Lately, I’ve been playing around with some different fire starting methods including Ferro rods. With the right tinder, I have been really impressed with the results. While I still enjoy the simplicity and ease of use of a Bic lighter – I see the wisdom in more primitive fire starting methods as well.
A good friend turned me on to a set of large 1/2″ x 6″ ferrocerium rods. They include a lanyard hole and due to their size are easy to hold. Their sheer mass provides a lot of material for starting hundreds of fires.
Here are a few pictures demonstrating the use of the Ferro rod along with a Blue Hawk Tool Sharpener. For a tinder medium, I have dryer lint soaked in some petroleum jelly which is my favorite for fire starting kits.
Blue Hawk Tool Sharpener / EricX 1/2″ Ferro Rod
Dryer Lint with Petroleum Jelly
Using tool sharpener to scrape some shavings onto the dryer lint. The shavings are not necessarily needed.
Here is a close of the shavings which burn extremely hot.
A quick strike of the tool sharpener sends a shower of sparks onto the lint – FLAMES!!!!
The dryer lint/petroleum jelly combo burns for several minutes which is excellent for getting a fire going when needed.
These EricX Ferro rods combined with a good tool sharpener work excellent. At $14.95 with free shipping for two rods, they should fit within almost any budget. Putting together a few fire starting kits? Check these out – you won’t regret it.
Rourke
NOTE: Items featured in this article:
Tool Sharpener – LINK
EricX Ferro Rod – LINK
These are the exact ferro rods I have !!! Good choice !
Great stuff, might save your life one day, that tool sharpener is insanely good with those feral rods, never knew that until you turned me on to them it’s always good to learn from friends!
Ferro Rods are great to include in any Firestarter kit. I tried the Petroleum Jelly and Cotton Balls approach as well and didn’t like the “messiness” of it. I’ve found that if I take 100% Cotton “Makup Remover” pads (found at Dollar Tree for 80 at $1, or even at Walmart for just a little more) and melt a candle for it’s wax (found at thrift stores for around $2) then float the Pad into the melted wax to absorb the wax, it makes for a great fire starter. Take the “Wafer” and bend it in half a few times without breaking it. Then tear half of the bent seam. This exposes the cotton fibers so the Ferro Rod, or any other flame source, can ignite it. I like these “Wafers” because they give me a higher flame than Petroleum firestarters and still burn 3-4 minutes, which allows my tinder to catch and start my roaring fire. Also, the “Wafers” fit nicely in a “Lays” potato chip plastic tube with room for the Ferro Rod. Just my 2 1/2 cents worth.
Myke