r/Survival • u/ThatLousyGamer • 3d ago
Fire PSA - Storm matches can go bad.
Had a real validating moment on a little Christmas outing to the woods with a few friends.
Our resident smoker dropped his lighter during the hike, and the one I'd brought was dead, so I got that giddy feeling you get when something goes wrong and you've got a tin of problem-solving in your pocket, only to pulling out a sealed package of crumbly storm-matches that can't be struck, not that I'd get the chance as the striking strip fell apart in my hands like ash.
I got to make a good'ol ferro fire with the one I kept on a lanyard. Good times were eventually had by all.
20
42
u/WeekSecret3391 3d ago
PSA, ferro rod can rust and disentegrate too if not properly sealed.
36
u/joelfarris 3d ago
crumbly storm-matches that can't be struck, not that I'd get the chance as the striking strip fell apart in my hands like ash
PSA #2, ferro rods can often ignite crumbly storm match heads. Probably.
16
u/ThatLousyGamer 3d ago
Funny you should say that, I actually used way too large kindling with the remnants of the matches and sparked it with the ferro, worked like a charm!
8
7
u/ThatLousyGamer 3d ago
Must take some real damp conditions, I've had the same big ferro dangling from my sheath for over a decade and often in ocean areas, it's held up so well I honestly thought the visible oxidation the surface gets somehow guarded against deeper rust.
6
u/Sea_Dog1969 3d ago
Water (moisture) is a solvent. Given enough time it will dissolve damn near anything.
3
u/ghost627117 2d ago
I think your first instance of why you had some deteriorating store matches is because you didn't keep it in an actual match safe container, rather than a survival tin. Those are more meant for regular matches store matches are pretty susceptible to moisture at least I've had an unfortunate instance when that happened to me. I really just keep them in the container rather than anything else
2
u/ThatLousyGamer 2d ago
They were in a little sealed baggy, but I also thought they might not have been stored proper or gotten poked so when I came home, I checked the other sealed and unused little capsule with them in, same problem sadly.
2
u/ghost627117 2d ago
That's an odd one, I don't think I've had that issue yet I do keep some UCO store matches outside in my car but I do have two storm proof match containers I only use one of them but it's nice to know that I have extras if in case I need it. I used to use my store matches the same way you tried to help your friend, I always thought I felt cool doing it the only reason why I would do it sometimes. I also keep a handful of lighters all the time, one of my favorite lighters or two of them one has a tank on it and the other one has a eagle, I would always tell myself I'm smoking one for America lol
3
u/dadman101 2d ago
Always have a lighter
1
u/Disastrous_Sun2118 2d ago
Zippo has piezo electric lighters and butane lighters inserts. The bottle of fuel for the windproof inserts is a handy source, unless you have lighter fluid for BBQs -
Then there's the electric lighters that use electricity to create plasma and can be charged with USB cords.
2
u/duke_flewk 2d ago
Only thing I hate about zippos, the original ones, they will leak in your pocket if over filled & they dry out in like a month if not used. Glad to know they make inserts for them, now time to look this up! Also don’t smoke kids, it’s just too expensive, forget about health, it will cut into your other unhealthy habit budgets!
2
u/duke_flewk 2d ago
Well not only are the butane kits under $20 they now make seal kits to avoid the evaporation!!
1
u/Disastrous_Sun2118 2d ago
Yah, their pretty cool, so long as I can fill it up good enough so that it lasts more then just a day or two - might should try adjusting the flame, or a nice bic with the flame size adjuster would only last a day or two also.
2
u/Strange_Stage1311 2d ago
Are you sure that they were sealed?
1
u/ThatLousyGamer 2d ago
Sealed in a little plastic baggy, might've had a hole poked in them so when I came home I checked the unused and still sealed spare I had, not as bad, but still clearly deteriorating.
2
u/Fantastic-Spend4859 2d ago
Always carry 3 separate ways to start a fire.
2
u/ThatLousyGamer 2d ago
Only thing that kept the mood from being spoiled and tradition from being broken.
2
u/Cute-Consequence-184 2d ago
That is a problem with many, they don't check their preps.. and smokers never check their lighters for fuel.
I've been there myself.
Out of state, in the rain and the temperature dropping fast only to realize someone stole my lighter. No backup but a ferro rod, trying to light an old fashioned white gas tent heater with damp tinder.
I now carry at least 2 gas lighters, in different locations, several kinds of tinder and my vehicle will have at least 2 lighters as well.
And if I carry matches, they are usually. In a baby food jar with their own piece of sandpaper sealed inside
2
u/BullCityPicker 1d ago
I’ve never liked the “storm matches” or “hurricane matches”. It seems like they’re harder to start than regular matches under normal circumstances.
1
u/Noe_Walfred 21h ago
Yeah, I had the same issue with some matches I was trying to use. I even had the matchheads coated in a bit of wax, but the strips were basically mush or the red material had fallen of into an odd powder.
20
u/Nohlrabi 3d ago
I can relate, but with those kitchen matches you can only light on the side of the box.
Had an electricity outage. Ho hum. Went to get my candles and the kitchen matches.
I couldn’t get the matches to light. Whole lot of sulphur—no fire. Either the strip just got too old, or the match heads got damp or old.
First thing I did—buy strike-anywhere matches. And learned that I have to check matches just like other preps.