Customer Reviews

Spark-Lite Fire Starter Hunter Orange

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I hike alone in very remote areas, and since that involves special risks, I follow the standard advice by carrying three different tools for starting a fire. A cigarette lighter and some waterproof matches were easy choices, but I had trouble finding a third way to make fire reliably. This little gadget was the answer! It works like a charm...completely dependable in my tests. And the tinder is so eager to burn that I actually had a little trouble putting it out. Added pluses are that it is lightweight and compact, so it has almost zero impact on the load I carry in the field. I strongly recommend it as a back-up means to start an emergency fire! UPDATE: Fifteen months after writing my original review, I purchased two more of these fire starters, and I was disappointed to see that the quality has dropped dramatically. It is now so hard to spin the spark-generating wheel that I nearly bloodied my thumb in the effort, and the tinder is much less combustible than it had been...although it still burns well once it's ignited. These weaknesses can be overcome, however. After spinning the wheel continuously for about three minutes, it began to turn much more easily, and it finally produced beautiful, large sparks that are perfect for fire starting. As a result, I still think this is a useful item to carry as an emergency backup, but buyers should expect to spend several minutes "honing" the flint (by spinning the wheel) before they store it with their emergency gear. I also recommend that ordinary clothes-dryer lint should be carried as an alternate tinder, because it lights easier and burns better than the tinder in this kit. If these procedures are followed, I believe this starter would be useful in an emergency, but due to the drop in quality, I have to lower my rating to three stars.

I found that cotton balls coated with Vaseline are superior to dryer lint. You can make enough to last a lifetime for under 5 dollars. Living in the Pacific northwest bio-region where everything is wet they burn great for 1-2 minutes even in the rain. Which is something pocket lint cannot do. I carry mine with me in a small altoids container everywhere I go. I also had some trouble getting sparks the first few tries as the other reviews, but didn't find it was hurting my fingers. The most distinct advantage of this product is the ability to make fire with one hand, which is important in case of injury.

The Spark-Lite Fire starter is a lightweight flint/steel that works by rolling a fine-toothed steel wheel across a flint insert. As the other reviewer indicated, it is initially very difficult to rotate the wheel. You will need to put on some gloves (saving your thumb a blister) and work the wheel a hundred or more times. Once that's done, you can get a decent spark without too much effort.

A couple other things to know. If you use the Spark-Lite with the Tinder-Quik (or with magnesium shavings) it works great. You will probably have a fire within a few seconds. However, if you try to use the spark-lite with just natural tinder (e.g. toilet paper, leaves, dry grass, etc.), it may take much longer to get a flame. It can be done, but you'll want to select very flammable tinder, and be very patient.

If I had my preference, I would rather have a set of waterproof matches or even a lighter. But as an emergency backup, the Spark-lite + Tinder Quik combo will do the job. Just don't forget the tinder.

Written by Arthur Bradley, author of "Process of Elimination" - a sexually-charged thriller that pits a martial artist against a world-class sniper out to shape the next presidential election.

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The Spark-Lite is a simple but effective product, fairly priced.

The manufacturer, I believe, rates the "flint" for a thousand strikes or better. The flint wheel is intended to work optimally in one direction only, indicated by an arrow on the striker. I suspect that some reviewers who say you have to break the flint in by striking it "a hundred times" or so have neglected this. I have used several of these strikers (I keep them here and there so that I will not be caught without) and have never needed the lengthy break in that some people have mentioned.

The supplied "fire-tabs" work at least as well as any "home-brewed" tinder you could devise, perhaps better. These appear to be of compressed cotton which is impregnated with beeswax, silicone and some other accelerants. One end of them is to be frizzed up a bit to catch a spark. But just frizz up the end, not the whole "fire-tab" or they will burn up a lot faster than you'd like.

The kit itself is contained in a watertight box about the size of a small matchbox and weighs next to nothing. You can throw one in your glove box, another in your day hike bag, a third in your wife's purse and cannibalize a fourth for a pocket survival pack.

Be aware that the spark-lite kit is INTENDED TO WORK AS A SYSTEM. The flint wheel does not cast the same shower of sparks you get from a fire-steel and cannot be relied on to ignite a wide variety of naturally found tinder (though it does work with some - pine needles, for example). But it will ignite the fire tabs or a cotton ball with no trouble. It is best to have them along.

AS WITH ANY OTHER SKILL THAT MIGHT BE NEEDED IN A SURVIVAL SITUATION, YOU SHOULD PRACTICE LIGHTING ACTUAL FIRES USING THIS KIT. LEARNING WHAT WORKS BEST IS EASIER WHEN YOUR LIFE DOES NOT DEPEND ON IT.

That is it, as far as my review of the kit itself. But since some seem enthused about alternatives to the "Tinder-Quick Fire Tabs" supplied with the spark lite I will put in my "two cents worth" on that subject, as well.

I am going on record as one who would rather carry and use the "Tinder-Quick" than any alternative means of "cheating" that I have tried. But the discussion of various alternatives is important, nevertheless, as the Tinder-Quick may not always be available.

Regular cotton balls (frizz them up a bit before igniting) actually work pretty well even WITHOUT additives. If conditions require you to "cheat", alcohol or kerosene (common fuels for camp stoves) dabbed onto your cotton ball will definitely keep it burning longer. You could also shave some wax from an emergency candle onto the cotton prior to striking it aflame. (You DO have an emergency candle along don't you?) Other things you might already have along include "Purell" type hand sanitizer or a bit of Neosporin OINTMENT (which is petroleum jelly based).

This brings us to the common recommendation of petroleum jelly on cotton balls, which definitely works. But if you mush it into the cotton balls ahead of time it can be really messy to store and handle. Do you REALLY want your fingers coated with flammable goo while starting a fire? Carrying your cotton balls and vaseline separately, to be combined on an as needed basis, seems the best plan to me. (Vaseline sold as a lip balm comes in little 1/3 oz tubes which can be easily spread around among your stuff.)

A good way to cheat on fire-starting sans cotton balls is Trioxane (used in solid fuel stoves). The tablets ignite easily (striking your flint-wheel from ALONGSIDE them seems to work best). But be careful! Trioxane burns with a hot blue flame that is almost invisible - so watch your fingers. (The only clue you might have that the trioxane is burning is that it starts to look wet.) The tablets can also be easily crushed & mixed in with natural tinder or frizzed-up cotton.

Again, I prefer the "Tinder-Quick" if I am cheating on fires. But because of the essential nature of fire , it is best to have backup plans and supplies.

AMK Spark-Lite

It is evident that some people are having problems with the Spark Lite. I find it simple and not at all complex. I have found individuals who failed to read the instructions and spun the spark wheel in the wrong direction and after a period of time spent spinning the wheel, they broke off the teeth of the wheel. The teeth if not used properly will have a tendency to break.

The company that produces this product is Four Seasons Survival at 814 234-0698.
We have found this company very reliable. If you have a defective Spark Lite and you call this company, they will immediately send you TWO replacements, yes, TWO. To date, we have had less than a one percent failure rate with this product. Give them a call and explain the problem. No questions are asked except for your address. Sounds simple to me... I might add that another problem stems from not opening the tinder the proper way.. Reading the instructions really helps.

Duke

I have started a few fires with this now, and if you use the included tinder, it works fairly easy and quick.
The best thing is the size and weight. I keep one in my hiking emergency kit. The spark-lite and a few pieces of tinder take up little space, and weigh almost nothing.
It is not easy to use with gloves, but I am ok with that.

does not give off enough spark, to small to fit in your hand, don't even bother try'n it in cold weather.... i use the light my fire and cotten balls with vaseline as the last resort, gives off good spark and no problen getting a fire go'n with natural material

I haven't had an opportunity to test this out yet, but it does generate a good amount of sparks so I imagine it should be good for other types of "tinder" as well.

The small package makes this kit convenient to carry and the orange color makes it easy to find quickly.