Robert F. lived in Toronto, Canada. He had taken a vacation to Alaska’s Denali National Park.
While hiking in the park, he slipped and fell about 20 feet. He lost most of his gear and suffered fractures to his arm and lower spine.
After the fall, he reached for his bag. But excruciating pain shot through his left arm. He realized he wouldn’t be able to carry his bag.
He took out a raincoat, vest, a lighter, and matches.
After the fall, Robert hiked about 10 miles to find help then ran out of strength.
He was in pain and no longer able to hike. So, he started to write his will. He told his parents that he loved them. He told his brothers that he would miss them.
He wrote his last words on his map, and prepared for his eventual death.
He had a few matches left and set a small tree on fire and it ignited. He rolled away from the tree as it started to smoke.
At the same time that Robert was starting the fire, National Park Service rangers were in a helicopter nearby, returning from a moose poaching investigation.
Robert could hear the helicopter so he waved his yellow jacket with his one good arm.
The helicopter saw Robert and tried to get him to move so they could land. But Robert couldn’t get out of the way. He laid still as the helicopter landed nearby.
“I’m sorry. I’m sorry about starting the fire,” he blurted.
Fires are prohibited in Denali. Four acres would eventually go up in smoke.
But Robert was alive.
And the main reason he lived after the fall is because he made a crucial decision.
When he knew he couldn’t carry all his gear, he took the most important things, including his lighter and matches.
If he had not been able to start a fire, who knows if Robert would have been rescued.
But there’s a problem…
While starting a fire can be life-saving, it’s not always easy to do.
This is why you should have a plan for starting a fire no matter what the conditions are outside.
This task can be made easier by using fire-starting materials.
Of course, like with any survival gear, the drawback is that it will take up space. But fire-starting materials can be very small so it’s worth it to have these life saving tools.
Here are a few products that can help you start a fire whether you are in your backyard or the Alaskan wilderness.
FireFlame:
This is a fire starter product that will light in a rainstorm, even after being submerged in water. It will also light with either a match, ferro rod, or lighter.
FireFlame has a burn time of about five minutes. It is small, made of natural materials, and works whether it’s wet or dry.
It doesn’t contain any chemicals. Each starter comes individually packaged so you can put one, or ten, in your bug-out bag.
Since it lights easily whether wet or dry, it’s perfect for your bug-out bag.
Pyro Putty:
Pyro Putty is waterproof and will light even in strong wind. It has a burn time of eight minutes, providing enough time to get tinder and kindling burning.
Even though it’s waterproof, Pyro Putty can be slow to get going if it’s wet.
If you need to start a fire in the wind, Pyro Putty is one of the best options.
It only weighs two ounces, so it won’t be a heavy addition to your bag.
One of the best things about Pyro Putty is that you can take a little dab out of the can and use as much or as little as you need to get the fire going.
Light A Fire:
This product is a natural fire starter with a burn time of 14 minutes.
The biggest drawback is that it’s not waterproof. So, if you decide to use it, put it inside a plastic bag.
Light A Fire works well in the wind and can produce a large flame to help you get a fire going.
It comes in individual pods about two-inches by two-inches in size, so they don’t take up a lot of room.
The pods are made of all-natural wood shavings and food-grade wax. It doesn’t smell of smoke.
Light A Fire will still work in the wind but is not the best in wet weather. So, this might be a good option for your at-home survival gear where you can be sure to keep it dry.
Whether you are camping or bugging out during a disaster, a fire-starting material can be a lifesaver.
If you don’t have one of these as part of your bug-out gear, consider adding one or all three.
And when you buy one of these, test it out so you know how it will perform when you need it most.
