Magnesium fire starter

“Found this suggestion on lesstroudonline.com:

Use the file on your multitool to file off magnesium shavings.

Use the back of your sawblade instead of the knife blade to strike the striker (saves the knife blade!).

I tried it, and the filings ignite a lot easier than shavings.

If you use the knife to shave off magnesium and strike the striker, it's going to be dull in no time.”

“I use the magnesium only as an emergency fire starter and don’t carry a multi-tool. Shave thin and use only one small spot on the blade for this. Strike the flint with the back of the knife.”

“I stopped carrying mine years ago. I never used it and I use wax dipped cardboard for starters so water is not an issue. I carry some weather proof matches in a waterproof match box and a ziplock full of starters and it is still way under half the weight of a Mg block.
I carry the matches mainly in case I lose my bic.”

“I carry firestarter sticks, magnesium too, just in case........and matches, and a lighter.....lol.”

“Another method is carrying a bit of steel wool. Then you take the bulb out of a mini maglite, insert two wires into the hole and touch the two wires to the steel wool to complete the circuit. That works too.

So, let's see, we've got magnesium, multi tool, mini maglite, steel wool, lighter, fire starter, matches ... hell, the only thing left is a flamethrower.”

“MacGyver could start a fire by just rubbing two pieces of duct tape together.”

“I like the idea of using a multi-tool file or the back of your knife for magnesium. I could never bring myself to shave metal slivers off a block with a treasured knife. One -20 winter night many moons ago, I tried magnesium with little success. Think it flared up 20 minutes after I tossed it into a roaring fire. (THAT was kinda neat)That was the first time I ever had trouble starting a fire. Used to always be one match. Rained for days & then the bottom dropped out on the thermometer. EVERYTHING was encased in ice.”

“Where's the magnesium come from?”

“

I think I would rather carry my zippo and storm proof matches.”

“i use a broken piece of hacksaw blade for my magnesium bar for both scraping and strikeing the mishmetal sparker. its all i carry”

“You have to get a fairly sizable pile of shavings going to it to light with a spark.

I try for about a half-inch diameter pile about 3/16 to a quarter inch high. Then you have to have tinders directly in contact with the magnesium, because it flares up for about 30 seconds or so and you need that 30 seconds to ignite the tinder and whatever else you have on top of it.

I'm interested in the magnesium only as a survival tool. I carry a lighter and waterproof matches, but sometimes things fail. The lighter runs out of fuel, or the matches get hopelessly wet (or run out). The magnesium is a backup for survival.”

“Oh, one other thing. It pays to practice survival techniques before you have to depend on them. Like Cats said, in minus 20 weather with everything encased in ice is no time to find out you can't get something done on which your survival depends.”

“Magnesium is a highly versatile metal favoured for its light weight and high strength-to-weight ratio. It is non-toxic, has excellent machining qualities, and exhibits a capacity to dampen and absorb vibration and electromagnetic waves.
to learn more about magnesium metal you can visit www.magnesium.com”

“I can generally start fires in any conditions, but I usually don't start fires because it limits my night vision. I like to hike solo but I can understand that groups of folks like the ambiance of a camp fire. The other exception is that I will start one in winter in extreme cold just for safety reasons. Only once I had trouble where it had rained all week & then the temp dropped to -20 for another week and EVERYTHING was encrusted with ice. -20 makes me a little nervous backpacking for 4 days.

I had a magnesium stick & one problem I had was using a treasured knife to slice shavings off a block of metal. Found some other stuff to get this tough fire going & threw the block of magnesium into the fire. It caught about 15 minutes later & put on a 2 minute light show. I have no use for it.
last edited: 12/28/06 6:15:39 AM”

“Sparks from the striking insert light my Pocket Rocket, and those same sparks also light my Military Trioxane heat tabs.....

The striker I use to shave it and light it's shavings is a three inch section of hacksaw blade...tied to it with a section of paracord...

That said, I can understand the reasons you have no use for it...it is hard to use, and it takes a real NEED for it for it to eclipse a simple BIC lighter....and those don't occur often enough to really make it worth the weight...I just like to play with the darn thing.”

“magg - Welcome to Trail Talk(TT).

That was an interesting site. Are you in the magnesium business?

Checked your Information Section by clicking on your name and there was next to nothing there, not even your state. So, who are you, how did you get here and why? Thanks.”

“I use the heavily waxed paper from milk or juice cartons and tear it into finger-width strips which curl as they are torn making a nice pile of fire starter.

With a properly and patiently built fire tepee its usually a one-match affair.”

“WOW...MarkO...will try that.

Now for a GREAT one shot does it all fire starter.....

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thermite”

“Da' things one can do wit da' stuff!

use an eye dropper to blow it into the cylinder of a lock, an' use a strip of Magnesium to light it, (Or a sparkler)....

Fun to watch the molten brass run out onta the ground......just like Mission Impossible!”

“What about dryer lint and vasoline? I keep a bit of that and some shreded news paper in a zip-lock. Just for emergencies and the paper absorbes the oil over time so any experienced fire starter can get a flame in even the wettest of times. Weighs next to nothing.”

“ditto walkncrow”

“Way back when one of our boy scouts made us lint and candle wax fire starters as a gift. I just couldn't get over having wads of someone else's body hair and old wax in my backpack or car camping kit. Bleah.”

“The problem with some lint is that you need to make sure it is mostly natural fibers....lots of kids today get lint that is more or less a blend and seems to be harder to light.”

“dry lint and vaseline works as well as anything I have used

Just takes a flicker of flame and it burns like napalm”

“I think it was Chili that directed me to some guy "Abo dude" or something. He is a survival instructor in the Southwest....he has one of the coolest sites for how to start fires....”

“Hahaha. Abo dude. I remember that spread in the crackpacker mag. What a cheeseball...”

““The problem with some lint is that you need to make sure it is mostly natural fibers....lots of kids today get lint that is more or less a blend and seems to be harder to light.”
theXL400
5:57:05 AM
1/28/09

That is the fabric softerner in the lint that does not burn”

“Funny, I just got an email with the exact same message that bowlan left this morning. Has Demand Media sold my email to get SPAMed?
last edited: 1/28/09 8:36:48 AM”

“Great.”

“If lint doesn't work, use a cotton ball.”