Contributors to this thread:
So after I use my InReach to call my insurance company for a Medevac I figure I might want to start a small fire to stay warm while I wait for my ride.
Have any of you any experience with these fancy Plasma Lighters? Do they work any better than butane lighters or matches for starting an emergency fire in the mountains?
I figure the offseason is a good time to evaluate what I carry in the elk woods.
I wasn’t as impressed with my plasma lighter as I thought I would be but it was better than a bic. I prefer one of those wind proof lighters
I’ll stick with my magnesium fire starter. Never have to worry about fuel for a lighter.
On the same subject of fire, does anyone have any experience with this?
Now that was a good one. Love it.
i have a tekfire fuel free lighter that i like plus matches for backup
i must have miss but what happen Aspen Ghost
The putty is awesome and a windproof torch type lighter is very nice. Mine is waterproof as well. Shawn
Goelk, nothing happened. The threads about carrying an InReach and having Medevac insurance got me to thinking about how prepared I was when out in the elk woods. I had seen some of these plasma lighters and wondered if they were any better or worse than other ways of starting a fire.
I had ordered the plasma lighter and pyro-putty when I ordered my phone skope. I used the plasma lighter along with the putty last season and it worked great, fast and easy to use, I'm sure it would work well with slightly damp material as well, I also keep a couple of other fire starting tools with me as well, magnesium-starter, Bic lighter. And if I'm feeling really traditional I'll use/attempt to use my bow/drill fire starter,LOL. Find what works and your confident in using and us it.
I carry a live coal everywhere in my possibles bag. It's traditional.
Seriously, I also have a plasma lighter and its pretty cool but I've never had to use it under duress. I also carry a Bic, waterproof matches, and a mag stick, as well as vaseline-coated cotton balls, dryer lint, steel wool, duct tape (great fire starter) and a couple chunks of longer burning fireplace starter as part of my "go everywhere" survival kit. I know, I'm a pussy...
Yeah, I carried a magnesium stick once, and during a windy blizzard (in a non-life threatening situation) thought I'd tuck up under a tree and try it out, just to see how awesome I could be. Well, that was stupid, I would have frozen to death. The mag stick stays at home now, replaced by a bic lighter, a windproof lighter, waterproof matches, and a couple firestarter sticks. The guys carrying leather purses can keep the magnesium starters...
Fluffed out tampons, and a magnesium striker have worked great in the worst conditions.
This was one of them...pretty miserable day, right before another September snowstorm. My leather Gucci purse (for my tampons, of course), is not in the picture, lol !
I’m assuming new tampons?
Jstephens you’ve never tried used during the rut? Priceless
I just wait for lightning to strike. Can’t get anymore primitive than that.
Are tampons for manginas different than the traditional feminine ones? Are they available in manly colors like Steel, Silver Bullet, Hot Asphalt etc..
Speaking of "Manpons"...I see Pete Buttigieg just "pulled out" of the Presidential race!
Now, back to our regularly scheduled program...
Bic lighter and one of those trick birthday candles. Light the candle and it is windproof. I do not carry manpons in my murse.
Sitka's new line of manpons for the fall collection are the most durable and comfortable on the market, in all the trademark Sitka camo patterns. Three way stretch, super absorbent, impregnated with polygene for scent control. Definitely worth the three- pack price of $99!
^^ ahh yes, but are they a "Game Changer!" making last years manpons obsolete!?
It appears that there some that are very bored, cabin fever is starting to really set in.
I’m thinking of trying one of those Gwyneth Paltrow “Vagina” candles........but only during the rut, though. There will probably be some Vasoline involved as well. Not sure about cotton balls.
"Gwyneth Paltrow “Vagina” candles........but only during the rut"
Outstanding! Brilliant! Hilarious!
Pyro putty is great stuff, good company too....same guys as phone scope. It’s easy to use, packs easy and goes along way...order right from pyro putty or on amazon. We did reviews for it on rokslide
Google 'lifeboat matches' and carry a container of them. Also, you can buy a 5-pack of cheap lighters and stash them in your kit so one is always handy. Even if 4 fail you're still good to go. Whatever you choose, have a back-up.
a real hunter only uses steel and flint, who in the world would ever use anything but a zippo? its getting where a normal working class guy can’t even afford to light a fire anymore.
Amen on having backups. Whether it's guns, hard drives, flashlights, etc., the old adage applies: "Two is one, one is none."
I tried Pyro putty and the plasma lighter this year in CO. was NOT impressed with either in wet/snowy conditions. Worked, but not great. I also had some of those water proof matches and cheap backpacking tinder wads which I ended up using instead because they just worked better. I will carry the plasma lighter as a backup source, but probably would't buy more pyro putty.
Never heard of Pyro Putty. Ordered some from Amazon last night after reading this thread. The videos looked like it worked really well. I bought the blue which is supposed to stay pliable in lower temps.
PITA for lighting a cigar. One step over lighting it with a vaseline covered tampon......
If it won't light a cigar...... have no use for it.
A few (very) random thoughts.... There are people that can make a competition out of blowing your nose.... Multiple sources/options are awesome with pretty much anything I can think of. A wet bic can be near as bad as wet matches. If your main source is a mag sparkler you don't light very many fires in a day..... Found nothing that beats a good quality triple or quad torch. Especially for cigars. Greasy tampons don't solder very well even in a pinch.....
Great, now I have another use for my tampons.
I searched for the dead pines with the red needles still on them. There’s always one around. That stuff is as good or better than any fire starter. If I’m burning damp wood I’ll add a little on top every once in awhile to flare things up.
t-roy for the win! But he didn't say how he'd get it lit. Are those things self lighting?
Doritos ARE great as long as Im in a survival situation BEFORE lunch time!
I carry matches and a magnesium starter. I also have a plastic baggie with Canadian fire starters. I usually build a fire every time I hare hunt. Boil up some tea, and share some sausage or hot dogs with the hound. Every winter, I and my granddaughter go out in a heavy snowstorm in the dark and have a cookout. She traps with me and it is good practice for when she traps alone. She is 13, and becoming a hell of a trapper/hunter.
lawdy that's great! teach them young <3
Fuzzy.... I finally had to look up that "<3" thang the other day, been seeing it everywhere lately.... OK, means "heart", now I see it. All I saw before was cleavage (which could be taken similarly)...... was looking at it from the other end.... happens a lot....
hey some folks prefer the cleavage on the other end. I don't judge 8>
while we are on this subject, seemed every store in Anchorage and Kodiak had these awesome waterproof matches in a little clear screw top plastic vial. I wish I'd bought a dozen to bring home. I used them all up lighting my smokes in the wind on Kodiak
https://www.rei.com/product/842366/uco-survival-matches?CAWELAID=120217890000867573&cm_mmc=PLA_Google&product_id=8423660001&ad_type=pla&channel=online&partition_id=514211650967&target_id=pla-514211650967&brand_flag=&adgroup_id=15877490680&campaign_id=180122080&location_physical=9008459&cid=53280440200&network=g&network_type=search&device_type=c&merchant_id=1209243&gclid=EAIaIQobChMI2JOq4on_5wIVBLbICh1peQxvEAQYBiABEgJGofD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds
thanks for this thread. I ordered three vials of the survival matches from REI. They are priced higher than Wally World in Anchorage but that's a long way to drive to buy matches. LOL
<3 is heart, ( . )( . ) is cleavage.
I just won the pyro lighter and putty on another site, looking forward to checking them out.
So for those that want to carry blocks or something to light why wouldn’t you just carry some ZIP blocks or similar that are used for lighting charcoal? Those things burn forever and weight nothing. Throw a few in a ziplock and call it done. I’ve never felt the need cause I carry my small burner with my and if need be I could use that to light a fire.