Pack Essentials: Stormproof Matches

A while ago my wife made me a firestarting kit using an old Altoids tin. It’s very special to me and will always have a place in my kit, probably for the rest of my life. She’d included a bunch of these stormproof matches and had painstakingly peeled the striking disc from the lid and stuck it to the inside of the tin. I loved this addition and had often thought of trying these ‘stormproof’ matches out, to see how well they actually performed.

The video in the link below is pretty true to their effectiveness. Stamping, covering with dirt, being submerged in water, wind, there seems to be almost nothing that can prevent these little bad boys from burning. I’m personally a big fan of using a firesteel and striker, but when it comes to firestarting having a back up is essential. There would be nothing worse that having the need for a fire and your primary method failing you. These matches are a solid backup (or primary) option for starting a fire who’s performance won’t be affected if they accidently get wet in your pack.

I will give you a bit of advice about using these from my own experience. They are impervious to pretty much any that could stop them from burning, which is great, until you’ve used them and want to put them out. You basically cannot do this! Make sure you’ve got a plan of where you’re going to dispose your still flaming match once you’ve finished with it. If you’re lighting a campfire or BBQ, no problem, it can just be thrown in. If you’re lighting a gas lamp or candles (or even testing them out for fun) be prepared watch them burning until they’re done. I can definitely recommend these. In the link below I’ve even picked out a kit with a waterproof container.