When you go out camping, lighting a fire is one of the significant activities you will do. Apart from being a heat source, fire can be quite a savior, mostly if you get lost.
Sometimes it is too cold, that match sticks will not even light. So, what do you do? You carry a Ferro rod with you.
A Ferro rod is a metal-like stick that you strike with a sharp object like a camping knife to produce sparks that you can use to light your tinder to create a fire.
When struck, the sparks produced can reach up to highs of 300 degrees Celsius, making Ferro rods a dependable fire source regardless of the weather.
Ferrocerium rods are also called magnesium rods, artificial flint, metal match, among other names. Whatever the name you identify with, you don't want to go out in the wild without Ferro rods.
Before you learn about the available Ferro rods to consider, here are some tips to think about when selecting tinder to light a fire when camping:
How to Select Your Survival Tinder
To put up a fire, you need an easy-to-light material that you light and put at the base of a pile of firewood to burn them.
Good tinder should be made of a material that quickly catches fire, light enough to carry (yes, you should have your tinder just in case the woods are too dump).
It should also easily sustain the fire long enough to light the kindling you will use to grow your fire.
Survival tinder can include any of the following:
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Dry twigs –
Dry twigs are just that, dry twigs – no brainer. Dry twigs can include dry leaves, small tree stems, and other dry naturally occurring tree deposits. Dry twigs are great because they are easy to find and light quickly.
One disadvantage of relying on dry twigs as tinder is that sometimes it is too wet to find suitable dry twigs, especially when it snows or rains.
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Wood shavings –
Wood shavings are the product of when you plane wood. They are light and easy to carry and catch fire quickly. Using wood shavings is a simple way of recycling what would have otherwise been considered waste.
The only downside with wood shavings is that you have to carry them – you don't expect to find wood shavings in the middle of the forest, do you?
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Clumped papers –
Packing some clumped papers in your survival kit can mean the difference between you spending a cold night in the woods or being able to make a fire. Using paper as tinder is an easy way to recycle paper, and it is easy to find.
However, you won't need to use paper as tinder if there are other more naturally occurring sources of tinder surrounding you are camping, would you?
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Dryer lint –
When you clean out your dryer machine, the lint you get can be a tinder source. As you pack your survival kit, you can put some of the lint into waterproof containers.You can also fill the lint into used-up toilet paper rolls, making lint easy to carry and store.
The disadvantage of depending on lint as your survival tinder is that it is hard to determine the type of cloth your lint is made from, as some fabric types do not catch fire easily. Therefore, if you plan on using lint, you should test it before heading out into the woods.
Other material that you can use as lint include:
- Steel wool/ fire steels
- Leaves
- Dry grass
- Cotton balls
- Wax
- Cattails
- Pine straw
The list of things to use as tinder is endless, and you need to be creative as you pack your survival kit. Now that you have your tinder, here is a compilation of the available top Ferro rods, their pros, and cons.
The Top 3 Ferro rods to consider when purchasing:
BesOnder 6-inch x 1/2-inch Ferrocerium Flint Ferro Rod with Striker, Blow Pipe, Cotton Tinder, and Pouch
This fire package is ideal for a survivalist looking to have all their fire tools in one place. Having everything packed in one place makes it easy to pack your survival kit and quickly locate your fire tools when you need them.
Additionally, the pouch is made with a zipper to prevent loss of your fire items and has a fastener to attach a lanyard that makes it easy to carry. The rod is also linked to a lanyard, which you can use as tinder in case of emergencies.
What is even better about this package is that it comes with cotton tinder, so you do not have to pack it separately. Also, you will love the blowpipe, which makes lighting fire much more effortless.
Pros:
- It is a complete fire starter pack
- It provides convenience when carrying as you can fasten it around your neck
- The Ferro rod is easy to strike as it has a large striking area
Cons:
· You have to buy the complete set as you cannot buy the various items separately
· Relatively hard to use for beginners
überleben Zünden Fire Starter
überleben Zünden Fire Starter is a range of Ferro rods that come in various sizes. They are fastened with natural wood handles for ease of grip and secured with a rope around the neck. The sparks produced by überleben Zünden Fire Starters are hot and go up to 5500 degrees.
BUY überleben Zünden FIRE STARTER
überleben Zünden Fire Starters come with a lanyard, scraper, map scale, ruler, and a bottle opener. This range of Ferro rods is, therefore, suited for the survivalist. They come in three thickness options (8mm, 10mm, and 12.5mm).
Pros
· It comes with most accessories
· Has a range of sizes to choose
· Fastened with a durable wooden handle to give you grip
Cons:
· The wood handle can come off quickly if not handled with care
Bushcraft Survival Ferro Rod Fire Starter Kit
Bushcraft Survival Ferro Rod Fire Starter Kit includes a multi-tool striker and a waterproof wax-infused tinder rope.
The Ferro rod is fastened with a wooden handle, and the rod is made from a mixture of magnesium and ferrocerium.
Checkout the Bushcraft Ferro Survival Rod
Bushcraft Survival Ferro Rod Fire Starter Kit also comes with a lanyard, and you can carry it around your neck or in your survival kit.
Pros:
· It comes with most of the accessories required to start a fire
· Made from ferrocerium and magnesium, which are both great for starting a fire
· Easy to carry as it comes with a lanyard
Cons:
· You might need to carry alternative tinder material since the tinder rope provided isn't very long
Conclusion
When packing for camping or hiking, you need to consider putting in all the materials you may need to light a fire. The biggest mistake you can make is thinking that you will find fire-making materials in the camping site.
The challenge with the assumption is that the weather may work against you or even fail to find the right material.
You should always, therefore, ensure to carry your Ferro rod and tinder in your survival kit.
Also, if you have your Ferro rods packed away in your tinder-for-survival kit, ensure that you test it before setting it off for your journey into the woods.
