No. 152 - Firesteel

I like to be prepared. A few weeks ago the power went out in our house. Within a few minutes we had the hand-crank radio and LED light combo on and extra flashlights by our side.

This morning an article on my WSJ Mobile Reader app caught my attention. The article from LewRockwell.com was titled How To Make Waterproof Matches. It talked about the importance of being able to start a fire and mentioned the word "firesteel." I jotted down the word to research later. It sounded like something I needed to know more about.

I learned that firesteel is a fire starting tool that sells for under 20 bucks. It is intended to supplement matches and lighters providing a 5,400-degree Fahrenheit spark that makes it easy to build fires in any weather, at any altitude, even if it gets wet.

Firesteel.com's website says:

Experts agree: The most important item in your survival kit is the means to make a fire.

In a disaster emergency or other survival situation being able to start a fire could very well save your life.

But there is a problem:
Matches become wet and useless.
Lighters run out of fuel or break.
Old fashioned flint and steel can be difficult to use.

Fortunately there is a solution:

FireSteel. The best way to ensure you can start a fire when you need one. FireSteel is compact, lightweight and easy to use. And it always works - even when wet!