I've started fires in a monsoon in the Philippines, in sub-zero temperatures in northern Canada, and in the Utah desert with nothing but what I could find on the ground. After fifteen years in Marine Force Recon and another decade teaching wilderness survival, I've used every fire-starting method there is.
Here's my honest ranking — based on reliability, weight, skill required, and what actually works when conditions turn against you.
Why You Always Need Three Methods
The rule is simple: one is none, two is one, three is enough. Your primary method will fail at the worst possible time. Your backup gives you a second chance. Your emergency method is there when both of those fail. Every one of these belongs in your kit in some form.
Ranked: Best to Most Difficult
#1 — Lighter (BIC or Zippo)
Reliability: 9/10 | Weight: Near zero | Skill required: None
Nothing beats a BIC lighter for simplicity and reliability. It works in wind, in cold, and after being soaked (shake and try again). Carry two — they're $1.50 each. The only failure mode is running out of fuel, which you can predict by checking the fluid level.
Zippos are more windproof but lose fuel to evaporation. They're great for a primary if you check and refill them regularly. The BIC wins on sheer reliability and no-maintenance simplicity.
Weakness: Altitude above 10,000 feet reduces reliability. Extreme cold (below -20°F) can fail the igniter. Keep a BIC warm in your inner pocket.
#2 — Ferrocerium Rod (Ferro Rod)
Reliability: 8/10 | Weight: 1–2 oz | Skill required: Low-Medium
A quality ferro rod (not the cheap keychain type) throws a shower of sparks at 3,000°F — hot enough to light tinder even in damp conditions. It has no moving parts, works at any altitude, doesn't run out of "fuel" in the traditional sense, and lasts 12,000+ strikes.
The skill is in the tinder preparation, not the rod itself. You need a tight bundle of extremely fine, dry material. Practice this at home before you need it in the field.
Best rods: Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel Army (12,000 strikes), Überleben Zünden (heavy-duty, 1/2" diameter for grip in cold hands).
Weakness: Useless without good tinder. If you can't find or prepare dry tinder, you can't make fire.
#3 — Waterproof Matches
Reliability: 7/10 | Weight: Minimal | Skill required: None
UCO Stormproof Matches burn for 15 seconds even underwater and in 30 mph wind. They're a perfect backup because they require zero skill. Store them in a waterproof container with the striker — moisture destroys the striker surface faster than the match heads.
Weakness: Limited quantity. Once they're gone, they're gone. Use them only as a last resort.
#4 — Magnesium Fire Starter
Reliability: 7/10 | Weight: 2 oz | Skill required: Medium
A block of magnesium with an attached ferro rod. Shave magnesium flakes into a small pile, then spark the ferro rod onto the pile. Magnesium burns at 5,600°F and will light even damp tinder. The tricky part: making a tight enough pile that doesn't blow away before you spark it.
Best used in tandem with the ferro rod — shave magnesium when your tinder is marginal.
#5 — Windproof/Plasma Lighter
Reliability: 8/10 | Weight: 2–3 oz | Skill required: None
Arc lighters (like the Zippo Arc) use electricity instead of flame — windproof by design. Rechargeable via USB. The downside: they need charging. A dead battery is a dead lighter. But as a primary for someone who uses their kit regularly and keeps it charged, they're excellent.
#6 — Bow Drill (Friction Fire)
Reliability: 5/10 (for beginners) — 9/10 (for experts) | Weight: 0 | Skill required: Very High
The bow drill is the most empowering skill in bushcraft — and the hardest. You create friction between a rotating spindle and a fireboard using a bow, handhold, and notch system. When done right, you produce an ember from literally nothing but sticks.
I've done it hundreds of times and it still requires focus and decent physical effort. The wood combination matters enormously — willow on willow, cedar on cedar, cottonwood on cottonwood are reliable pairings. Moisture is the enemy.
My honest take: Learn it as a skill and a backup of last resort, but don't rely on it. Even experts have bad days with bow drills.
#7 — Flint and Steel (Traditional)
Reliability: 4/10 | Weight: 2 oz | Skill required: Very High
Striking high-carbon steel against flint or quartzite produces sparks that catch on char cloth. Beautiful historical technique. Almost no one has practiced it enough to be reliable with it. Carry this if you enjoy the craft — not as your survival plan.
The Tinder You Carry vs. The Tinder You Find
Your fire-starting method is only as good as your tinder. Carry this, always:
- Petroleum jelly cotton balls: Smear a cotton ball with Vaseline and store in a zip-lock. Lights easily and burns for 4+ minutes. Weight: negligible. Cost: cents.
- Fatwood shavings: Resin-saturated pine heartwood. Available in any camping store. Burns in wet conditions.
- WetFire tinder cubes: Commercial tinder that burns on water. Expensive but foolproof.
- Dryer lint + cardboard egg cartons filled with wax: DIY fire starters that work perfectly.
In the field, look for: dried inner bark (cedar, birch), dry grass bundled tightly, dead pine needles, birch bark (contains natural oils that burn when wet), cattail fluff.
Building the Fire: Coal to Flame
- Prep your wood: Tinder (fine), kindling (pencil to thumb thickness), fuel wood (wrist to forearm thickness). Have all three ready before you start.
- Build a structure: Teepee for fast flame, log cabin for long-lasting coals. Never build in a depression where water collects.
- Light at the base, upwind side. Let the flame climb naturally — don't smother it by adding wood too fast.
- Protect early flames from wind with your body, a tarp, or a rock windbreak.
- Never leave a fire unattended. Fully extinguish with water — not just dirt. Check for heat before leaving.
The Kit I Always Carry
- 2× BIC lighters (inner jacket pocket in cold weather)
- 1× Überleben Zünden ferro rod on a neck lanyard
- Petroleum jelly cotton balls in a small Pelican case
- UCO Stormproof matches in waterproof tube
Total weight: Under 4 oz. Total cost: Under $40. Total reliability: Extremely high.
Fire is morale. Fire is water purification. Fire is warmth and signaling and cooking. It's worth becoming excellent at it.
Shop our fire starting collection — every ferro rod, lighter, and tinder we carry has been field-tested in real conditions.
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