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There's nothing more infuriating than a "fireproof match"- one that doesn't catch once the head finishes flaring. I've investigated this and found that for some reason standard wooden kitchen matches hold a large amount of moisture. You can take the stick, heat it, and watch as much water boil out of it as from a green twig. Is there a good way of drying out match sticks and keeping them from absorbing any more water?

small silica gel packet in the waterproof container of matches? (can make your own out of a hunk of pantyhose and silica gel cat litter to make custom sizes)

Buy a pack of bic lighters.

Keep one in your pocket, one in a first aid kit, one in your hunting pack, one in your vehicle, one in the stock of your rifle, two in your go bag, etc etc etc. If you don't think you have enough, just buy more.

Matches are a relic.

photogpat wrote:Buy a pack of bic lighters.

Keep one in your pocket, one in a first aid kit, one in your hunting pack, one in your vehicle, one in the stock of your rifle, two in your go bag, etc etc etc. If you don't think you have enough, just buy more.

Matches are a relic.

Unless they've changed the design, Bic lighters won't spark when wet. There's still a place for waterproof/lifeboat matches.

I haven't had that issue, but then I put the matches into a "waterproof" container and don't touch it again until time of true need. I suspect your matches are picking up humidity from the air as I had the same problem with an open pack which has been sitting around for ages. I say this as last summer I found one of the containers I used while canoing in 1989 and tried the matches. Every one of them worked, much more than I can say for the farmer matches I had been using. This would have been the first time it had been opened since I put the matches in it. Being "waterproof" and having a good seal I have to believe the sticks did not pick up moisture even though they have been kept in non-climate controlled areas. I have an even older case that I am going to break open and try one of these days, it could be as old as 1978 or as new as 1980 as I made it for a canoe trip but don't remember just which one.

I also keep a couple of the "wind proof" or "blizzard" lighters on me. They work when wet and are considerably less affected by wind and rain than matches. I think mine ran about $10 each not counting a can of butane to top them off. This can doubles to refill the Thermocell cartridges so is not a one dimension item.

Or, do as Patrick McManus once suggested: fire twice in the air and exclaim, "How the H3ll did I miss that!?" A dozen guys will emerge from the woods to give you advice. One of them should have matches... It works to find your way out when lost too!

MJY65 wrote:

photogpat wrote:Buy a pack of bic lighters.

Keep one in your pocket, one in a first aid kit, one in your hunting pack, one in your vehicle, one in the stock of your rifle, two in your go bag, etc etc etc. If you don't think you have enough, just buy more.

Matches are a relic.

Unless they've changed the design, Bic lighters won't spark when wet. There's still a place for waterproof/lifeboat matches.

Keep them in multiple places including one or three that won't get wet.

YMMV.

smurfman wrote:
Or, do as Patrick McManus once suggested: fire twice in the air and exclaim, "How the H3ll did I miss that!?" A dozen guys will emerge from the woods to give you advice. One of them should have matches... It works to find your way out when lost too!

FTW!

I have trouble getting Bics to light when my hands are warm and dry. When they are frozen numb and/or wet forget it!

While on the subject. Cotton balls infused with petroleum jelly make for about the best tinder you can find. Cheap, light, compact and store forever in ziploc bags. Dry matches are almost worthless if you don't have anything dry to start a fire.

Jackpine Savage wrote:I have trouble getting Bics to light when my hands are warm and dry. When they are frozen numb and/or wet forget it!

larger lighters are easier to use when wet/cold

SparkyJeff wrote:

Jackpine Savage wrote:I have trouble getting Bics to light when my hands are warm and dry. When they are frozen numb and/or wet forget it!

larger lighters are easier to use when wet/cold

bernzomatic_trigger_start_torch_f.jpg

I've got one of those! Just used it to thaw a frozen hydrant yesterday as a matter of fact.

shooter115 wrote:While on the subject. Cotton balls infused with petroleum jelly make for about the best tinder you can find. Cheap, light, compact and store forever in ziploc bags. Dry matches are almost worthless if you don't have anything dry to start a fire.

Dryer lint,and a 3 oz can of WD40 in a zip lock baggie

xd ED wrote:

shooter115 wrote:While on the subject. Cotton balls infused with petroleum jelly make for about the best tinder you can find. Cheap, light, compact and store forever in ziploc bags. Dry matches are almost worthless if you don't have anything dry to start a fire.

Dryer lint,and a 3 oz can of WD40 in a zip lock baggie

Another idea for cheap fire starters using three items that most households tend to throw away....

inexpensive fire starters

xd ED wrote:Dryer lint,and a 3 oz can of WD40 in a zip lock baggie

MSR fuel bottle full of White Gas?

Ironbear wrote:

xd ED wrote:Dryer lint,and a 3 oz can of WD40 in a zip lock baggie

MSR fuel bottle full of White Gas?

Whatever it take so you don't have to drink your own piss