Magnesium fire starter how to ..
- Thread starter Acer-m14
- Start date
Celt
.338 Win Mag
I have several of these things. And I keep them all over the place that way there's always one somewhere if I need it.
Saltwater60
.950 JDJ
Thanks for posting. I had written these off after messing with one for a while. I did a quick search and professionals had said they did not work. I think I'll have to make my magnesium finer to get the fire.
livingston
20×102mm Vulcan
petroleum jelly on some cotton works great with a fire starter . I keep a small can in my get home bag
livingston
20×102mm Vulcan
lighter works great. Specially the new electric ones.
https://www.amazon.com/Tesla-Coil-L...7917622&sr=8-3&keywords=electric+lighter&th=1
https://www.amazon.com/Tesla-Coil-L...7917622&sr=8-3&keywords=electric+lighter&th=1
Toecutter
.308 Win
Make sure your buy decent Firestarter and test them some of them really suck. You don't want to be in a situation where you need one and it doesn't work . Learn your plants birch , chaga, horseshoe fungus are alot of help in firestarting.
Cleck
.308 Win
Definitely don't try this stuff when you're out for the first time w/out making sure they work, lol. We bring a variety of methods with us when we camp, and we've tried all of the ones we bring. When we get a fire going, NF wants to learn to do a bow drill.
That blastmatch seems pretty sweet. I want one.
That blastmatch seems pretty sweet. I want one.
livingston
20×102mm Vulcan
https://www.amazon.com/Doan-Magnesium-Fire-Starter-Tool/dp/B0079SEGO2
From what I have read over the years this company makes very good ones . Folks caution about some brands that look like this but are not too good .
5.0 out of 5 starsDoan Magnesium Fire Starter
By Jim Sculley on April 25, 2013
Verified Purchase
There are a lot of cheap imitations on the market that do not work and are not worth anything, even at a discounted price. Doan's are inexpensive and well worth the couple dollars over the junk stuff on the market. My brother used this in USAF Survival School and swears by it. My 10 year old grandson is in scouts and he and his Dad and occasionally I go camping, canoeing, fishing, hiking, etc. I bought three, one for each of us, and gifted them last weekend. We immediately went out in the driveway and practiced using them. They all worked great, as advertised, and exceeded expectations. My daughter was not too happy about the scorch marks in the driveway (the magnesium burns hot) but boys will be boys, no matter what age! Great product
From what I have read over the years this company makes very good ones . Folks caution about some brands that look like this but are not too good .
5.0 out of 5 starsDoan Magnesium Fire Starter
By Jim Sculley on April 25, 2013
Verified Purchase
There are a lot of cheap imitations on the market that do not work and are not worth anything, even at a discounted price. Doan's are inexpensive and well worth the couple dollars over the junk stuff on the market. My brother used this in USAF Survival School and swears by it. My 10 year old grandson is in scouts and he and his Dad and occasionally I go camping, canoeing, fishing, hiking, etc. I bought three, one for each of us, and gifted them last weekend. We immediately went out in the driveway and practiced using them. They all worked great, as advertised, and exceeded expectations. My daughter was not too happy about the scorch marks in the driveway (the magnesium burns hot) but boys will be boys, no matter what age! Great product
Cleck
.308 Win
Added that to my list on Amazon 
Uzi
.308 Win
I noticed a few things right off the bat that I see often. Firstly, you certainly don't need to use that much magnesium with those starters. Learn how to conserve more of the bar, because that's way more than you need to easily get a flame going. Secondly, people call the cylinders on fire starters and lighters "flint", this is not correct; they're called ferrocerium rods. They are two very different organic and artificial compositions, and should not be confused in this day and age. Honestly though, a simple pack of bic disposable lighters can last YEARS and they're cheap. You should definitely have a pack of lighters dispersed around the home and taken with you if you need to start fires as well. I have a few bic lighters that are over 8 years old that I've used for bon fires which I'm still using today. I think they've proven economical, reliable and worthy too.
livingston
20×102mm Vulcan
Ferro Rod vs. BIC Lighter
Wood Trekker: Ferro Rod vs. BIC Lighter
I have followed this fellow for years . He has good reviews
Agreed. The one bad thing about lighters is that they don't work very well at all when you're at a high elevation and it's cold. I definitely noticed decreased performance below 30°when I was at 9200'.
Saltwater60
.950 JDJ
I tried a magnesium starter and I failed. The directions said to take a pen knife and peel some off. I did. I'm not sure if I did not peel enough off or the pieces were too large. After failing I tried lighting them on fire with a lighter and they did not spark. So I'd say I bought a crappy one. I bought it from gander mountain for like $8.00 so don't buy that one. I just saw it yesterday I'll try it again.
Toecutter
.308 Win
Here's a story a few years ago a few of us decided to go for a hike in the early spring, we were anxious to get out in the woods after the winter. long story short we got a few miles out and the snow got deeper and deeper before you know it we were post holing in knee deep snow. My friends wife who was with us was not prepared was wearing jeans and canvas sneakers. Crossing a sream she slipped and her feet went in the water her feet got soaked and now her feet went numb. Everything was dripping wet and covered in snow. We found a large rock to stop at and I found some dead dry stuff under a rocky overhang. I never go hiking without at least my day bag which is a small haversack I keep lighters firestarting material some first aid and other small stuff. I managed to get a fire going and we warmed her up and dried her socks. I had some plastic bags to keep my stuff dry in my sack and wrapped her feet in them over the socks and put her shoes back on. And hiked back out. Now I don't think she was in real danger but shit can go bad fast. Always good to be ready.
Phazer
.338 Win Mag
Dammit! Now I have to go try the multiple magnesium starters I've purchased over the years. I'd always meant to try them and compare them. I guess now is a good time.
The shavings have to be small, but they don't have to be that small. I've shaved them off with a knife and successfully started a fire.
warrendee
.38 Special
I had a whole Boy Scout troop using these and if thirteen year old boys can do it...
I have purchased a few different ones. There are some out there that really suck.
I picked up one at Harbor Freight for .79, worked awesome for the first three fires, after that, nothing.
I bought one for $22 at cabelas a while back, that one sucked right out of the box.
Sometimes the price of the rod is not what matters.
I picked up one at Harbor Freight for .79, worked awesome for the first three fires, after that, nothing.
I bought one for $22 at cabelas a while back, that one sucked right out of the box.
Sometimes the price of the rod is not what matters.
4excal
.338 Win Mag
I keep birch bark pieces in both my bags with fire making essentials, shit is magical, takes a spark immediately and even if soaked it burns. Love it!
Acer-m14
.950 JDJ
when i use mine same as in the vid ( the big bar of mg one ) .. i scrape my knife down the bar and get a good mix of fine and chunks .. hit the fine stuff with the sparks and it takes off igniting the larger chunks and the tinder ..
Toecutter
.308 Win
So do I, also I keep a chunk of horseshoe fungus which I found growing on a birch tree, that stuff also has impressive kindling qualities burns lIke a chunk on incence . Birch trees are great and full of uses .
Toecutter
.308 Win
Here's a Vid starting a fire with birch barkand horseshoe, found together on a dead birch tree. Takes a spark from a ferro rod immediately.
Birch tree sap is truly amazing also. Its full of protiens, amino acids and enzymes that can treat and even cure many illnesses. Unlike some tree saps, birch can be drank straight from the tree, no boiling or processing.
Like some have mentioned, get fine and courser pieces off the bar. The fine will light quickly and the course will burn longer. You dont need alot but the more the better. Also, scrape it into a line , it burns longer.
Not sure what brand of starter I have (got it at WalMart), but have found that just the sparks from the "flint" provides a hot enough spark to easily light clothes dryer lint, as long as it's dry.
It's essentially free, packs down well, could be soaked with some light wax for longer burn time. I have about 5 plastic food storage bags full.
It's essentially free, packs down well, could be soaked with some light wax for longer burn time. I have about 5 plastic food storage bags full.
