BC Hiking Club Blog - Chilliwack & Vancouver Hiking British Columbia

I bought one of those cool little magnesium fire starter gizmos this past summer but didn't try it until just the other day deep when it was 2 below and snowing. It worked pretty awesome.

How does it work, you say? First, take your knife and scrape off magnesium shavings (the whole thing is magnesium). Then when you've got a little pile of mag shavings (on top of your pre-built pile of super-dry tinder and wood shavings or whatever fire starter you can find) you then scrape your knife blade along the very top part of the gizmo pictured and it creates a spark -- that top part of the gizmo is a flint and it sparks when you scrape the steel knife blade on it. Of course if you scrape too frantically you'll probably hit your fragile little pile of tinder and mag shavings (knocking them all over the place) then you'll have to start all over again. So don't do that.

In sum, all you need is a knife and this under-$10 gizmo to make a match-less fire. It's a pretty good all-weather, no-water-concerns fire starter. Bought mine at Walmart in Chilliwack BC during the summer, but of course they don't have it in stock now when it's coldest out and we need fire and warmth the most...so try your local outdoors store or rummage through Walmart's camping section anyways and maybe you'll get lucky.

Labels: fire starter, hiking essentials, magnesium firestarter, magnezium fire starter, one of those shave off some metal stuff with your knife and make a spark to make a fire things