My strategy is to try to have 3 ways to get a fire lit� all involve vaseline soaked cotton balls, and/or dryer lint, and/or fat wood (of which all are in my small emergency kit).
Plan A- Bic lighter (but these don't work very well in extremely cold weather or high altitude, or high wind. And they can get lost or break.. then your F'd. I carry two.
Plan B- Waterproof matches. But these require a striker and I've had issues with these in the past� if the striker is damp it get's soft and won't light off the match.
Plan C- A Firesteel� hard to get to work if you're not proficient at it and takes a lot of practice to get that way� but if you know how to use it they can save your arse. I carry a magnesium block with mine as well in the event my tinder is damp.
IME, Plan A works most of the time, and I've only had to resort to Plan B a couple times. I've never had to resort to Plan C. Probably a good thing as I only practice with my fire steel every couple of years when I get a whimsy to do it� which means if the rubber ever me the road and I had to use Plan C I'd likely be screwed�
Foxx...
