[messiah]

As I read through thread upon thread about what to have in a BOB/GHB or EDC car kit, it seems that everyone and their uncle has matches. Waterproof matches, strike anywhere matches, etc., and I just cant understand why. Sure, I have a box or 2 of the strike anywhere in my home, but I just can't see their value in a survival bag compared to a firesteel or a lighter. You light the match, the wind blows it out, now it's useless. Those trick birthday candles that you can't blow out might be a lot more useful. So tell me why you all seem to carry matches?

 

[bobanderson]

you should have all 3. Lighters have a bad track record of breaking, leaking failing, and firesteel is a pain...

 

[Zombie Hunt Club]

2 is 1 and 1 is none and all that.

 

[phantomdan2005]

I keep my BOB in my car trunk so it is usually with me at all times. I have flint, waterproof matches, and strike anywhere matches. I do not keep a lighter in there because I do not want to risk it exploding and catching on fire when it is summer time and my trunk could be 120 degrees. There is nothing wrong with having matches. It's better to be prepared for all scenarios then not to be, especially when matches do not take up much room in your pack.

 

[Raven]

For me, water (the means to procure it, and purify it) and fire, are priority. This is why I have several means or devices in my pack to address the issue.

I go balls out on both. Matches, dryer lint, fatwood, lighters (2), firesteels (2), charcloth, steelwool/9v, cotton balls/vaseline, magnifying glass. You get the point.

Murphy is a mother ****er....take nothing for granted. Never put all your eggs into one basket.

 

[Dilnad]

Another good use for matches is that they take up little space, weigh nothing and could prove to be good barter to the less fortunate ( as well as a donation )

If and when the SHTF, fire, and the ability to make it, will probably be quite the commodity. Not everyone can build a bow drill with a pocket knife.

 

[megafatcat]

Why matches? Because they work.

 

[SkullyWV]

As I read through thread upon thread about what to have in a BOB/GHB or EDC car kit, it seems that everyone and their uncle has matches. Waterproof matches, strike anywhere matches, etc., and I just cant understand why. Sure, I have a box or 2 of the strike anywhere in my home, but I just can't see their value in a survival bag compared to a firesteel or a lighter. You light the match, the wind blows it out, now it's useless. Those trick birthday candles that you can't blow out might be a lot more useful. So tell me why you all seem to carry matches?

I don't carry matches. I have a Bic lighter:
in my pants pocket, in my coat pocket, in the glove box, in the center console, 2 in the BOB, 2 in the mini BOB that is in the BOB which also contains flatwood, magnifying glass, dryer lint with chapstick, and a mag bar. With all that "firepower" I don't think matches are needed.

BTW, 50 bic lighters can be had for under 50.00. That is 45 minutes to an hour of potential burn time per lighter (+/-) so it is possible to get 50 hours out of a 50 pack.

If you are very careful you can light a fire consistently with about 5 seconds of Bic burn time. That is 720 fires per lighter which is 36,000 fires with a 50 pack of Bics. This equates to 1 fire per day for 98 years.

Realistically I would expect to only get about one third of this performance, therefore, one fire per day for 32 years.

Not too shabby for a 40.00 investment.:thumb:

 

[InfScout]

I had four BICs in my basics bag that I store in the trunk of my car and in similar bags in the trunk of my wife's car and two in the truck. Never thought to check them when I changed out the food and replaced the clothes. I change out clothes twice a year in those bags due to the different seasons- plus I wash the ones that have been in there because, hey, I like clean clothes.

Anyway, after about three years of rotating stuff, I happened to check the BICs in one of the bags. Three of them were empty- maybe due to heat or change in temperature. One still worked. So now, I have a small metal container of strike-anywhere matches and a fire starter in the bag also. Also a ZIPPO lighter that isn't fueled up in my bag in my car. And I check the BICs twice a year- just shake them and you will know if the propane leaked out.

I also just acquired a few more ZIPPO lighters for the bags in the other vehicles. I don't keep them fueled up because that's really a waste of fluid and ZIPPOs will burn any fuel okay so I can probably get them working if need be. I store 10 flints in the base of the ZIPPOs. Cheap and they give me piece-of-mind which is precious.

Plus, you have to think about BICs. When I made the transition from a ZIPPO to BIC years ago, I found BICs aren't as forgiving in the rain as are ZIPPOs. Many times, once wet, the BIC won't light. I rarely failed to get the ZIPPO lit, even in a monsoon.

 

[medicineball]

There is a really interesting discussion of matches vs lighters vs firesteels here:

http://www.bugoutbagquest.com/2011/01/what-to-use-to-start-fire.html

The discussion is in the comments section.

 

[Bavarian Raven]

matches are also easier to use when u have fallen into the water or the such in winter, and your hands are half frozen/numb >.> and you NEED to make a fire ASAP. >.>

 

[Goosed]

Lighters have been around longer than Matches.....I stick with the original.

 

[AceScanner]

I've got a lighter or two, and routinely carry a ferro-flint, but matches have the advantage of being cheap. Gas stations, bars, and restaurants still offer them free.

This explains why there are books of matches in ziploc bags tucked all over the place. (I get the ziploc bags free every time I go through a TSA checkpoint.)

 

[falconman]

They're a cheap backup if you can't get a fire going.
Firesteel=$15, 5760 matches=$15

I will still carry firesteel before matches, and can start a friction fire if needed.I usually carry my Zippo or peanut lighter with me too.
You should have at least 2 backup ways to start a fire.




I also have 40 packs of 32 matches(over 1200) for when the SHTF

 

[Jeffrey]

As I read through thread upon thread about what to have in a BOB/GHB or EDC car kit, it seems that everyone and their uncle has matches. Waterproof matches, strike anywhere matches, etc., and I just cant understand why. Sure, I have a box or 2 of the strike anywhere in my home, but I just can't see their value in a survival bag compared to a firesteel or a lighter. You light the match, the wind blows it out, now it's useless. Those trick birthday candles that you can't blow out might be a lot more useful. So tell me why you all seem to carry matches?

This is a joke, right?

 

[WSierra]

I use matches to light charcoal for the grill or the firepit at home.
For everything else, I carry lighters.
I have magnesium/firesteels, but I only use them for practice once or twice a year.

 

[slackercruster]

Barter off matches one at a time

 

[MikeK]

I don't carry matches in my BOB. I have lighters which work exceedingly well in my warmer climate. I have ferrocerium and magnesium for starting fires in poor weather. I have a little firestarter tinder for getting damp woods going, etc. To me, matches are bulky little single use sticks.

 

[Steps]

My Bob has the following:

Matches
Lighters
Flint
Blast Match

If you find that using flint is difficult try the blast match. My 10 year old nephew can start a fire in less than 5 minutes with one, it takes him about 15 minutes using the flint.

I think being good with both is your best bet.

 

[Zombie Hunt Club]

Lighters have been around longer than Matches.....I stick with the original.

I thought this was the 2nd dumbest thing I had ever read (1st one is also in this forum) until I looked and found out you are right. Lighters came before matches by 300-years. I still think you're wrong with the lighter only plan <shrug>