Magnesium Fire Starter

Experienced campers know that having more than one option to start a fire is almost always necessary in the outdoors. While waterproof matches and butane lighters are your best option in most scenarios, they’re not necessarily always available. This, of course, is why a little fire building knowledge and material will serve you well in a fire-necessary situation.


I recently purchased the Aurora Magnesium Fire Starter by soloscientific.com which uses a large 1/4" diameter composite flint steel rod that has magnesium built into it. It has a guided built in striking blade that maximizes the sparks and insures the ignition of any suitable fire starting material. This product is designed to function wet or dry and is made from corrosion resistant high strength materials.

The Aurora Magnesium Fire Starter has an overall length of 3.5", weighs 1/10th of a pound, and can be attached to your key ring so it is always there when you need it. The Aurora Magnesium Fire Starter is made in the USA and is designed to last years. This is a great fire starter compared to the Strikeforce, which has a smaller flint steel rod, making it harder to get a spark.

 

Follow the steps found at Camping Survival when first using your fire starter:

 

"To use your Aurora Magnesium Fire Starter unscrew the larger of the two sections that make up the starter. Doing this will reveal the fire starting rod enclosed. Hold the smaller section of the product in one hand and the larger section of it in the other hand. Next position the striking blade mounted on the top of the larger section of the starter against the fire starting rod so that the fire starting rod rests inside the 45 degree angled notch.

This places the fire starting rod in the optimum position to start a fire. While holding the smaller section of the Aurora magnesium fire starter firmly in one hand scrape the fire starting rod with the top corner edge of the striking blade in a fast smooth manner while pressing firmly against the blade and maintaining the optimum 45 degree angle.

 You will notice that when done properly the Aurora Fire Starter will emit incredibly bright and hot sparks that will burn and ignite any suitable fire starting material. We recommend that you have fun getting to know your Aurora magnesium fire starter by igniting the fire starting material included - only a small amount of the included material is needed. Cotton balls and dryer filter lint are great fire starting material! (Note: After prolonged use the striking blade can be flipped over to reveal a fresh striking surface. To do this simply remove the top screw holding the striking blade in place, flip the blade horizontally, and then re-secure the striking blade with screw - the striking blade may also be sharpened.)"

Check out this video on a varitey of ways to start a fire with the Aurora Fire Starter: