As any woodsman will tell you, warm fire at your campsite is both comforting and practical. It not only serves to warm you, your fellow campers, and any food or beverage you decide to cook, but it can also deter wildlife from venturing too close. When you want to light a campfire, you’ll need one of the best fire starters on the market to ensure reliability and performance. How do you choose? We’ve reviewed information on a variety of starters and have put together a list of the top 10.
How We Choose Our Best 10 Fire Starters
When you’re using a fire starter in a survival situation, you should care about two things: ease of use and lasting power. Those two key qualities are joined by size, price, and extra features to create a five-point ranking system. The qualities we focused on most were ease of use, lasting power, and size. We consider these three important qualities in the following way.
Ease of Use: When you’re cold and wet, your fine motor skills suffer, meaning you benefit from a product that’s easy to use. The size and shape play a role in this as do the materials used. Ease of use will be ranked using “very easy,” “easy” and “some skill required.” Certain fire starters in this list also have the added benefit of working one-handed, so look closely for that if it interests you. As an added note, fire starters that are very easy to use should be kept away from children.
Lasting Power: When your fire starter lasts a long time, you buy fewer in the long run and feel your tool will be ready when you need it. This is computed by looking at how many strikes the product claims to provide as well as consumer feedback regarding the accuracy of this claim. Some companies don’t list a strike count and simply say “thousands,” which is included in the review.
Size: The size of a fire starter is a double-edged sword. Too small and it risks being difficult to use; too big and it becomes tough to fit into a pack or pants pocket. Also, smaller fire starters can be easy to lose and hard to find when you need them. The size will be ranked using the Goldilocks method, that is, “too small,” “too big” and “just right.”
The 10 Best Fire Starters in 2022 Reviewed
With these qualities in mind, we ranked the best fire starters available so you know what to pack for your next adventure. We’ve laid out the top 10 with rankings up to five stars so you can decide what is right for your needs. Once you have an idea of which sparkers are best, check our buyer’s guide for more information.
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While some might think the higher price tag would remove this from the top spot in our top 10, there are other factors that overshadow the price point. With an amazing claim of 12,000 strikes, which is backed up by consumer reviews, this fire starter might be the only one you ever own. It is somewhat bulkier than other starters but not so large as to make packing it difficult. The added size simply makes this product easier to hold on to during use.
Ease of Use: Very easy
Lasting Power: 12,000 strikes
Size: Just right
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The combined ferrocerium and magnesium of this rod make it extra hot: It burns at a scorching 5,500 degrees Fahrenheit, meaning you can easily light a fire in cold and wet conditions. The rod is also replaceable, so if you find the size and shape perfect for your pack, you don’t have to worry about changing that when you need a new one.
The size also makes it easy to slip into a pocket or attach to your keychain. Despite being small, there’s still enough space on the inside to store some tinder. The entire case is waterproof and includes a tungs10 carbide striker. This gives it an extra push in terms of heat to reach that top temperature of 5,500 degrees Fahrenheit.
Ease of Use: Very easy
Lasting Power: 3,000 strikes
Size: Just right
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It was a close call between the Swedish FireKnife and the Exotac nanoStriker XL; however, the XL is waterproof while the FireKnife is billed to “work when wet.” This feels like a way to get out of waterproofing the housing for the striker, so it just barely follows the XL on our rating list. In all other regards, it has a good strike count, has a nice size and is easy to use.
As a bonus, this fire starter also has a knife and can suit many more purposes than keeping you warm. The blade is sharp, is easy to maintain and it works for tasks from food prep to making kindling. The strike side of the blade is on the dull side, so you don’t wear out your edge too quickly. It also means your edge stays cleaner, so you can fillet a trout after starting your outdoor grill.
Ease of Use: Very easy
Lasting Power: 3,000 strikes
Size: Just right
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Only the size of this fire striker keeps it from being higher in our ranking. At 7.5 inches long with a 1-inch diameter, this striker is about the size of a tactical flashlight and takes up quite a bit of room. This extra size does not seem to correlate with additional strikes, but it does make it one of the easiest to use. It comes preloaded with a specially designed tinder that is meant to give you a “point and shoot” feel when making sparks. The oversized rod is replaceable, so if you like the heft of this fire starter, you can keep using it for a long while.
Ease of Use: Easy
Lasting Power: Thousands of strikes
Size: Too big
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The Strike fire starter from Ultimate Survival Technologies has an alloy flint bar and a hefty steel striker. When used together, these pieces produce sparks three times hotter than a standard match so you can quickly light a fire in cold and wet conditions. The handle compartment even has some extra room for you to store your choice of tinder. It is very lightweight at 3.7 ounces but still fits comfortably in your hand without being too small. Overall, this is a modest fire starter for a beginning camper or survivalist.
Ease of Use: Easy
Lasting Power: 4,000 strikes
Size: Just right
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The sixth item on our list also comes from Ultimate Survival Technologies, the UST BlastMatch. This sparker is very easy to use with little need for a manual and the ability to strike a fire with one hand. This can be of great benefit if one hand is injured or otherwise occupied. However, while easy to use, the size is a bit too small and takes some getting used to.
Two notable features include the push button that enables one-handed use and the waterproof cap that keeps your striker dry and prevents accidental sparks. The internal bar rotates so that you can maintain even wear and tear.
Ease of Use: Very easy
Lasting Power: Thousands of strikes
Size: Too small
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Smith & Wesson is a company dedicated to survivalists with its great lines of firearms, knives and tactical pens. This Fire Striker Survival Kit comes with a compass, a pair of needles, fishing line and hooks, lead sinker weight and a set of matches. Should you find yourself lost in the wilderness with only this kit in your pocket, you should have everything you need to make it home. A downside of the striker is the cord it comes with is so short that it can be difficult to get a firm strike. Others who’ve bought this item say this can be mitigated by replacing the cord with a longer one.
Ease of Use: Some skill required
Lasting Power: Thousands of strikes
Size: Just right
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The rod inside the Aurora Fire Starter contains both ferrocerium and magnesium for superb performance and reliability. This combination has been Rothco’s standard for a long while and has stood the test of time. You won’t need to worry about corrosion with the anodized aluminum container. This container also features a knurled texture to provide you with a great grip. There are no bells and whistles with this time-tested striker, but it is a bit on the big side when it comes to size. All this makes it rank as being one of the top 10 fire strikers on the market but also means it’s pretty low on the list.
Ease of Use: Some skill required
Lasting Power: Thousands of strikes
Size: Too big
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Boker Plus has already made a name for itself in survivalist gear with its pocket knife, mini Tanto knife and tactical pen. Its fire starter with a scraping edge means you can make kindling on the fly if necessary. The magnesium rod is housed in a threaded aluminum container to prevent corrosion and features a built-in compass.
What makes this fire starter so low in our top 10? For one, it’s a bit clunky and awkward to use. The scraping edge means it can be difficult to get a good grip on the first try. There’s also the choice of certain extra features that don’t seem in line with the sparker’s in10t. If you want a fire starter you can use at a barbeque to impress your friends, then the attached bottle opener will serve you well. However, that attachment and the 50mm ruler don’t have much purpose in survival situations.
Ease of Use: Some skill required
Lasting Power: Thousands of strikes
Size: Just right
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The SOL Fire Lite Kit gets extra points for originality. This lighter performs more like a high-powered match than a standard magnesium rod. The flint wheel creates a spark when you drag it across rock or metal. Included are 20 waterproof tinders from the same company, which you can replace as you use them. It works well in wind and rain but isn’t as hot as some of the other strikers on this list. The size does make losing it very easy, but it does come with a bag you can use to keep track of it better.
Ease of Use: Very easy
Lasting Power: Unknown
Size: Too small
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How to Choose the Best Fire Starter for Your
Now that you’ve seen our top 10 picks among fire starters, how do you decide which one to buy? There are a few factors you should consider in order to get the fire starter that’s right for you or the person you’re gifting it to. For example, if you’re using this to survive a week-long trek through cold, wet terrain, you’ll want something that can spark in even the toughest conditions. On the other hand, if you’re looking for an amped-up grill lighter, you don’t need to worry as much about reliability or temperature. If you’re giving a fire striker as a gift to a new survivalist, then you’ll want to look for options that are easy to use and difficult to get hurt using.
Now that you are prepared with information and a list of great fire strikers, find the one that works best for you and go for it. Add a fire starter to your camping and survival gear to guarantee your ability to start a fire.
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Last update on 2025-01-18 at 19:51 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API