Fire starter
A ferro rod and striker that make hot sparks in rain, wind and cold, thousands of times.
- Type
- Ferrocerium rod with steel striker
- Spark temperature
- about 3,000 °C
- Strikes
- several thousand
- Included
- Waterproof tinder (e.g. wax-soaked cotton or tinder tabs)
- Shelf life
- Unlimited. The rod slowly wears down with use.
KEN, CC BY-SA 3.0 · Photo credits
A fire gives you warmth, boiled water and cooked food. Matches get wet and lighters fail in the cold. A ferro rod keeps working.
When you scrape the rod with the steel striker, it throws very hot sparks. They light dry tinder even in rain or strong wind. One rod lasts for thousands of fires.
The kit includes waterproof tinder, so you have something that catches straight away. For a fire that lasts, you still need dry sticks and wood.
Why it’s in the kit
Without power or gas, fire may be your only way to boil water or warm up outside. Boiling is one of the most reliable ways to make water safe. The ferro rod needs no fuel and doesn’t run out quickly, and it isn’t damaged if the bag gets wet.
Storage & maintenance
Keep the rod and striker together, with the tinder in a waterproof bag. Some rods have a black coating. Scrape it off with a few strokes before the first use. Wipe the rod dry after rain. It needs no other care.
How to use it
Choose a safe spot
Pick a place sheltered from wind, away from tents, dry grass and overhanging branches. Clear the ground.
Prepare the fuel
Collect tinder, then thin sticks the size of a matchstick, then thicker ones. Have everything ready before you strike.
Place the tinder
Put a ball of tinder on a dry base, such as a piece of bark or a flat stone.
Strike towards the tinder
Hold the rod tip in the tinder. Press the striker against it and pull the rod back firmly. Sparks fall straight into the tinder.
Feed the flame slowly
When the tinder catches, add the thin sticks first, then thicker ones. Blow gently at the base.
Put it out completely
Drown the fire with water, stir the ashes and add water again until nothing is warm to the touch.
Video guides
Video guides are being prepared.
Manuals & downloads
Manuals will be available here soon.
