Survival Kit Essentials - The Firesteel

When it comes to making a fire, a good Swedish firesteel is an essential item for your survival kit. They are lightweight (less than 2 ounces), easy to use, work in any type of weather and will make as many fires as you will probably ever need. Originally developed for use by members of the Swedish Army, they have been proven reliable and trustworthy for use in a survival situation to make a fire. With a little tinder and a shower of sparks from your firesteel, you'll have a roaring fire going in no time at all. Another very important thing to remember is that firesteels are virtually indestructible.


This particular firesteel comes with a striker for the firesteel to make getting a good shower of sparks really easy. It also has molded thumb impressions which make it fairly easy to hold when striking.  The orange lanyard makes it easy to spot if accidentally it's dropped or left laying around. You could even change the lanyard to a different color if necessary.

It also comes with a small whistle made into the striker. While not the best whistle you may find available, it does work pretty well and should suffice for the purpose of an emergency signal device. This makes it a multi-use item. The above picture shows the lanyard looped around a limb to give you a view of the whistle that is incorporated into the striker.


If you could only have only one item to start a fire with, a Swedish firesteel is a great choice.


Got Swedish firesteel?


Staying above the water line?


Riverwalker