Magnesium Fire Starter - Any Tips?

[RoastBeastFan]

I've got a camping trip coming up, and decided to get one of these magnesium bars as a backup fire starter. I'm having more than a little trouble getting the thing to work. I've cut little piles of magnesium dust (with the supplied short hack saw blade) but extensive efforts to light them have failed. I tried with the flint bar at first, but eventually just tried a lighter - even that failed. And piling the filings on paper and burning the paper did not light the magnesium. So either I'm doing something wrong, or I got some bad magnesium. Any tips?

Thanks

[george94]

You need to get the pile of magnesium into a pile of dust not pieces. I typically use cotton balls and different fire starters when using my magnesium starter and just use the striker and not the magnesium itself.

[Stef]

Hehehe, it' looks much easier when Bear Grylls does it at the TV

[Big Galloot]

[housil]

Check youtube for a video how to use it.

[Dingleberry Johnston]

The magnesium bars can be tricky to use, and do require practice. I don't care for them because they take a bit of work and don't always produce reliable results. That's not good when you need a fire right away. The magnesium burns up pretty quickly, which means you better have some dry tinder available immediately so it will catch.

I prefer cotton balls coated with petroleum jelly. They burn for quite some time, and take a spark from a ferrocerium rod very easily. They're practically fool-proof.

[Bypah]

That's my favorite method....a ferrocium rod with cotton balls laced in vaseline/petroleum jelly......

[spinhouse247]

This is the same ferro rod I have in my kit and have carried the same issue for years. You can get them here: http://www.countycomm.com/FIRESTARTER.htm they are a genuine GSA supplier that sells to the general public.



You might also want to check out all the other great stuff they have on the cheap: http://www.countycomm.com/Whats%20New.htm

[jfko6]

A how to instruction set can be found in this forum.

How To Here: viewtopic.php?f=6&t=1847&p=14609&hilit= ... ium#p14591

[Stef]

Hi,
I've seen a lot of Chinese copies of that fire steel on eBay, did anyone give them a try? Compared to a US military product the quality is certainly not as high but are they usable at least?
http://cgi.ebay.com/Fire-Steel-Survival ... 0351113729