Magnesium Flakes

[Udders]

Well after a bit of research on pencil sharpeners I decided to try some magnesium flakes so I ordered a tub of 6 bags off Amazon to experiment with. It arrived yesterday so I just had a mess about with it.
It certainly lights very easily so if you don’t have any dry tinder material this will definitely do the job instead. It came with a ferro rod and striker but after a bit of work cleaning the black coating off the rod I quickly came to the conclusion that the striker is absolutely shit! The rod is ok because I can get plenty of sparks off it with another striker but no matter how much I try I can only get an odd spark every now and then. Certainly not enough to light the flakes. I always have my extendable Soto gas lighter with me so I’ll use that anyway. Just thought I’d try the rod and striker anyway.
The tea spoon is so you can see the size before anyone starts!

 

[LOLGEOFF]

Ideal for igniting your home made Thermite.

 

[chablis]

Do you have an old hacksaw blade you could try a piece of? I'm sure there will be a few striker suggestions from others.

 

[SBD]

I’ve got a little fire starter comprising a block of magnesium, which has some kind of flint rod embedded in one side, and a piece of hacksaw blade attached with a bit of string. You scrape the filings off, and then spark the blade on the flint. Works.

 

[rovert57]

Like this type of stuff .but to be honest just take a lighter . Birch bark is a good base tinder which catches easily .

 

[Udders]

Yebbut if your lighter runs out or the flint flies off into some long grass you’re stuffed. Always have a back up plan. Especially if you’re on your own in the middle of nowhere which I quite often am.
Those little bags of magnesium flakes hardly weigh anything and one can be squished into a corner of a rucksack and stay there until needed.

I’ll go and try a bit of hacksaw blade too.

 

[bod]

Watching a Youtube video the other night with a bloke in northern Canada in 20 below celcius.
Get's some birch bark, and with a single strike of a rod with his knife has a fire. Twigs snapping like twiglets. and tinder dry dead wood all around.
Just not like that in this country is it?
You need half a gallon of diesel to get a fire started which just smokes and hisses all night.
I just don't bother with them as you never adjust to the temperature, smell like a kipper & burn holes in gear.

 

[PIGGLET]

You need half a gallon of diesel to get a fire started which just smokes and hisses all night.

Try 5 gallons.... if its still not hot enough to burn clean a dumpy bag of bail wrap usually does the trick.

 

[King Rat]

Cotton wool balls, impregnated with vaseline and kept in a 35mm film tub (yes I kept some, but you can still get them). Brilliant and very lightweight fire starters. The 35mm film tub is also a good way of keeping Swan Vestas dry, in a seperate tub, obviously. Put a length of striker in the tub too. BUT, the best thing I ever bought was a 'Blastmatch', issued to US Airmen as a means of survival firestarting, can be used with one hand in case of injury.... if both arms/hands are injured then you're going cold and hungry!

UST BlastMatch One-Handed Fire Starter | Flashaholics.co.uk

UST BlastMatch One-Handed Fire Starter. High Performance Sparker. UK Supplier. Next day delivery available.

www.flashaholics.co.uk

 

[leadfarmer]

I read somewhere that “special forces” types often carry tampons, as they make excellent tinder for starting fires and come handily wrapped in their own little plastic bags

 

[karlp]

I read somewhere that “special forces” types often carry tampons, as they make excellent tinder for starting fires and come handily wrapped in their own little plastic bags

I can just see it

Tosses turning up at Tesco on their awesome stead.
Grabbing a pack of tampons and then going to the self service till ‘cos they are too scared to go to the young girl on the checkout

 

[Doris]

I read somewhere that “special forces” types often carry tampons, as they make excellent tinder for starting fires and come handily wrapped in their own little plastic bags

I think the primary use for those boys is to plug a bullet wound…

 

[Steve398]

I think the primary use for those boys is to plug a bullet wound…

When I first went on ARV’s my rather posh crewmate proudly announced he’d bought some Tampons, to which I asked the obvious “What the f*ck d’ya buy them for?”
He replied “To plug up bullet holes if I get shot”
I said “I think I’d do better shoving one up my ass, ‘cos the first time someone shoots at me I’m probably gonna shit myself!”
It was never mentioned again…
He was later promoted to Inspector.