79-Cent Fire Starter Review
Kevin Felts 02.20.18
Continuing our series on low cost survival gear with a 79-cent fire starter review. The first review was on a 50-cent compass.
If any of the readers have browsed eBay for survival gear, surely some of these cheap items straight from China have shown up in the results. Examples include – a 50-cent compass, a 79-cent fire starter, a $1 map compass, $10 backpack. The prices are almost too good to be true. So how good are the items for the price?
Rather than the reader taking a chance on the items, we here at AllOutdoor are going to take a look at the stuff for you.
Specifications
- Length: 2 5/8 inches
- Ferro rod length: 1 1/2 inches
- Weight: 0.55 ounces
- Striker included: Yes
- Price as of February 2018: 79 cents each, shipping included
Now for the video.
Let’s be honest, none of us were expecting very much. Being able to start not one, but two fires with only a few strikes was a surprise.
The key to using a fire starter is using a very fine material to catch the sparks. If dryer lint is not available, then leaves ground almost into almost a powder will sometimes work. The fine tops of grass, cut and ground on a rock will sometimes work.
Would a larger ferro rod work better? Sure it would. The 1 1/2 long rod on this fire starter is just barely long enough to throw a decent spark. There use to be some fire starters on Ebay that were around 1/2 inch long and fit on a keychain. I was hoping to do a review on one of those, but have been unable to find them.
This review is not a recommendation. It is just a simple review to see how well the item works. The fire starter was bought off Ebay and was not supposed by company.
Do not expect fast shipping when ordering from China. These fire starters took a month to arrive.
What’s next? We are going to move up the price range a little bit and do some comparison articles. The goal is to figure out a good price point to quality ratio.
