I want to be certain that I can get a fire started when I need to. So, I carry several types of fire starters.
I carry a BIC lighter at all times. This is usually the easiest. But they don't always work when it's cold and wet.
I carry a flint strikers (ferro rod) to light my stove. No reason to waste a match and (as stated above) BIC lighters don't always work.
I carry a couple of Coghlans waterproof Fire Sticks. They work best if you break one on half and light the ragged end. I think they sawdust soaked in paraffin and are great for starting a campfire.
And last, I also carry a box of Coghlans waterproof Matches.
Any/all of these items can be purchased at your local sporting good store.
It's fun to impress Boy Scouts using natural fire starters such as fatwood, or pine sap, or the inner bark of an aspen tree, or pine needles from a Ponderosa Pine. But those natural fire starters are often a lot of work and I carry the stuff on my list because it's easy and certain.
KC
Have you used piezo lighters? I like those when I can find them (usually at a tobacconist shop). Bics are sure hard to use when cold and wet; trying to flick the wheel on the flint to get a spark.
