This is one of the best videos out there. You did a great job walking through the basics and explaining everything. And you are right, practice practice practice. If you send me a message, i will send you one of ours and see how you like it. Thanks, Jeff
Magnesium blocks got a bad reputation when there were many cheap poor copies around. I was given one at the time and it was extremely difficult to get the things to do much of anything. Even a half decent one and they can be effective. Folks also don't take wind into account, if there's even a small breeze just scrape it onto the glue side of any kind of tape.
👍👍👍 .. Good advice. I had a Magnesium Block long before Ferro Rods became the greatest thing since bubblegum. Fortunately it is of good quality, bought before the cheap knockoffs started to flood the market. I don't use it as much as in the past, but it is still around and remains part of the team. I find that mixing the Magnesium Shaving in together with the Tinder for me, works the best. As a Boomer DOB 1950, I am very much a traditionalist. I have the Zippo, Bic, Mag Block, Ferro Rod, Magnifying Glass, Char Cloth and other I cannot recall right now .. but .. my favourite remains the humble wooden match. Why? I don't know. Perhaps having the 'Lion Match Factory' just down the road from where I lived as a youngster carved this preference indelibly into my psyche back then 😁. Thanks for sharing .. take care ..
FYI for a long while they did not sell strike anywhere matches. I found some recently in an ACE hardware store! Bought 1 box of the big ones and a 10 pack of the small ones. I do miss the red tipped ones.
Great common sense video. All I can add is that coating a ferrocerium rod with Vaseline, everytime you venture into the great outdoors, will prevent it from developing corrosion, especially in saltwater environments. Happy Trails !
@@quinntheeskimooutdoors6234 Thanks for a positive comment. I keep telling folk to do this and some think I'm pulling their leg. I always take a small tub of Vaseline in my kit when I go outdoors. Happy Trails .
Excellent presentation. You even covered the differences between the soft and hard ferrorods (one producing more molten balls of steel and the other producing more sparks). The original Doan tool magnesium firesteel (first produced in the early 1970's) had no issue with glue, the rod never came out of the mag block, unfortunately, he closed shop a short time back and they are hard to find now. The cheap knock-off's (like Harbor Freight) use cheap glue and the rods do come out of the block after a while. I believe Christopher Nyerges (the school of self-reliance) still has some Doan tools available so get them while you can! PJ cotton balls, dryer lint and shredded duct tape all make good man-made tinder. Natural tinder like you show or inner bark of trees or dried grasses all work well when (as you said) are dry.
That was a good presentation and helpful information, I will just add that when choosing ferro rod go Big and buy a decent quality one,don’t go cheap 6”x0.5”,,it will last you lifetime unless you loose it… Well you deserve Like 👍.
Every one of my fire kits has a bic, ferro rod, flint n steel, fatwood, and 3 or 4 cotton balls with vaseline. In damp or wet conditions I'm gonna have a fire one way or another. Great video.
Since mag starters are not pure magnesium they can differ greatly depending on their composition. That’s why I prefer USA made over the Chinese versions.
Chinesium tends to not be quite as good as American produced/marketed magnesium fire starters. At least from my experience, but in a pinch it is better than nothing.
@SpeirOutdoors Yep. The first one I bought was $2 from Harbor Freight. Guaranteed it's from China. Perhaps there are better quality ones available, but it's never failed to start a fire for me.
Very informative video there brother. I would love to see you find and test as many different brands of Magnesium products to see which ones burn more intense and hotter. That be a good little experiment. I don’t think anyone has made a video on different brand/types of magnesium.. Christ is King. Cheers from Australia 🍻
Great video, thank you! All your points are right on the money. Your right practice is king, we heat with wood and it a good day when my wife says in the morning, it was a two strike fire.
Thank you for this video. Very informative. I make a habit of coating my ferro rod with beeswax after each use; otherwise, it will slowly oxidize and turn to powder.
4:48 I swam in a week for about 30 minutes a Ferro in my pocket and it still worked after, it was just a little harder to get a spark, and there was a little less sparks
Good info! I generally don’t carry too much of a fire kit because of the risk of wildfires where I live like you mentioned, but I do carry a ferro rod.
@@darstar217 I have a necklace Ferro rod I typically wear when I hit the trail. It has come in handy before. But when u know how to make fire in various situations, it don’t matter what size Ferro rod you have.
@@SpeirOutdoors I don’t plan to make fire if I get lost hiking because the last thing I need in that situation is to start a wildfire and that can happen super easily depending on weather. I bring more items for shelter instead. I do carry the ferro rod just in case, though.
Everybody says to carries ferrorod, nobody says to carry a waterproof blanket. I believe that above freezingpoint a blanket is more usefull and less dangeress than a fire for survival.
Good advice about the feroe rods that are glued into the magnesium. I have a few of those. Will be buying the next ones that are separate from each other.
An excellent video. I have to ask. What is that large orange ferro rod? It looked like it had a hollow tube to use as a bellow. I will definitely be subscribing and look forward to viewing your other vids!
@@SpeirOutdoors "A rational process is a moral process. You may make an error at any step of it, with nothing to protect you but your own severity, or you may try to cheat, to fake the evidence and evade the effort of the quest-but if devotion to truth is the hallmark of morality, then there is no greater, nobler, more heroic form of devotion than the act of a man who assumes the responsibility of thinking. " -Ayn Rand-
I use a fine metal file to scrap off magnesium shavings because it seems to work the best, then I put them in small air-tight pill bottles, sometimes along with cotton pads for tender! Trying to shave off filings into a pile in high winds isn't easy!
Another good tinder to have is some fine steel wool that has no oil in it. It is light to carry and doesn't take a lot of spark to get going. With a mag bar it would ignite right now....
I always took the "works when wet" as opposed to matches. Regular matches do not fare well when they or the striker get wet. I have seen many people who could use a ferro rod to light a fire without problem. They tended to suffocate it though. Appears to be a general lack of fire building skills.
We have been handing the magnesium firestarter to conscripts since the sixties that means anyone can use it with minor instructions. We usually have a Victorinox knife with a saw blade that is ideal for creating shavings. Unfortunately conscription ended in the 1990's and now we have trouble filling the ranks.
The commonest myth is that a big loose ferro rod is better than the very small one in a Bic lighter. Weigh up the rod and associated gear, and a Bic ferrorod is lighter. And just as a long soaked Bic ferro rod swells and fails, long immersion damages big, loose rods too. In over 70 years outdoors, I have started fires with a bow, piston, matches, ferro rods, magnifiers, magnesium, and flint. But I trust, and get fastest results, with the little ferro rod in my Bic.
I carry a Spark lite Aviation survival fire lighter, no gas required. I also carry a 2 hole pencil sharpner, doesn't matter how wet the outside of twigs, the wood inside is dry and shavings can be crushed easily.
A ferro rod, believe or not, it carries its own Firestarter. A ferro rod is made of magnesium. If you scrape slowly or lightly your ferro rod you'll get a pile of magnesium. Then Scrape your ferro rod normally; it will create some sparks, which it will light your pile, which it will light your tinder. I got this trick from Paul Kirtley (credit where it's due)
For the magnesium/ferro rod item, keep it in a small ziplock bag for long-term storage. I've had a few go bad when left loose in with my camping gear. The magnesium can be salvaged but the rod becomes useless.
The comparison is actually a ferro rod compared to a ferro rod with magnesium. Yes, the larger ferro rod is better than the smaller, but I've started fires without shaving magnesium with the smaller rod.
ROF LOL ; and the biggest myth is you got to have these wonder tools . So what did they do before these wonder tools hit the BS marketer ? Matches ; preferable water proof matches always got a fire going . Cigarette lighters also got a fire started . For years I carried a water proof matches in a water proof container --- never failed . Bit of gun power worked wonders also ;)
I have always packed a lighter I live in the Pacific Northwest We get about 7 feet of rain every year When it is raining it is like somebody standing over you with a bucket of water Without a lighter You are going to have a really hard time lighting a fire Those other methods Are cool But you should always sneak a backup lighter In your pocketThat way you are always sure to get a fire people are going to say what if it gets wetYou simply blow on it and it will dry out What if it gets brokenHave you ever tried to break a lighter It is next to impossibleBy dropping it falling downIf you fall down hard enough to break a lighter in your pocket your leg is also going to be broken I have used all 3 When you are in a life-and-death situation and you are cold you want that fire as fast as you can get it
The very next video I published after this was using a broken bic lighter in conjunction with magnesium to ignite a fire. I get it. Bics are the most innovative and cost effective way to start a fire in the modern era. That’s a fact. I try to always learn other methods as well but I will have 3 lighters, one in a backpack, pocket and first aid kit. Oh and bright colored as well.
@@SpeirOutdoors Actually the lighter was invented In 18 23 The first feral rod was invented In 19 0 3 And the first magnesium fire starter was made in 1974 So actually the lighter Is the Less modern of the 3😉😉
I've used and own both, but prefer to keep a US made mag block in my bug out bag. It's for emergencies for when you absolutely have to depend on it for a fire. My ferro rods are for quick daily use, when conditions are ideal! If I thought situations would dictate extended emergencies, like for years, my choice would be char and a steel! Ferro and mag wear out or get used up eventually, but your char and steel will still be working long after you're gone!
Magnesium burns at like 2500K so thats like 2226 ⁰C which is definitely hot enough to burn wood scrapings or feather sticks. Infact its used to set thermite aflame.
I only trust the doans. The other ones have had the "sparking insert" get loose. Never had a doans come out. I have even tried to push or remove the ferr rod from a doans, and broke it is was so well secured
I can't think of a scenario where a pocket lighter isn't a better option, though you may have to dry it out if it gets wet. "well I don't carry a lighter" Yeah, well I don't carry Mg and ferro, which are heavier. "what if it runs out" Replace regularly. Heck, for the size and weight penalty, you can carry a spare. Eventually the ferro and Mg will run out too. They're cool. They're fun. I just like easy.
In a wilderness survival situation fire is essential, if you plan on hiking or camping there is nothing wrong with going well overboard with your fire starting options, I take multiple new lighters as well as a ferro rod, magnesium, cotton wool and a small tin of lighter fluid, there is absolutely no situation or weather in which I can't easily start a fire.
Using the magnesium block Cody from dual survival replaces the scraper that comes with the block with a regular piece of broken hacksaw blade... He uses the side of the hacksaw blade to scrape the shavings and he uses the broken front part to throw the Sparks pulling back the block not the scraper holding the scraper still while using the block in a backward motion
4:45 LOL juup and than telling a lighter fith a small ferro rod in it (anyway, also the modern Pietzo Lighters) will not work LOL The do. Old school one i blow out may make a few runs on my Jeans for extra drying, ready to go.
You all have it easy, starting a fire in Washington state west of the cascade mountains is insanely difficult anything on the ground is wet or slimy rotten wet 6 months out of the year and then the rest of the time there is a fire ban because the woods are a tinderbox.
I'm new to this, and don't know nothing about nothing. (i cannot start fire) one exception! faro-rod fire starter, first time every time, with cottonwool pad, pulled apart by hand..... every-time and it cheep as it gets . or Bic lighter!
If i remeber correctly, then a ferro rod is also kind of a magnesium starter.. and you can also scrap of a little bit of power in order to help with the starting. so this comparison is a little missleading i think.
I think the biggest problem I have with any of these fero rod/magnesium type of firestarters, is that if you are prepping to take all of this stuff with you, just take a storm lighter/jet lighter, and it will light anything in pretty much any weather conditions.it’s not as though a ferro rod is traditional like a Flint and steel - it is a very modern man-made item. So just use a gas lighter.
At a certain elevation your lighter/torch lighter will not work. Carry storm proof matches and learn how to use a fero rod/magnesium firestarters. If you have a magnesium bar and some free time, make shavings and store them in a small tin or plastic container, practice in your back yard.
You can get spontainious combustion from magnesium alloys. We used to have to keep this material seperate while using this material. Especially if it got hot in the process.
All that is well and good, but what about the actual steel you use on the ferro rod? Seems tha Stainlee steal does not work and that a high carbon steel blade works very well. And, as you must know, lots of folks have stainless steel knives, not carbon steel ones.
Magnesium is explosive ? Luckily we never had a issue at the parties we had when I was in high school . Our bomb fires was volkswagon magnesium engine blocks . Never had a issue with magnesium exploding . I use a magnesium fire starter much more than a ferro rod . Just the last 40 plus years . I hardly ever scrape magnesium . Dont really need it . And I use a cheap $1.50 magnesium starter most the time . And they seem to last forever .
If you can't start a fire with a Harbor Freight magnesium fire starter and a decent knife under just about any circumstances, you're probably going to earn the Darwin Award anyway. The only thing you can do is LOSE IT!
The other problem with this video - is that you are making out that the magnesium sparks are not hot enough to light natural tinder - it is actually a fero rod placed along the side of the magnesium that is making the sparks that catch the magnesium filings, that then produce a very hot fire
The video is debunking myths about both items. Which both items are viable at starting fires. Both items produce sparks upwards of 5000 degrees. But you do need a Ferro rod or other way to ignite the magnesium shavings
in some ways, the genre of " survival videos" has done more harm than good. the things you have said here are all true, but every one of the wrong myths have been repeated by so many "survival specialists" for so long people believe them. also things like the altoid tin survival kit, and the water bottle survival kit. these things are dangerous to put out. on my channel, I end every woodscraft video with " the best gear in the world does you no good if you don't practice with THAT gear. get out in the woods, have fun, and practice"
I got in to living history in the 1970s. I carry and eighteenth century fire steel and iron pyrites or flint. Local chert works too. I’ve camped all over Wyoming, Utah and Colorado, Arkansas, Missouri and some of Illinois over the last fifty years. Been in wet,snow, and rough weather these almost fifty years. It’s never failed. I don’t hike a one mile sight seeing trail or thirty mile trek without one
Why only debunk the myths about magnesium blocks and ferro-rods? A BIC-lighter is much cheaper (at least in Europe, where I live - magnesium block=10€, ferro-rod=6-20€, BIC-lighter=1-2€) and gives you not only sparks, but instant flame ! You don't need tinder, can start with kindling, saving a lot of money and work. Their myths: a) they don't work when wet - remove the child-safety, shake it, blow on the wheel b) they don't work in freezing cold - put it in your crotch while hunting firewood These ways you bring them back to life. The easy way: buy two of them and seal one in a plastic bag and wear it around your neck as a backup, if you tipped your canoe or similar mishaps.
True. And appreciate the comment. I’ve done several TikTok videos and reels on the lighter. I agree and show me one person who don’t take a lighter in the woods.
I don’t call this “survival”….It is pre-planned outdoor vacation. Real survival is washing up on the beach of a remote island with nothing but your shirt, pants and one shoe. NOT a fire starter kit, 12 yard of para cord, a Bowie knife, tarp and puritabs. The skill you really need is making fire with just your surroundings…That would be survival! Not that the video is wrong or bad, I enjoyed watching…but if you imagine for one horrid moment, surviving a plane crash in a vast rain forest….You won’t find dry tinder, or fat wood or anything you get in most “survival” videos.
I agree with you. Survival is a situation in which the vast majority will never experience. Survival typically is a 72 hour period after some sort of accident or disaster. Once you make it through that period and become familiar with your surroundings, after that it’s just simply bushcraft.
I’m 72 years old grew up in the 50s and 60s my number one all-time favorite fire starting method is, matches. Nowadays it is, a bit lighter. If you are out, wandering around aimlessly, or not, and you do not take a big lighter with you, you’re an idiot. End of conversation.
With magnesium, you can't get sparks. It is just a tinder, though very hot. In the first part of your video, you did not ignite a fire with magnesium, but with the built-in ferrorod :-).
The only way I've seen magnesium become explosive is a VERY large chunk heated with a torch until burning and then thrown into water. The reaction separates the hydrogen from the oxygen in the water and of course both gasses are highly flammable. A contained explosion is far more dangerous, but you get my point.
Magnesium explodes? You can only use it with natural tinder? I’ve never heard anyone say those things before. Are you making up false myths to debunk just to make a video? I’ve been using one of these successfully to make fires for 40 years. Glad TH-cam came along where everyone can tell me how I’ve been doing it wrong.
Thanks for your comment! I want to clarify that the myths I addressed in the video aren’t made up. They come from questions I’ve been asked during in-person classes, especially by younger people. For example, some students thought magnesium explodes when mixed with water, confusing it with potassium. It’s a reminder of how little some kids seem to learn about basic science these days. The ‘natural tinder only’ myth came up frequently in discussions on Reddit and other forums. My goal with the video wasn’t to invent myths but to address real misconceptions I’ve encountered in teaching and conversations. I also want to emphasize that I would never tell anyone they’re doing something wrong. In camping, bushcraft, and survival, there’s no ‘wrong way’-only results. Your 40 years of experience show you’ve achieved great ones! I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and keeping the conversation going.
"It is time to tell people the unvarnished truth: to stand up for man’s mind and this earth, and against any version of mysticism or religion." -Leonard Peikoff-1986
This is one of the best videos out there. You did a great job walking through the basics and explaining everything. And you are right, practice practice practice. If you send me a message, i will send you one of ours and see how you like it. Thanks, Jeff
Thank you
I don’t see where to send u a message. Email me at admin@speiroutdoors.com
Magnesium blocks got a bad reputation when there were many cheap poor copies around. I was given one at the time and it was extremely difficult to get the things to do much of anything. Even a half decent one and they can be effective. Folks also don't take wind into account, if there's even a small breeze just scrape it onto the glue side of any kind of tape.
I like the tape idea! Next video!!
I heard some Chinese scumbags were selling block of Aluminum for block of magnesium. Great tip, thanks for sharing.
They still sell aluminium.
@@SpeirOutdoorsanother way is scrape it into a peace of paper or cardboard then just fold it up in a way it doesn't fall out
Or into the lid off a small tin.
👍👍👍 .. Good advice.
I had a Magnesium Block long before Ferro Rods became the greatest thing since bubblegum. Fortunately it is of good quality, bought before the cheap knockoffs started to flood the market. I don't use it as much as in the past, but it is still around and remains part of the team. I find that mixing the Magnesium Shaving in together with the Tinder for me, works the best.
As a Boomer DOB 1950, I am very much a traditionalist. I have the Zippo, Bic, Mag Block, Ferro Rod, Magnifying Glass, Char Cloth and other I cannot recall right now .. but .. my favourite remains the humble wooden match. Why? I don't know. Perhaps having the 'Lion Match Factory' just down the road from where I lived as a youngster carved this preference indelibly into my psyche back then 😁.
Thanks for sharing .. take care ..
FYI for a long while they did not sell strike anywhere matches. I found some recently in an ACE hardware store!
Bought 1 box of the big ones and a 10 pack of the small ones.
I do miss the red tipped ones.
You sound like me!
@@crazysquirrel9425 👍
@@SpeirOutdoors 👍😊
Exactly i have one I bought when I was a youngster,and use it sparingly because of the superior quality
Great common sense video. All I can add is that coating a ferrocerium rod with Vaseline, everytime you venture into the great outdoors, will prevent it from developing corrosion, especially in saltwater environments. Happy Trails !
Nice idea. Thanks!
Good tip. I had a ferrorod in my pocket when I walked into the ocean. It did start to degrade 😊
@@quinntheeskimooutdoors6234 Thanks for a positive comment. I keep telling folk to do this and some think I'm pulling their leg. I always take a small tub of Vaseline in my kit when I go outdoors. Happy Trails .
Superb advice. Especially since I transfer from sea expeditions to land based campsites in the same period sometimes.
Excellent presentation. You even covered the differences between the soft and hard ferrorods (one producing more molten balls of steel and the other producing more sparks). The original Doan tool magnesium firesteel (first produced in the early 1970's) had no issue with glue, the rod never came out of the mag block, unfortunately, he closed shop a short time back and they are hard to find now. The cheap knock-off's (like Harbor Freight) use cheap glue and the rods do come out of the block after a while. I believe Christopher Nyerges (the school of self-reliance) still has some Doan tools available so get them while you can! PJ cotton balls, dryer lint and shredded duct tape all make good man-made tinder. Natural tinder like you show or inner bark of trees or dried grasses all work well when (as you said) are dry.
Hello 👋 my outdoors friend, thank you for sharing this informative video. You did a great job. Stay safe.out there. 🤗
Thank you
Very good information and well-presented. Thank you.
Thank you
I liked your information. I followed you because of your last comment.
Thank you for the support!!
That was a good presentation and helpful information, I will just add that when choosing ferro rod go Big and buy a decent quality one,don’t go cheap 6”x0.5”,,it will last you lifetime unless you loose it…
Well you deserve Like 👍.
True. Thank you!
Every one of my fire kits has a bic, ferro rod, flint n steel, fatwood, and 3 or 4 cotton balls with vaseline. In damp or wet conditions I'm gonna have a fire one way or another. Great video.
Yes indeed. I was stuck in a situation years ago where I absolutely could not start a fire. Ever since then, I’ve practiced in nearly every way
Since mag starters are not pure magnesium they can differ greatly depending on their composition.
That’s why I prefer USA made over the Chinese versions.
Very true. But in a pinch any can work
Chinesium tends to not be quite as good as American produced/marketed magnesium fire starters. At least from my experience, but in a pinch it is better than nothing.
@SpeirOutdoors Yep. The first one I bought was $2 from Harbor Freight. Guaranteed it's from China. Perhaps there are better quality ones available, but it's never failed to start a fire for me.
The two most important points in this excellent video are at 7:09 and 7:30.
You are correct
Hey, I never knew this about flint firestarters et al. Thanks! I subscribed.
Thank you for the support
I always use a ferro rod to light my Trangia liquid fuel stove. Main reason is that it always works and I don't have to worry about damp matches - ! 😅
I use one to light my BBQ pit, jet burner for crawfish and fish fryer
Me too, way easier, especially in winter.
Very informative video there brother. I would love to see you find and test as many different brands of Magnesium products to see which ones burn more intense and hotter. That be a good little experiment. I don’t think anyone has made a video on different brand/types of magnesium.. Christ is King. Cheers from Australia 🍻
Thank you! I will look into that for the future!
Great video, thank you! All your points are right on the money. Your right practice is king, we heat with wood and it a good day when my wife says in the morning, it was a two strike fire.
Absolutely! Most people watch videos and see these guys always start a fire with one strike and it don’t always happen that way.
Great information…Have fun stay safe.
Thank you
Thanks for the info! I just subscribed!
Thank u
That's what's called a good video, thanks!
Thank you for this video. Very informative.
I make a habit of coating my ferro rod with beeswax after each use; otherwise, it will slowly oxidize and turn to powder.
Mine never sits long enough to oxidize lol I use it daily
4:48 I swam in a week for about 30 minutes a Ferro in my pocket and it still worked after, it was just a little harder to get a spark, and there was a little less sparks
Great vid! To the point and informative! Thanks.
Good video, man! New subscriber. 👍
Love that you show honor to the name above all names!
That’s the only way!
Thank you for your support
Good info! I generally don’t carry too much of a fire kit because of the risk of wildfires where I live like you mentioned, but I do carry a ferro rod.
I usually always have a Ferro rod on hand.
@@SpeirOutdoors I keep a mini one on my keychain all the time. I’ve tested it out and it works well.
@@darstar217 I have a necklace Ferro rod I typically wear when I hit the trail. It has come in handy before. But when u know how to make fire in various situations, it don’t matter what size Ferro rod you have.
@@SpeirOutdoors I don’t plan to make fire if I get lost hiking because the last thing I need in that situation is to start a wildfire and that can happen super easily depending on weather. I bring more items for shelter instead. I do carry the ferro rod just in case, though.
Everybody says to carries ferrorod, nobody says to carry a waterproof blanket.
I believe that above freezingpoint a blanket is more usefull and less dangeress than a fire for survival.
Good no nonsense summary. Thanks.
Awesome channel ! Thanks
Thank you!
Good advice about the feroe rods that are glued into the magnesium. I have a few of those. Will be buying the next ones that are separate from each other.
Thanks again for sharing 😊
Your welcome
An excellent video. I have to ask. What is that large orange ferro rod? It looked like it had a hollow tube to use as a bellow. I will definitely be subscribing and look forward to viewing your other vids!
It is the prepared 4X survival torch. They have various sizes. It’s an awesome tool. Links is on my website. Www.speiroutdoors.com/links or in the bio
Any chance of doing a product review of our Firestarter?
Great video ! Just subscribed
Thank you I really appreciate the support
Both are very good
Before matchs and lighters were invented people carried round dry tinder and it wasnt always charcloff
Yes they did. And did everything their power to keep it safe and dry
God Bless you, Brother.
"God exists as a notion; An idea. But not as something metaphysically real."
-Anonymous-from an Objectivist forum
7:29 Amen! Instant sub! Praise the Lord.
Yes indeed!! I appreciate the support!!
"...supernatural events or beings are a contradiction to metaphysical reality."
-Anonymous-from an Objectivist forum
@@SpeirOutdoors "A rational process is a moral process. You may make an error at any step of it, with nothing to protect you but your own severity, or you may try to cheat, to fake the evidence and evade the effort of the quest-but if devotion to truth is the hallmark of morality, then there is no greater, nobler, more heroic form of devotion than the act of a man who assumes the responsibility of thinking. "
-Ayn Rand-
I use a fine metal file to scrap off magnesium shavings because it seems to work the best, then I put them in small air-tight pill bottles, sometimes along with cotton pads for tender! Trying to shave off filings into a pile in high winds isn't easy!
Another good tinder to have is some fine steel wool that has no oil in it. It is light to carry and doesn't take a lot of spark to get going. With a mag bar it would ignite right now....
I did a previous video on that with a survival necklace it worked great!!
👍
Subbed
Magnesium fire starters been around a long time, started in boy scouts in the 80's still part of my kit with my ferro rod.
I always took the "works when wet" as opposed to matches. Regular matches do not fare well when they or the striker get wet.
I have seen many people who could use a ferro rod to light a fire without problem. They tended to suffocate it though. Appears to be a general lack of fire building skills.
A lot of people do. Let it breathe
Great video. Thank you.
We have been handing the magnesium firestarter to conscripts since the sixties that means anyone can use it with minor instructions. We usually have a Victorinox knife with a saw blade that is ideal for creating shavings. Unfortunately conscription ended in the 1990's and now we have trouble filling the ranks.
The commonest myth is that a big loose ferro rod is better than the very small one in a Bic lighter. Weigh up the rod and associated gear, and a Bic ferrorod is lighter. And just as a long soaked Bic ferro rod swells and fails, long immersion damages big, loose rods too. In over 70 years outdoors, I have started fires with a bow, piston, matches, ferro rods, magnifiers, magnesium, and flint. But I trust, and get fastest results, with the little ferro rod in my Bic.
I’m covering that with the next video
I carry a Spark lite Aviation survival fire lighter, no gas required.
I also carry a 2 hole pencil sharpner, doesn't matter how wet the outside of twigs, the wood inside is dry and shavings can be crushed easily.
great video!
Thank you
A ferro rod, believe or not, it carries its own Firestarter. A ferro rod is made of magnesium. If you scrape slowly or lightly your ferro rod you'll get a pile of magnesium. Then Scrape your ferro rod normally; it will create some sparks, which it will light your pile, which it will light your tinder. I got this trick from Paul Kirtley (credit where it's due)
Charred punk wood , one of the best materials for catching a spark, be it ferrocerium rod or traditional firesteel.
For the magnesium/ferro rod item, keep it in a small ziplock bag for long-term storage. I've had a few go bad when left loose in with my camping gear. The magnesium can be salvaged but the rod becomes useless.
Good video,just subbed
Thank you! Appreciate the support
The comparison is actually a ferro rod compared to a ferro rod with magnesium. Yes, the larger ferro rod is better than the smaller, but I've started fires without shaving magnesium with the smaller rod.
ROF LOL ; and the biggest myth is you got to have these wonder tools . So what did they do before these wonder tools hit the BS marketer ? Matches ; preferable water proof matches always got a fire going . Cigarette lighters also got a fire started . For years I carried a water proof matches in a water proof container --- never failed . Bit of gun power worked wonders also ;)
I have always packed a lighter I live in the Pacific Northwest We get about 7 feet of rain every year When it is raining it is like somebody standing over you with a bucket of water Without a lighter You are going to have a really hard time lighting a fire Those other methods Are cool But you should always sneak a backup lighter In your pocketThat way you are always sure to get a fire people are going to say what if it gets wetYou simply blow on it and it will dry out What if it gets brokenHave you ever tried to break a lighter It is next to impossibleBy dropping it falling downIf you fall down hard enough to break a lighter in your pocket your leg is also going to be broken I have used all 3 When you are in a life-and-death situation and you are cold you want that fire as fast as you can get it
The very next video I published after this was using a broken bic lighter in conjunction with magnesium to ignite a fire. I get it. Bics are the most innovative and cost effective way to start a fire in the modern era. That’s a fact. I try to always learn other methods as well but I will have 3 lighters, one in a backpack, pocket and first aid kit. Oh and bright colored as well.
@@SpeirOutdoors Actually the lighter was invented In 18 23 The first feral rod was invented In 19 0 3 And the first magnesium fire starter was made in 1974 So actually the lighter Is the Less modern of the 3😉😉
A good investment is a welding striker.Light weight to carry also.
I've used and own both, but prefer to keep a US made mag block in my bug out bag. It's for emergencies for when you absolutely have to depend on it for a fire. My ferro rods are for quick daily use, when conditions are ideal! If I thought situations would dictate extended emergencies, like for years, my choice would be char and a steel! Ferro and mag wear out or get used up eventually, but your char and steel will still be working long after you're gone!
char cloth?
Magnesium burns at like 2500K so thats like 2226 ⁰C which is definitely hot enough to burn wood scrapings or feather sticks. Infact its used to set thermite aflame.
A magnesium bar and a dead bic lighter works real good..
Next video!
@@SpeirOutdoors great video, could you tell me out of the two which would be better for a beginner hiker?
@@MCk-23 get a good quality Ferro rod. The hexfire from uberleben is what I use. amzn.to/3KwoCNV I have 2 of them.
I posted the video all about using a dead Bic lighter and magnesium bar today
@@SpeirOutdoors cheers. Thanks for your time
When you scrape the magnesium, you want tiny curls, not specks like sand. Using the hacksaw blade will not make curls, it will only make specks.
Complimenti per il video. Magnesio + ferrorods,È Super
I only trust the doans. The other ones have had the "sparking insert" get loose. Never had a doans come out. I have even tried to push or remove the ferr rod from a doans, and broke it is was so well secured
The Ferro rod will fall out of the cheap ones for sure. Had it happen to me several times
Good man
I can't think of a scenario where a pocket lighter isn't a better option, though you may have to dry it out if it gets wet.
"well I don't carry a lighter" Yeah, well I don't carry Mg and ferro, which are heavier.
"what if it runs out" Replace regularly. Heck, for the size and weight penalty, you can carry a spare. Eventually the ferro and Mg will run out too.
They're cool. They're fun. I just like easy.
You can scrape a Ferro rod like you do a magnesium brick and pile up some shavings for damp tinder.
In a wilderness survival situation fire is essential, if you plan on hiking or camping there is nothing wrong with going well overboard with your fire starting options, I take multiple new lighters as well as a ferro rod, magnesium, cotton wool and a small tin of lighter fluid, there is absolutely no situation or weather in which I can't easily start a fire.
Magnesium burns at 5400 deg F.
That helps with damp tinder, but not totally wet tinder.
Good Deal.
Using the magnesium block Cody from dual survival replaces the scraper that comes with the block with a regular piece of broken hacksaw blade... He uses the side of the hacksaw blade to scrape the shavings and he uses the broken front part to throw the Sparks pulling back the block not the scraper holding the scraper still while using the block in a backward motion
I carry lighters a pocket torch and matches
I carry a lighter and Ferro rod
The scraper is just a piece of steel saw
Yes it is
4:45 LOL juup and than telling a lighter fith a small ferro rod in it (anyway, also the modern Pietzo Lighters) will not work LOL The do. Old school one i blow out may make a few runs on my Jeans for extra drying, ready to go.
You all have it easy, starting a fire in Washington state west of the cascade mountains is insanely difficult anything on the ground is wet or slimy rotten wet 6 months out of the year and then the rest of the time there is a fire ban because the woods are a tinderbox.
I'm new to this, and don't know nothing about nothing. (i cannot start fire) one exception!
faro-rod fire starter, first time every time, with cottonwool pad, pulled apart by hand..... every-time and it cheep as it gets . or Bic lighter!
Well then, you can’t say you know nothing! Ferro rods are always in my pack or on my person
If i remeber correctly, then a ferro rod is also kind of a magnesium starter.. and you can also scrap of a little bit of power in order to help with the starting. so this comparison is a little missleading i think.
I think the biggest problem I have with any of these fero rod/magnesium type of firestarters, is that if you are prepping to take all of this stuff with you, just take a storm lighter/jet lighter, and it will light anything in pretty much any weather conditions.it’s not as though a ferro rod is traditional like a Flint and steel - it is a very modern man-made item. So just use a gas lighter.
At a certain elevation your lighter/torch lighter will not work.
Carry storm proof matches and learn how to use a fero rod/magnesium firestarters.
If you have a magnesium bar and some free time, make shavings and store them in a small tin or plastic container, practice in your back yard.
You can get spontainious combustion from magnesium alloys. We used to have to keep this material seperate while using this material. Especially if it got hot in the process.
Amen!
All that is well and good, but what about the actual steel you use on the ferro rod? Seems tha Stainlee steal does not work and that a high carbon steel blade works very well. And, as you must know, lots of folks have stainless steel knives, not carbon steel ones.
Magnesium is explosive ? Luckily we never had a issue at the parties we had when I was in high school . Our bomb fires was volkswagon magnesium engine blocks . Never had a issue with magnesium exploding .
I use a magnesium fire starter much more than a ferro rod . Just the last 40 plus years . I hardly ever scrape magnesium . Dont really need it . And I use a cheap $1.50 magnesium starter most the time . And they seem to last forever .
very true on many of the accounts
Magnesium come into it's own in damp conditions.
If you can't start a fire with a Harbor Freight magnesium fire starter and a decent knife under just about any circumstances, you're probably going to earn the Darwin Award anyway. The only thing you can do is LOSE IT!
If you practice with less than optimal you will excel with the optimal is my experience
Elemental one is flint and steal not Ferro rod
The other problem with this video - is that you are making out that the magnesium sparks are not hot enough to light natural tinder - it is actually a fero rod placed along the side of the magnesium that is making the sparks that catch the magnesium filings, that then produce a very hot fire
The video is debunking myths about both items. Which both items are viable at starting fires. Both items produce sparks upwards of 5000 degrees. But you do need a Ferro rod or other way to ignite the magnesium shavings
As far as magnesium goes, do not buy CHINESE buy the doans magnesium block it's second to none.
That’s what I hear. I want to do a video with the shavings soaking wet but all the experiments I’ve done with it will not ignite
If you don't have a knife for the magnesium block or showing a kid scrape the paint off the scraper that comes with it it will work better
in some ways, the genre of " survival videos" has done more harm than good. the things you have said here are all true, but every one of the wrong myths have been repeated by so many "survival specialists" for so long people believe them. also things like the altoid tin survival kit, and the water bottle survival kit. these things are dangerous to put out. on my channel, I end every woodscraft video with " the best gear in the world does you no good if you don't practice with THAT gear. get out in the woods, have fun, and practice"
👍
I thought they were the same thing .😅
Cotton balls are natural tinder.
and work well for making gun cotton which will light even faster
I got in to living history in the 1970s. I carry and eighteenth century fire steel and iron pyrites or flint. Local chert works too.
I’ve camped all over Wyoming, Utah and Colorado, Arkansas, Missouri and some of Illinois over the last fifty years. Been in wet,snow, and rough weather these almost fifty years. It’s never failed. I don’t hike a one mile sight seeing trail or thirty mile trek without one
Why only debunk the myths about magnesium blocks and ferro-rods?
A BIC-lighter is much cheaper (at least in Europe, where I live - magnesium block=10€, ferro-rod=6-20€, BIC-lighter=1-2€) and gives you not only sparks, but instant flame ! You don't need tinder, can start with kindling, saving a lot of money and work. Their myths:
a) they don't work when wet - remove the child-safety, shake it, blow on the wheel
b) they don't work in freezing cold - put it in your crotch while hunting firewood
These ways you bring them back to life.
The easy way: buy two of them and seal one in a plastic bag and wear it around your neck as a backup, if you tipped your canoe or similar mishaps.
True. And appreciate the comment. I’ve done several TikTok videos and reels on the lighter. I agree and show me one person who don’t take a lighter in the woods.
I don’t call this “survival”….It is pre-planned outdoor vacation. Real survival is washing up on the beach of a remote island with nothing but your shirt, pants and one shoe. NOT a fire starter kit, 12 yard of para cord, a Bowie knife, tarp and puritabs. The skill you really need is making fire with just your surroundings…That would be survival! Not that the video is wrong or bad, I enjoyed watching…but if you imagine for one horrid moment, surviving a plane crash in a vast rain forest….You won’t find dry tinder, or fat wood or anything you get in most “survival” videos.
I agree with you. Survival is a situation in which the vast majority will never experience. Survival typically is a 72 hour period after some sort of accident or disaster. Once you make it through that period and become familiar with your surroundings, after that it’s just simply bushcraft.
Only Rule to survival is , kill or be killed , Do or Die , Total selfishness, not easy if you have a conscience.
@@manofkentcatapultsgunsando5069 " Men can deal with each other only by means of reason."
-Ayn Rand-
The word you're looking for is "deter", not "detour".
Must be the accent
@@SpeirOutdoors That and cheap speech-to-text software.
Type it yourself and it'll come out right.
I’m 72 years old grew up in the 50s and 60s my number one all-time favorite fire starting method is, matches. Nowadays it is, a bit lighter. If you are out, wandering around aimlessly, or not, and you do not take a big lighter with you, you’re an idiot. End of conversation.
Breaks out the Bic lighter....
Just an itty bitty fero rod with gas that burns.
@@kokopelau6954 Yep. Faster than either manual method lol
True
True
Usually do!
With magnesium, you can't get sparks. It is just a tinder, though very hot. In the first part of your video, you did not ignite a fire with magnesium, but with the built-in ferrorod :-).
I know that was the basis of the video
Use a bic already
The next video covers the BIC
Teach us how to start a fire with a BIC lighter.
I did in the very next video Magnesium Magic: Ignite Fire with an Empty Bic Lighter
th-cam.com/video/-0o_P34CUso/w-d-xo.html
@@SpeirOutdoors " Man's survival requires that those who think be free of the interference of those who don't. "
-Ayn Rand-
Nope, I trust my zippo.
The only way I've seen magnesium become explosive is a VERY large chunk heated with a torch until burning and then thrown into water. The reaction separates the hydrogen from the oxygen in the water and of course both gasses are highly flammable. A contained explosion is far more dangerous, but you get my point.
Magnesium explodes? You can only use it with natural tinder? I’ve never heard anyone say those things before. Are you making up false myths to debunk just to make a video? I’ve been using one of these successfully to make fires for 40 years. Glad TH-cam came along where everyone can tell me how I’ve been doing it wrong.
Thanks for your comment! I want to clarify that the myths I addressed in the video aren’t made up. They come from questions I’ve been asked during in-person classes, especially by younger people. For example, some students thought magnesium explodes when mixed with water, confusing it with potassium. It’s a reminder of how little some kids seem to learn about basic science these days.
The ‘natural tinder only’ myth came up frequently in discussions on Reddit and other forums. My goal with the video wasn’t to invent myths but to address real misconceptions I’ve encountered in teaching and conversations.
I also want to emphasize that I would never tell anyone they’re doing something wrong. In camping, bushcraft, and survival, there’s no ‘wrong way’-only results. Your 40 years of experience show you’ve achieved great ones! I appreciate you sharing your thoughts and keeping the conversation going.
🤣🤣🤣🤣
YOU TALK LIKE THE ORIGINAL WHITE MOUNTAIN NUGGERS.
Never heard of them
Thanks for the information. Best tip in the video is to follow Jesus.
Yes indeed
"It is time to tell people the unvarnished truth: to stand up for man’s mind and this earth, and against any version of mysticism or religion."
-Leonard Peikoff-1986
@@SpeirOutdoors " Man's mind is his basic means of survival, his only means of getting knowledge. "
-Ayn Rand-