Adding a bit of spark

[MeanderingFlyFisher]

Currently I'm running a MSR Pocket Rocket and was after suggestions as to the best way to light it.
I am currently using a Light My Fire mini fire stick which on some days works like a treat and on others I struggle to get it to light without burning my hand.On our last trip we had matches but they got damp and wouldn't work plus I use a lot of matches(up to 10 per cooking session)and run out quickly.A mate on a recent trip had a stove with piezo on it but forget which brand and it worked wonderfully but I have read on this forum they are subject to failure.I have tried a cigarette lighter and it seemed to work OK as long as I remembered where I put it as I had one in my first aid kit but didn't find it til I got home after the trip.I am thinking about trying a flint lighter that is used for lighting oxy/acet torches but it is bigger than my stove.
Thanks in advance for any suggestions and feedback on fitted piezos.

[devoswitch]

Can't go wrong with a little bic lighter. Pretty handy to always have the ability to create fire without too much hassle.

[Mark F]

With any stove cleanliness is important so I keep my stoves in a small bag to prevent bits of gunge getting inside. I keep my mini bic lighter in the bag with the stove. I also keep a spare lighter in my 1st aid/repair kit.

Cleanliness also applies to gas canisters which should have the plastic cap kept on them and given a quick puff to clear out any dust/grit just before screwing on the burner.

Piezo starters do seem to be unreliable. Altitude seems to have some effect (based on other peoples comments) and I expect humidity may also contribute.

[Franco]

Yes, just get a Mini Bic.

[keithy]

I have a couple of stoves with piezo igniters and they are pretty handy. The first one I had was a Firemaple FMS 105 which is a heavy old thing now. I took that to Nepal and it sparked ok at around 3000-3500m.

I think one of the issues with piezo igniters is that at higher altitudes, you might need a wider electrical arc to get it to ignite. See Brunton's explanation here: http://resources.brunton.com/brunton-ou ... ackpacking (Why won't my piezo ignition start my stove at higher altitudes?)

So potentially at higher altitudes you might be able to bend the sparking wire back a bit to get a larger arc. But I've not used mine above 3500m so haven't tried this.

I now use a cheapie FMS117/118 clone I reviewed earlier viewtopic.php?f=63&t=20780. It comes with a removeable piezo igniter, and hasn't failed yet.

With piezo igniters is that if it gets wet, you have to dry it before it will spark again. The same thing happens with standard flint striking BIC lighters but I find it easier to dry the water from the piezo igniter than to dry the flint wheel on the BIC. A really wet flint wheel on a BIC seems to take ages to dry out.

I also carry a firesteel striker and have used that in starting stoves. If you are finding you are getting burnt, turn down the gas valve on your stove when striking. Hold the striker close to the stove - the striker hand shouldn't move and just move the firesteel backwards. The sparks should fly down to the stove and your hand holding the striker shouldn't get any closer to the stove.

MSR and Kovea make a separate piezo igniter http://www.cascadedesigns.com/msr/stove ... or/product http://kovea.com/product/igniter/ These come with some of their stoves, but can be bought separately.

[MeanderingFlyFisher]

Thanks for all the advice and it seems like I was heading down the right path.
I will continue with the bic lighter and I just tried the fire stick usage directions as described and it seems to work better than the way I have been using it which is sort of opposite.I guess saying that I burnt my hand was a bit of an over statement but it just wasn't an easy task.So I shall continue trying both systems and see which one works best for me.

[Strider]

I use a LMF firesteel too. A good shower of sparks from 8-10" away works a treat.

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[Gadgetgeek]

I use the firesteel mostly with my micro-rocket using the still-striker, moving rod method. the MSR/Kovea lighter works well, I just carry the ferro-rod anyway, so I save the few grams. another light option is a spark-lite, but you need your hand pretty close, like lighting the stove using just the spark from your lighter.

[McGinnis]

I always take a mini bic, as well as a LMF firesteel with a few vaseline-imbued cotton balls, as a wet bic is useless.

My stove (Kovea Camp 3, maybe?) has a piezo ignition also, for good measure. It's been entirely reliable.

[nocens]

A Bic lighter is super simple to get going after its been wet, just run the flint roller on your jeans with a bit of pressure and 20-30 seconds later its back to normal.
Usually I will just bring a lighter or 2, but I occasionally carry a firesteel too.

[McGinnis]

Good to know, I've never had much luck drying them out personally, but maybe I'm just impatient.

The piezo mini bics (if you can find one) are actually great; the piezo ignition is easy to dry out. They're just not that common unfortunately. The last place I found one was a caltex near Wallacia.

[walkon]

I use a flint and steel, it's not a mini one as they dont feel right. Don't go for bics or matches as they have both let me down in the wet and cold.

[devoswitch]

I cook alot in the vestibule of my tent and am not too keen on the idea of showering sparks everywhere. As previous poster has stated if the lighter gets wet just run it down the leg of your pants about a dozen times at speed and with pressure and you'll soon get sparks.

[Orion]

Mini lighter and something as a backup (another lighter or some matches). In cold conditions it's a good idea to keep the lighter in your pocket so it's warm. In the winter I keep it in a pocket while I sleep.

I've never used a firesteel; I imagine they would be heavy. Are they?

[Giddy_up]

Fire steel for me, it's the only thing that's goes first time, every time

[Gadgetgeek]

My small ferro rod and striker are 20 grams, some are a bit heavier, but even 50 grams for a large one and striker isn't that bad. a mini bic is 11 grams, but for me the robustness is worth the weight, since I'd never only have a mini-bic as my fire starter.