We all want a safe and worry-free camping trip, but sometimes we find ourselves in situations out of our control. For instance, your lighter suddenly stops working at a remote campsite at night. It's not ideal when you need to start a fire or ignite your stove.
That's where Coghlan's Flint Striker comes in. It's an essential and compact tool capable of generating sparks to ignite tinder, or your gas-burning stove, making it a necessary part of any emergency preparedness kit. Simple by design, the Flint Striker features a ferrocerium rod that produces sparks up to 3,000 degrees Celsius when friction is created with the attached scraper tool. It's waterproof and can even work in cold and wet conditions, allowing peace of mind in emergencies.
Step 1: Remove the coating on the flint rod
When you first unbox the Flint Striker, you'll notice the flint rod has a sleek and smooth black coating. This protective layer needs to be removed in order to be able to generate the most generous amount of friction and therefore sparks. To do this, firmly press the metal scraper tool's serrated edge against the flint rod and shave off the black coating until you have just enough metal surface area to create sparks.
Step 2: Ready your fuel source or tinder
Starting a fire using sparks from a flint rod requires you to have effective tinder. Your best bet is to start small: tree bark chips, small wood shavings, dry grass, or Coghlan's Tinder. Be sure to gather as much dry tinder as you can, and find a spot protected from wind to create a pile - this will help ensure your sparks have the best chance to ignite the tinder pile.
If you're lighting your stove, ensure you have your Flint Striker handy and ready to use quickly. Be cautious to not over-prime your stove as it may take a few attempts with the Flint Striker before a spark catches and ignites the fuel.
Step 3: Create sparks and ignite the tinder
To start a fire, hold the flint rod close to your tinder pile. Use the jagged edge of the metal scrapper to firmly appy pressure to the flint rod. In a quick downward motion, strike the scrapper against the flint rod to create sparks. The more pressure you apply, the greater the friction resulting in more sparks. You'll need to have the sparks directly land on your tinder in order for them to ignite. This may take a few attempts.
Step 4: Add more tinder
If you're not getting enough sparks to light your tinder, try striking harder or repeat striking the flint rod a few more times. Test using different kinds of tinder, like birch bark or fatwood shavings which are easier to light. It would also be a good idea to keep some tinder in your emergency preparedness kit. Once you get the initial tinder file started, gradually add larger tinder to build up your fire.
With this handy little tool in your bag, you'll have peace of mind knowing that starting a fire won't be an issue no matter where your adventures take you! Using this flint striker is simple once you get the hang of it after a few tries. Keep practicing at home so that you are prepared and efficient on your next trip.
