Matches, lighter, ferro rod, char cloth and magnesium
Lighters are constructed of plastic, which means that after their short life, they become waste pollution. I also found that the gas lighter facilitates a laziness in finding the most easily igniting material in the area. I end up using more lighter fuel than is necessary. The sparker mechanism at the top tends to be a delicate device for outdoor use, along with materials that tend to rust.
Finally, below zero degrees Celsius, the fuel in a Bic-style lighter has a tough, unreliable time lighting.
There are many videos and suggestions people give on how to light a ferro rod. The easiest and most effective way I have found to use the ferro rod is, of course, you need a sharp edge, but simply plant the end of the ferro rod onto a firm, dry surface, supporting the other end with your hand. If your only source is the ferro rod, scrape some ferro off the rod, then give it a firm score into the scraped ferro scrapings without lifting the rod from the surface. Have your dry grass ready to quickly ignite from the ferro fire, which won't last long.
The ferro rod will often light birch with one quick, effective score, but some thick birch barks are tougher to light than others. With birch, simply put a few loose sheets down on the firm surface and pin it with the end of your rod; then give the rod a firm score with an edge.
I have carried a small watertight container with cotton batting mixed with some tallow for an easy ignition source. Both the small ferro rod and the cotton batting have a limit, which does not outnumber the ignitions of the following solution.
When paired with pure magnesium filings, the mag/ferro rod is a secure second winter fire igniter source. The magnesium usually comes as a small brick with a small ferro rod glued to it. I suggest having each separate and keeping them as a pair in a pouch. As with the ferro rod procedure above, push the end of the mag brick into a firm surface and score off some sheets. Have an easily starting source of dry plant material, like shavings of birch bark, ready nearby. Also have ready a couple handfuls of dry spruce sticks (found near the base of the tree). Scrape a spark from the ferro rod into the magnesium pile, then add the birch shavings, then add the extra birch shavings on the starting fire. Secure by carefully adding the spruce twigs.
A handful of dry grass with magnesium shavings to take a spark with a large bit of pine or spruce shavings scattered on the whole pile is sure to start a cook fire.
Hone on a sharp 90-degree angle to the spine of your knife so you can shave the magnesium and throw the spark from the ferro rod; if it's not 90 degrees, it can just be jagged or otherwise aggressive (in a pinch, just rough it on a rock). Honing this angle to the spine is done by running your knife spine over the hone at a 90-degree angle by holding the handle with one hand and the blade in the other (CAREFULLY). Hone until the spine edge develops a sharp corner on both sides.
My backup method is to use standard strike-anywhere matches (RedBird brand). I cut the match in half to save space, as I don’t need the added length, and fill a small watertight container with them; this container is held in a small pouch and hung around my neck. I do add a small amount of the striker strip to the case—you will save matches this way, as rock strikes often fail.
Strike a match by aiming it at a sharp angle into the surface of the striker. Throw the match into the surface like a spear with the head leading. Let the head gently get deflected by the angled surface.
There are other primitive and simple ways of starting a fire that have many of the advantages that I value, like being waterproof and simple in nature, like the steel striker, but they take much practice to become reliable and, in the case of the striker, greatly benefit from carrying something additional that is not waterproof, like char cloth.
Char cloth is, hands down, my primary and favored source in all reasons and environments. It simply is superior to any other mentioned— a guaranteed source. Char cloth is produced from carbonized cotton cloth but can also be produced from punk wood (which I prefer far less) and lights by the smallest spark had from the smallest piece of ferro rod, knife spine, carbon steel, &c. Find birch bark of both that has a fluffy density, place a bed down, and put a good bit of char on top. Have another piece of birch bark ready. Throw a spark in freezing wind, whatever, and get it on the char. Sandwich the birch on top of the char, taking care not to smother the spreading hot char, and blow until it bursts into flames. Another method is to curl cloth, spark it, take the now slow-burning square of char cloth, and put it in a handful of dry grass. Curl the grass around the cloth, and blow on the grass. The grass will burst into flames in short order, so have your bundle of kindling already ready to put on top of the lit grass.
When using char cloth, bunch it together instead of spreading it flat in the tinder. The better your tinder, the less char cloth needed.
Make char by putting material into a titanium kettle you may have on hand. Put the lid on top of the pot and put the kettle on a fire; if you don't have a titanium kettle, any metal, near-airtight container may be used. Cook until the smoke stops leaving your cooking vessel. Let cool—without removing the lid.
Find a tin and make a hole in the lid. Carry your char cloth in here and make more from the tin as needed. As said before, this method is far superior to lighters, which won't work if they are cold; matches, which can blow out; or any other modern or old way I have tried.
Char cloth lights better than char punk, but the cloth to make it is limited. Supplement the char cloth with punk in the same fire start.
