Overview
The following information on Fire Preparation is part of my Preparedness Series: Beyond the Emergency Fund. We view financial preparedness such as having an Emergency Fund and Retirement Planning as essential for you and your family. Additionally, we believe you should also be prepared for a major life event or catastrophe such as a mid-to-long term power outage, economic collapse, or worse.
Being able to easily start a fire when you don’t have easy access to natural gas or power could be crucial to your survivability. Fire not only provides warmth but is also a means to cook food or prepare water for consumption.
Item Ideation
The following items are either items that I have personally invested in over the years, or I have captured them as some ideas and favorites from the survivalist and prepper community. If you feel there is an item missing from the list, I would love to hear from you to get it included.
Stormproof Match Kit – There isn’t anything worse than trying to light a match under damp, wet, or windy conditions. These stormproof match kits are a simple way for you to add to your collection of fire starters.
Ferro Rod Fire Starter – Ferrocerium (Ferro) is a synthetic pyrophoric alloy that produces hot sparks that can reach temperatures of 3,000 degrees Celsius (5,430 degrees Fahrenheit) when rapidly oxidized by the process of striking the rod.
This Ferro Rod comes in different sizes: 5/16″ (12,000+ strikes), 3/8″ (15,000+ strikes), and 1/2″ (20,000+ strikes) and is a favorite in the survivalist community.
Waterproof Electric Lighter – It can be extremely handy to have a lighter around your house or while you are camping or hiking. Add the benefit of a USB rechargeable and flameless, this plasma lighter has a water proof design and is windproof.
Insta-Fire – There are times when you just want to get stuff done. The Insta-Fire pouch will burn up to 1,000 degree Fahrenheit, sustain 30 miles per hour winds and has a long burn time of 25 minutes.
The Insta-Fire has no harmful chemicals and needs no lighter fluids or other starters. It’s made from recycled wood, volcanic rock, and a patented blend of food-grade paraffin wax.
The other huge benefit is that it has a 30 year shelf life and can be stored near food, pets, and children.
Fresnel Lens – The Fresnel lens is a type of composite compact lens that was originally used in lighthouses. With direct sunlight, you can use this Fresnel lens to start a solar fire while camping or during emergencies.
It won’t be the simplest or quickest way to start a fire, but in a pinch this super compact survival item just might be something you will want to have in your emergency kit.
Butane Torch Lighter – This overly simple, 2.3 inches long Butane Torch lighter can reach temperatures of 2,100 degrees Fahrenheit and can be used approximately 500 times before you need to refill.
It also includes a fuel gauge window and a regulator dial to easily adjust the flame length.
Butane Refills – If you purchase the Butane Torch Lighter, you will want to consider adding a few refill packs in your survival and emergency preparedness kits.
EZ Fire Spray – It goes without saying that you should probably consider the ability to extinguish a fire. This handy portable fire extinguisher can be easily stored and provides 32 seconds of firefighting time.
It will extinguish fires from paper, fabric, wood, grease, and electrical.
Fire Extinguisher – The First Alert Fire Extinguisher (large) is a heavy-duty fire extinguisher that can put out fires from wood, paper, trash, plastics, gasoline, oil, and electrical-equipment fires.
This fire extinguisher is not refillable but has a 12 year limit.
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