Review on Waterproof Flint and Steel for Hiking and Backpacking: 6in x 0.5in + Survival Lanyard & Whistle - Ideal for Camping, Adventure, Barbecue and Outdoor Activities (6) by Corey Krull

See photo - lengthen split whistle to release 2 pieces (40" long) of 7-strand 550 paracord - and discard all junk as useless. Take an orange 550 cord for the day and tie the ferro stem and pair together (forget the cool tactile braid - you want a curved line - why?). The main goal is not to lose anything and to make it as easy as possible to find him when he fell in the forest! Good working size ferro rod with pre-drilled hole. Assuming the striker works, but seriously, who needs a bottle opener/Allen key/map ruler combo on the striker? In truth, you're better off buying a garden tool sharpener with a straight-handled carbide tip about the length of this ferro rod, tie them together, and you're ready to produce some very hot showers of sparks (add a usable one Lifespan). vest-style emergency whistle to the mix if you're so inclined). Further interesting is the carrying case - it's a shiny, tightly woven (black inside) fabric with an opposing drawstring closure, which is too heavy - it would fit better in a jewelry box and protect a really expensive watch or bracelet. The whole point of a ferro rod is that no water acts on it. A stylish tote bag seems to add value to an item rather than functional utility. No instructions except on the elegant outer packaging. You are encouraged to refine the staff to obtain "magnesium shavings" which are added to other fuels to start a fire. Sorry but totally wrong. Most ferrocerium rods actually contain only a small amount of magnesium - their main alloying ingredients are iron, cerium (and other components, sometimes called mischmetal), which create sparks when the square edge of a steel object is quickly scratched - your knife or firing pin. - (Oxidation + rapid friction = tiny glowing sparks of flaming metal fragments flying violently off the ferro rod). As shown in the photo, to actually use this tool you must first scrape off some of the protective black coating that keeps the ferro rod from oxidizing/corroding/rusting and turning it into useless junk (leave as much coating as long on it as you can). You can). Magnesium rods for the production of burnt chips are very different from a ferrous rod. It's not the best ferro rod I've tried, but it's definitely big enough for practical use and offers an acceptable level of metal burn. By the way, don't use the round slot on the firing pin to create sparks, you'll get much better results with a square edge (a carbide garden tool sharpener works even better and does a double job: sharpen your cutting tools). In short, I feel like much of the spending on this set will be misdirected into items that don't have much practical value for those actually practicing the skills of forest survival. I would suggest looking for cheaper/more functional alternatives.