20,000 strikes	2.5” x 0.31″, 0.38″, or 0.5″	Multitool scraper
Zippo Firestarter Equipment	$22	Ferro rod, metal striker, pine tinder	Tinder shreds burn 8 min every	1.5” x 6.63” x 6”	5 paraffin-coated pine tinder bundles
SOL Fireplace Gentle electrical lighter	$28	Plasma lighter, plastic case	45 makes use of in a single cost	4″ x 1.4″	3-foot tinder-cord lanyard
Exotac Firerod	$33	Ferro rod, paracord lanyard, aluminum deal with, cotton tinder	10,000 strikes	3.55″ x 0.55″ x 0.55″	Waterproof tinder capsule
MSR Strike Igniter	$18	Plastic, ferro rod, reflective paracord, metal	3,000 – 12,000 strikes	3.8″ by 1″	Striker doubles as a bottle opener
Prepared4X Survival Torch	$22-25	Ferro rod, aluminum housing, metal striker, wax-infused hemp rope tinder	N/A	6″ x 0.6″ x 1″	Hemp tinder rope and striker included

How We Examined the Greatest Firestarters

From skilled survivalists to weekend warriors stoked on bushcraft, the GearJunkie crew is made up of out of doors lovers who know the significance of getting a hearth began in any situation. We’ve spent limitless hours gathering tinder bundles, snapping sticks, and getting light-headed as we blow flames into life. Whether or not it’s a campfire to cook dinner dinner over or an emergency warmth supply, fire-making expertise are key for anybody going tenting or backpacking within the backcountry.

Writer and Senior Editor Chris Carter understands the significance of not solely having the means to make a hearth in any state of affairs but additionally having the abilities to whip one up in unfavorable situations. When matches and lighters fail, firestarters rise to the problem — however provided that you know the way to make use of them. Carter has began a whole bunch of fires with conventional firestarters in all kinds of environments, at informal campfires with mates, and in downright survival conditions.

Carter grew up within the bush of Kenya, East Africa, the place he realized an entire slew of primitive survival expertise, together with easy methods to gentle a hearth with a hand or bow drill, hearth plow, and conventional flint and metal. In lots of eventualities, fires are usually not only for a comfortable camp ambiance however are important instruments for staying heat, cooking a kill, or holding wild animals at a distance.

Whereas matches are a simple answer, Carter wouldn’t be caught lifeless within the wilderness with out a secondary, extra dependable method of securing a flame. For this information, he accrued various his favourite firestarters he’s used over time and examined new alternatives from prime manufacturers in the marketplace. He partnered along with his different bushcraft mates and threw spark after spark over numerous tinder bundles to deliver you the streamlined collection of 15 starters you see right this moment.

Andrew Potter applied Chris’ rigorous testing strategies for the most recent additions to our information. Whereas it was his first foray into testing firestarters, we had been excited to see how a novice might induce flames with some techy firestarters just like the SOL Magazine Striker.

We all know the competitors for the firestarter podium is continually evolving, which is why we’ve slotted this information into a daily replace schedule. We’re perpetually speaking with consultants, bugging manufacturers at gear reveals, and scouring the web to verify we cowl essentially the most related and deserving choice attainable. Be totally ready for all of your adventures by trying out our guides to different necessities, together with the greatest compasses and greatest handwarmers.

Purchaser’s Information: The way to Select the Greatest Firestarter

Whereas matches or lighters could also be among the quicker methods of beginning fires, they aren’t at all times essentially the most dependable. It’s essential to have, and know easy methods to use, a strong firestarter for when the sudden occurs. You unintentionally fall right into a river and soak all of your gear. You break all of your matches or your lighter runs out of fluid.

Having the ability to begin a hearth in any state of affairs is among the greatest steps you may take to enhance your probabilities of survival. We discovered the highest tried-and-true firestarters and examined them for this information, providing a variety for each sort of journey.

Kind of Exercise

Totally different actions require completely different firestarters. For instance, carrying the heavy Bernzomatic Torch on a long-haul backpacking journey might make for a superb chuckle, however you’ll remorse it fairly shortly.

If you happen to’re going automotive tenting, one thing larger and heavier like that can be a significantly better match. Backpacking calls for light-weight gear that’s simple to deliver alongside, so that you’d be significantly better off with a easy ferro rod and flint firestarter.

Each ounce counts when backpacking, and each inch of your backpack is effective area. The little issues like firestarters are the place the ounces can shortly add up. An additional inch of fabric means much less area for meals and extra weight to hold.

Discovering the proper steadiness between dimension and weight is vital to getting the proper instrument. Too small, and it’s not possible to deal with; too massive, and also you’re lugging further weight you don’t want.

Ease of Use

On the finish of a protracted day of climbing, the very last thing you need is to struggle together with your firestarter to get heat. The better the firestarter is to make use of, the higher. One of many best to make use of on this listing is the UCO Titan Stormproof Match Equipment.

There are specific methods to make life simpler within the backcountry, particularly while you’re simply beginning to discover ways to use a firestarter. If you happen to’re new to the ability, pack further firestarter sticks. They don’t weigh a lot or take up a lot area, they usually’ll be greater than price it within the lengthy haul. Or, select one which’s geared at inexperienced persons, just like the UST BlastMatch, a firestriker that basically does the give you the results you want.

Kinds of Firestarters

The three main sorts of firestarters — flint and metal, ferrocerium rods, and magnesium bars — can be utilized in a wide range of completely different eventualities, and every has its place in a firestarting package. This information covers different distinctive firestarters that use electrical sparks, a blowtorch, and even a sizzling beam of sunshine, however these are the extra frequent starters you’ll see in survival kits.

Flint and Metal

Flint & metal is among the oldest tried-and-true strategies of beginning a hearth. The flint could be a wide range of completely different arduous rocks, corresponding to quartzite or chert. The metal striker element is constructed with a excessive carbon content material and is often heat-treated. When the metal strikes the rock, it breaks off tiny particles of the metallic, which oxidize and ignite when uncovered to oxygen.

One of many negatives of flint and metal is how boring the sparks are, and charred material or naturally charred supplies are often required to successfully maintain the spark and switch it right into a flame. The worth of flint and metal lies of their skill to be simply reproduced with available supplies.

Ferrocerium Rods (Ferro Rod)

The sparks created by a ferro rod are extraordinarily sizzling in comparison with these of flint and metal, which makes it simpler to gentle a dry tinder bundle. A number of the starters on this information, such because the Wolf and Grizzly, and the Zippo Fireplace Starter Equipment, use a ferro rod as a part of their set.

To make this course of simpler, it’s a good suggestion to hold some extremely flammable tinder in your survival package, corresponding to cotton balls coated with wax, Vaseline, or dryer lint, however there are many pure assets that can be utilized in a pinch.

The Exotac Firerod is slim sufficient to slip into the ferro loops usually featured on bushcraft knives, however the rod’s deal with nonetheless leaves room for a water-proof tinder capsule to retailer flammable tinder in case of an emergency. In case your ferro rod doesn’t include its personal striker, it’s essential guarantee that you’ve got a sturdy knife or spare striker available if you happen to plan on bringing it alongside. Ferro loops on the sheathes of bushcraft knives are useful additions to make sure the entire household stays collectively.

Ferro rods are constructed with completely different metals, which make it simpler or tougher to scrape relying on the composition. Softer rods don’t have as lengthy of a lifespan however usually present extra sparks with every strike. Most ferro rods are made with about 50% cerium, with varied ratios of lanthanum and iron making up the remainder of the combination.

A ferro rod doesn’t create a flame when struck, so it’s essential that the tinder bundle you employ is as dry and flammable as attainable. Many ferrocerium rods can have a black protecting coating on them after they come out of the field, which can have to be scraped off earlier than use.

Magnesium Bars

Sometimes called “magazine bars,” it is a bar or block that often has a ferro rod connected to the highest of it. As a substitute of getting to collect a tinder bundle that can catch a spark, or bringing cotton balls, you need to use magnesium shavings from the bar as a lot of your tinder bundle, which can ignite with a spark from the ferro rod.

Some magazine bars include their very own striker, however you need to use the again facet of your bushcraft knife to shave off magnesium, and strike the ferro rod. Keep away from utilizing the sharp finish of your knife for this, because it might boring or harm it considerably.

The SOL Magazine Striker is the one conventional “magazine bar” on our listing, nevertheless it was an integral addition, because it’s the most effective methods to start out a hearth in damp situations.

Firemaking Ideas

Many firestarters, corresponding to Exotac’s Firerod and Prepared4X’s Survival Torch, include dry, usually waterproof tinder that makes this essential step a lot simpler. You may as well premake tinder bundles to retailer in your package by soaking cotton balls in wax, or gathering dryer lint from dwelling in a water-proof container.

Consolidate loads of medium-sized dry kindling (ideally from conifers) and have it available to construct up your hearth as soon as you identify a flame in your tinder bundle. Make one thing of a “chook’s nest” together with your pile of tinder, utilizing fluffed-up dry supplies. Place fatwood shavings or a feather stick (a stick that has been shaved to provide clusters of skinny curls protruding from the wooden — see illustration above) on prime of the chook’s nest.

After getting a tinder bundle you want, maintain the scraper at a 45-degree angle to your rod, with the tip of your rod nearly touching your tinder. Pull the rod — not the scraper — again sharply. This lets you get sparks nearer to the tinder. Thus, it makes it simpler to manage the place the sparks are spraying.

When a spark takes in your tinder bundle, it ought to produce a robust however short-lived flame. Resist the temptation to instantly blow on a spark or small flame, as you would simply extinguish it earlier than it has an opportunity to catch any larger gas.

Construct a teepee of small match-sized twigs and pencil-sized kindling over the rising flame, which inspires the flame to go upward. Step by step add larger and greater sticks and logs till you’ve established a strong base of embers and warmth.

Blowing barely in your hearth close to the start may also help, however solely after the flame has caught and the tinder is smoldering. Ensure to not blow out a brand new small flame in an effort to offer it extra oxygen. If there’s ample airflow, the flame will do its job and transfer onto larger dry gas.

Reliability

The issue with matches and lighters is their reliability. As soon as they get moist, too chilly, or too excessive in altitude, they don’t work properly, except they’re made to climate abuse just like the UCO Titan Stormproof Match Equipment.

Getting a dependable firestarter in all situations and environments helps make sure you received’t be left shivering on the bottom with an empty abdomen after a protracted day of trekking. We might really feel comfy counting on all the firestarters on this listing within the backcountry. Although some are higher fitted to a backup light-weight “survival package” than others.

Value & Worth

Simply as with each piece of drugs, worth issues. Figuring out a finances earlier than even shopping your choices is essential that will help you get one of the best firestarter to your wants. Firestarters on this listing vary in worth from $4 to nearly $250. We cowl a broad vary of firestarter varieties on this information. Our “Greatest Price range” possibility doesn’t provide the identical degree of versatility as among the conventional ferro rods we cowl.

Take into consideration the kind of journeys you intend on utilizing your starter on. Use this to assist formulate a finances, and slender in on one of the best firestarter to your wants. However don’t purchase one thing simply due to a excessive price ticket. It doesn’t at all times imply it’s the higher piece of drugs. Value could be a reflection of high quality, however it could actually additionally result in pointless and over-the-top merchandise.

Price range

Just a few firestarters on this listing fall beneath the $15 mark. Our greatest finances possibility, the Gentle My Fireplace MayaStick-on-a-Rope ($4), and our greatest pure possibility, the UCO Stormproof Sweetfire Fireplace Starter Factors ($6), are simple to make use of in most situations and proved pretty dependable in our testing.

The UCO Stormproof Kits on our listing (Stormproof Matches and Sweetfire Factors) will solely make as many fires because the matches and factors included within the kits. Their ease of use, nonetheless, will increase their worth for sure makes use of. The SOL Magazine Striker comes with a bottle opener, and at $13.50, it’s arduous to beat the worth of a enjoyable package that’s been examined to provide over 100 fires.

Mid-Tier

The vast majority of choices on this listing fall throughout the vary of $20-33. For a lot of of those, their worth turns into extra obvious when you think about what number of makes use of you’ll get out of your package. For magnesium bars and ferro rod-style firestarters, take into account what number of strikes you’ll get out of the fabric. The UST BlastMatch offers you 4,000 strikes. whereas our greatest total decide, the Wolf & Grizzly ($27), offers you 20,000. And if that’s not your main concern, take into account whether or not the package has a number of makes use of. The Morokaniv Companion Spark is actually a knife, so the added worth there’s obvious.

Premium

Other than the Flash Torch ($249) and Bernzomatic Torch $99), not one of the firestarters on this listing will take a piece out of your pockets. These firestarters are high-tech and use gas, additionally, which makes it a bit trickier to gauge their long-term worth.

Ceaselessly Requested Questions