Sometimes I forget how lucky I am to have a [bleep] of 3 day weekends, 3 weeks paid vacation, a [bleep] of outdoor hobbies, and the 4th largest wilderness in the lower 48 pretty much right out my backdoor.
I honestly couldn't even guess how many fires I've built in the backcountry. I've learned a few things over the years.
Matches.... They're awesome. If you live in an old house with no fart fan or window in the [bleep]. You can light one when you're done poopin' and the humans you choose to live with can smell a mix of [bleep], and burnt sulfer... Which is as American as Bacon, Cocaine, Strippers and apple pie.
Bics.... I use one a lot. Especially lighting my EdT C stove. I ran one out of fuel once because the lever got pushed on by something in my pack. Coincedently, one of my pot smoking slut ex girlfriends left a bic at my house in a fancy lighter case. I gutted the fancy lighter case, and saved the plastic tube it was built around. When you stick a bic in it upside down, the lever cant get pushed on. It weights a gram and a half. It's cheap insurance. I've also had Bics get cold enough in packs in the winter that they barely want to light. This is corrected by leaving them in a pocket that is on your body, or in the bag with you at night.
Firesteels.... I never leave home without one. In all the types I've used, I've come to the same conclusion as others. The striker is as important as the firesteel. I use the new V2.0 Scout from Light My Fire 9 months out of the year. It's got more horsepower than every other firesteel, except.,... The one I carry once it's hunting season in Montana. Morakniv makes a knife/firesteel combo that I've used for over a year and absolutely love. The Bushcraft Survival knife is a 1/8" thick chunk of Sandvic S134 stainless, paired with a 2.6" long firesteel that's quite a bit softer material than the LMFs. It throws lots of pissed off sparks that stick around for a while.
Then there's the basics.... Tinder. Don't wait until you need the [bleep]. Pick it up along the way. Chances are, you'll encounter some blazed trees on the trail you're walking. The pitch balls that collect around blazes are great fire starters. Dry moss, naturally peeling birch bark, and hippies that were skinned alive are all great fire starters too.
Fatwood... I always have a stick of it. it's 20-30 grams of fire starting badass. You can use the spine of your knife (especially the Bushcraft Survival, or the Fireknife, which is ground dead flat for scraping) to make a nice little fluffy pile of naplam to catch sparks in. Or shave curls to light with a bic. Or, do both if your tinder is less than dry. Or, sliver the entire stick, and throw a pile of sticks on top of that if your ass fell in a creek on a spring bear hunt.
Carry an axe... Or big knife... If you're on an overnighter. Especially if it's cold enough that you NEED a fire. If I'm wearing a backpack, there's a Gransfors Brux Outdoors axe in it (which is just a cool way to say it's a Swedish Tomahawk) 18 ounces... Besides firewood, it does a great job beating in tent stakes, and it works great for skinning critters and hippies.
