Even with good flint striker it may be difficult to start a fire. Therefore it is good to have another fire starter which makes it easier. However, think about efficiency and the way of carry. Those are the most important criterias.
Even the right conditions and good flint striker can not do miracles. For example your tinder will be so wet, that it won´t ignite. So what do we do ? We can keep trying or look for another fire starting material. So let´s be ready and have proper equipment for such situation. We definitely know the term fire starter. Practically it is a medium that helps light a fire, but also a grill in the garden. Such medium can be either natural or chemical. Let´s see some options that our e-shop can offer.
Some of the fire starters include some kind of flint strikers. Do you remember the older types ? They consisted of magnesium body and flint rod. As we know, magnesium can produce a temperature of up to 2000 degrees Celsius when burning, which is good enough even for damp fire starting material (tinder). Simply scrape off some magnesium chips, then scrape the flint rods rapidly and ignition successful. This is the first variant we can find on our e-shop. The advantage is included flint striker so we don´t need two separate things, however, this type of fire starter may be little heavy.
Another possibility is liquid fire starter. It is a highly flammable alcohol or gasoline based fluid. Plastic bottle with gasoline will come handy anytime. And the same applies to alcohol. However, it is still liquid that can be spilled anytime. At the same time, it tends to evaporate and vapors are quite dangerous. Luckily we have another option which is used for example with gas cookers, that are still highly popular. They can be used as a back up fire starters or for emergencies. These solid fuel tablets resemble chocolate bar a little. We just take two or three pieces and easily light them with a lighter or matches. One tablet burns for about 12 minutes which might seem not to be enough, but it is more than good enough for brewing hot drinks or preparing a campfire for example. However, these are not natural materials. What if we don't want to pollute the forest?
In Central America there is one pine tree called Pinus montezumae. Its huge benefits have been noticed by the local people hundreds of years ago. The wood of this pine contains 80% resin. As we know, it is the resin that burns, not the wood itself. Pieces of this wood can be purchased in various forms as fire starters. After ignition, it is almost impossible to extinguish the fire (they work even when wet) which is a very useful effect. Moreover, it is all natural material. We will not pollute the forest and yet we will be able to quickly and efficiently light the fire.
Once again, the selection is not easy. Either way, let's choose what suits us the best and what we can work with. Fire starter with flint striker is excellent, but quite heavy. Liquid fuel burns amazingly, but it may be dangerous to carry it. Solid fuel seems to be one of the best options. It burns well, is easy to store and not dangerous. However, if we travel by plane, the tinder sticks from pine tree will be our best choice. They are not dangerous and work superbly.