Flint and steel

I think that for camping by far one of the most important tools that you take with you is a flint. This can help you light fires without a match or lighter in wet conditions. A good example of one of these vital pieces of kit can be found here: Flint and steel on Amazon

These tools are also carried lots by the military as they are so useful and life saving!

 

I can see how that could be useful, sadly most people simply wouldn't know what to do with it. The level of expertise or experience needed for getting a match-lit fire together versus a flint fire is rather large. Which makes sense since it's basically sparks versus actual flame.

 

In the rain and the snow and with sleet blowing literally sideways into my face. I have done it with little tinder and no tinder and one half-soaked match. I honestly dislike making fires at this point because I've had so much experience with trying circumstances.

 

You have to go out and find all the dry sticks and stuff, it is very hard

 

Yes. After a small storm a group of us tried to light a fire whilst on a survival training course, using this very tool. It was very very difficult to say the least, but it can be done if you persevere.

 

Perservence is a dividing characteristic that can be a lifesaver. Some people will realize that it's do or die and continue on long after others have given up or given in.

 

I think serious survivalist will often carry some kind of tinder that will ignite in damp circumstances. Things like cotton balls dipped in petroleum jelly or cardboard dipped in candle wax. There are also commercially avaiable products too but making your own is much cheaper. Plus it's always fun to experiment with fire!

 

When you say these kinds of things it's rather worrying. Amusing, but really quite worrying. You don't live in Cali do you?

 

No, I do not but I practice "Safe Pyromania"

 

I agree with R.Zim that carrying tinder is important. Even Otzi the 5,000-year-old iceman found in an Italian glacier awhile back was carrying tinder. Given a cotton ball mixed with petroleum jelly and one of the tools mentioned at the top of this thread and you'll have a fire going in about 2 seconds. Another option is this Fire Starter manufactured by Doan Machinery and Equipment. It's a bar of magnesium with a striking tool embedded on one edge. Take your serrated blade, scrape a little pile of magnesium shavings off the block and shoot a spark into it. If you have that pile of shavings sitting on a log when you ignite it, it will burn right down into the log. It's pretty tough to put out the magnesium once it starts so don't make the shavings pile too big and be sure it's on something you want to burn when you ignite it. Final note: be sure to get one manufactured by Doan. I understand the various knockoffs will cause problems, first because the striking tool will fall out of the block and second because they use something other than pure magnesium so it's hard to start on fire. I wrote more on this topic on my blog.