The Five Best Fire Starters For Any Outdoor Conditions

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   10.28.21

The Five Best Fire Starters For Any Outdoor Conditions

While I can get a fire going with natural tinders, it’s awfully convenient to have a fire starter handy to get the fire going quick and hot. While yes, you can absolutely make your own fire starters, having already made fire starters on hand is also really convenient. I do both, I buy and make. I tend to go through a lot of fire starters and I don’t always want to be producing fire starters on a regular basis. Anyway, commercial fire starters are also nice to throw in kits and not worry if they’re going to melt everywhere or go bad or what-not. Not all fire starters are made equally and some of them will absolutely expire. As in, when you go to use it, maybe it’s dried up or something about the composition just isn’t working anymore. I want to be able to rely on my fire starters no matter when I need them. I’ve tested a lot of fire starters over the years and these  are the five best fire starters for any outdoor conditions that I’ve come across.

1. Black Beard Fire Starter Rope

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Black Beard Fire Starter Rope

Black Beard is convenient and compact. It comes in a tightly packed ‘rope’ style. It can fit just about any pack or vehicle kit. You don’t have to unravel the whole thing, you can simply cut off a little bit and use that. It can work in just about any type of weather, including rain and general wet. One rope can easily many a dozen or more fires, depending on how much you use. You don’t need a ton to get a good fire started. An added nice touch is that they’re also made completely in the USA.

Pros/Easy to use, weather resistant, compact

Cons/Has a plastic wrapping

Bottom Line/Will do the job in just about any weather

2. Insta-Fire Fire Starter

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Insta-Fire Fire Starter

I was immediately impressed with this the first time I used it. It’s a combination of materials but there are no harmful chemicals. A bunch comes inside of a bag and you can take out as little or as much as you need. In my experience, it only takes a little bit to get a good, hot fire going. It has a long burn time, as well, about 5-10 minutes. It’s not supposed to keep the fire going, it’s supposed to get it started, which is exactly as it does. It can also withstand high winds, which is handy for a fire starter, especially one like this. It’s lightweight and easily accessible, you can find it online and at Walmart.

Pros/Lightweight, easy to get fire started, easy to use

Cons/Could be a little messy

Bottom Line/Definitely great to have on hand

3. QUICKSURVIVE

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QUICKSURVIVE

This is such a unique fire starter. When I first tried this I wasn’t going to expect much but I was pleasantly surprised. It’s really lightweight, I can throw some of these in a bag, pocket or vehicle and not have to worry about it at all. It claims to last 10 minutes, but it was more like 5-7 minutes, which is totally fine by me. The goal is to get the fire going as quickly as possible. It certainly burns hot, though! Each starter comes in a plastic bag and you can simply light up the plastic on the outside with a lighter or match and it’ll take off. Or you could take the starter out of the plastic, crunch it up and use a ferro rod to get it going. While it’s water resistant, it’s not super great with high winds. I had to really cover it and baby it a little in some high 10MPH winds.

Pros/Lights up fast, lightweight and water resistant

Cons/Plastic wrapping, not the best with wind

Bottom Line/Worth it to stash away everywhere for a long lasting fire starter

4. Black and White Fire Starter

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Black and White Fire Starter

A small business and truly a master of his craft, these fire starters are far and above what you’d find anywhere else. There are dozens of different fire starting options to choose from and he’s always innovating to find new ways to make fire. These will overcome most weather conditions, especially wind and water. I’m always impressed with every single fire starter I use. The price varies depending on what you need, but you’ll alway be getting quality. I’ve been able to get many uses out of just one fire starter.

Pros/Natural tinder, easy to get a fire started quickly

Cons/None

Bottom Line/Great packaging and long lasting fire starters

5. ECOSTIX Fatwood

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ECOSTIX Fatwood

Fatwood

While I am linking to a specific product, I’ll be talking about Fatwood in general. Fatwood is one of the best all natural fire starters out there. You can light the entire stick on fire or shave it down with your knife to form a pile. Either way, Fatwood is full os delicious resin (don’t eat it, it’s just beautiful and smells amazing), which makes it a perfect candidate for getting fires going. Whatever other fire starters you have, you should also have some Fatwood on hand to use as kindling to quickly get fires going. Even if they dry out on the outside, just shave off a little bit of the outer layer to reach the richness on the inside.

Pros/Easy to use, all natural

Cons/none

Bottom Line/Must have on hand

How to prevent wildfires

Wildfires are always a major problem and a threat you can help avoid.

  • Know the weather conditions – in a drought, be extra cautious
  • Watch for lightning, as it sparks most forest and grass fires
  • Never leave your fire unattended
  • Be aware and cautious of embers and floating debris
  • Always be 100% sure your fire is doused when you leave
  • Be careful with vehicles, as hot exhausts can starts fires for example
  • Always build a fire away from cover, brush and other dry tinder

Are there other types of fire starters?

Of course, in addition to fire starters, have a few lighters, waterproof matches, and/or a ferro rod on hand to easily start any fire. Planning ahead and being prepared is always best.

About the Author

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Morgan writes for OutdoorHub while also being the founder of Rogue Preparedness where she helps people get prepared for emergencies and disasters, as well as thrive any circumstances.

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