Lee Valley Firestarter Rod With Multi-Tool Striker

Matches get wet and lighters can run low on fuel, so no survival kit is complete without a reliable firestarter. We like this one for several reasons. It is windproof, it works when wet, and the oversized 5″ ferro steel rod produces an intense shower of sparks when the striker is scraped along its length. The drilled holes in the rod and striker allow you to hang them from a lanyard, or you can go the distance and craft a custom handle from wood or even braided paracord to make a unique gift.

The corrosion-resistant 3″ × 1″ steel striker has a scraper edge to make mounds of wood dust for tinder, and a scalloped end to shred thin pieces of bark from finger-sized twigs. Of more questionable utility are the cutout that serves as a 5/16″ hex wrench and doubles as a bottle opener, the edge ruled in millimetre increments to 50mm, and the edge with a 1:100,000 (5km) map scale (handy should you ever get lost with a compatible map).

With one of these in your pack, you’ll never be voted off the island.

Replacement strikers are available.