In the small but useful department, when you're in desperate need of a fire to stay warm, celebrate halloween in Detroit or fend off marauding hordes of zombies, getting a little chemical assist can be helpful.
Coghlan's Magnesium Fire Starter is a small 1x3x3/8 inch block of magnesium to help get you warm. You shave the block with a knife until you have a small pile of shavings about an inch in diameter, then you flip it over and scrape the strip on the back of the block to get sparks.
It's about as easy as it sounds, although you need a nice tidy pile of shavings for the sparker thing to catch. Or just use a match or lighter if you've got it. It's going to dull your knife, but if you're in that kind of situation you're probably going to be happy to make the tradeoff.
4 responses to “Coghlan’s Magnesium Fire Starter”
Our experience is greatly different. Read it at
http://www.wintercampers.com/2008/04/07/magnesium-fire-starter/
Response to WinterCampers: the magnesium block is not nearly as flammable until it is shaved into small filings. That’s why they don’t recommend pre-shaving it and carrying around the filings. It’s not the most elegant way to start a fire, it really is just designed for emergency use, and as we mention plan on losing the edge on your blade while doing it.
Yeah, these things blow. Spend twenty minutes scraping a small pile of shavings then watch a little wind carry it off so you can start dulling your knife all over as you freeze. Get a SolKoa firestarter kit and you’ll get a fire going in wind and rain.
Brock Keough
I cannot thank you enough for the article.Thanks Again. Will read on…