Watertight container
If your fire starter kit contains any kind of flammable tinder you’ll need to get yourself a watertight container to store all your fire starting items in. A box is convenient and easy to use, but a small dry bag will also work, and can be easier to pack.
Lighter
For many fire lighting situations and good old cigarette lighter will do just fine. But they can be useless in the wind, their fuel can run out and they can break. Also, in really cold conditions the butane can become gel-like causing the lighter to fail. So you’ll always need a backup.
Waterproof matches
A good set of waterproof matches are a must and, like a cigarette lighter, will work well when the conditions are good. Make sure you store them in a watertight container, and never rely on them solely.
Ferro rod
Ferro (short for ferrocerium) is an alloy that usually combines iron, cerium and a small amount of magnesium. When scraped with the back of your knife (or something else sharp) it creates sparks that are as hot as 3000ºC – ideal in very cold, wet and windy conditions.
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Magnesium rod
These are similar to ferro rods, but magnesium fire starters can also be scraped and added to tinder. Place a small pile of filings in your tinder and it will ignite easily and at super high temperatures (similar to ferro).
Candle
It’s always good to have a candle in your fire starter kit to light and drip wax onto your tinder. They are also a good emergency backup if your headlamp batteries run down.
Cotton wool and petroleum jelly
Cotton wool, dryer lint dipped in petroleum jelly is a superb, cheap and lightweight DIY fire starter. It’s also really easy to just grab a few bits at home to replenish your fire starter kit after use.
Bicycle tire inner tube
Another good lightweight addition to your DIY fire starter kit are strips of old inner tube. The strips are highly flammable and a whole inner tube will last you forever. Again, top up your kit as needed.
Char cloth and Tinderbox
Char cloth, also called char paper, is a material that is used as tinder when lighting a fire and is the main component in a tinderbox
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