Fun, thanks for hosting the scavenger hunt!

1. Something Blue: These journals are so beautiful, and I just thought I would start the scavenger hunt out with something simple and beautiful. Is that too corny of a reason to put them on here?
   
2. Summer: Summer reminds me that I will soon be in a place with sun constantly radiating down and burning my retinas. We're all gonna need some sunglasses.
   
3. Unusual Food-Related Item: Kawaii Squishies are super cute, smell like freshly baked bread (or cream soda), and are shaped like foods! I had a lot of wiggle room with this category, and while I have tons of things about food in my WLs, I just think these are great to pass out to stressed friends, as well.
   
4. Gift Someone Else: A Bidet for the Fiancé Kind of a silly one, but my fiancé loves bidets. I've always wanted to get him one, and so this is my ultimate "I love you" gift for him. I actually thought about getting it for him and calling it his engagement ring, in response to the one he just got me. Do you think it would make him laugh?
   
5. Book!: The book Lab Girl by Hope Jahren has gotten a lot of great press, and it seems very relevant to any woman in a demanding science-related field. I think it would be an interesting, and hopefully inspiring, read.
   
6. Less Than a 1$: Somehow this shampoo brush is only $.01? Is that real?
   
7. Related to Dogs: I haven't owned a dog since my family's golden retriever, Max. He was such a wonderful light in our house, and I think about him a lot. I know that GSD are really smart, so I figured I'd put something a smart-alecky GSD owner might have on here. ;)
   
8. Not Useful, But Awesome: I really love oracle cards. I find that they sort of get me past challenges that maybe I'm too stubborn to see for myself. I think they are a good psychological tool, but I also know most people would find them less than useful. Therefore, they are mostly just awesome, and I want them.
   
9. Great Movie: I get some flak for it, but my favorite movie of all time is Coraline. I think it is just so thought-provoking and the animation is beautiful. It really has a special place in my heart.
   
10. Zombies Attack!: Weirdly enough, I am in the process of creating an emergency plan and some bugout bags for my fiancé and I. It's more of a hobby than worry, but I always thought a couple of these matches would come in handy when the hammer drops.
    
11. Life Goals: This one might require a little explanation. So, I just quit my career as an archaeologist to become a creative writer, and my fiancé just quit his archaeology career to become an illustrator. Together we are writing some children's books, creating a comic book series, and hosting a podcast. It has come to our attention that these endeavors require social media presence (something neither of us are very good at). Through our bumbling around, we've found that our pictures are turning out less-than-great for social media, and the problem is lighting. I think this lightbox really neat for anyone who wants to make their pictures look professional on social media.
    
12. Add-Ons: Makeup Remover Cloths These are so useful, I thought about even adding them to the Zombie Apocalypse part of the Scavenger Hunt! I sometimes forget to take care of my skin. So I started leaving one of these by my nightstand just for those times when I'm too lazy (or drunk) to take my makeup off. They are lifesavers!
    
13. Fandom Related: Adventure Time, come on grab your friends.... No explanation needed really. AT is amazing, and I'm sad the series is ending, but we will always have the comics!
    
14. Ridiculously Priced: Okay, let's chat. This watch is over $200,000 and has 4 reveiws? 4 people bought this? Why?! If I was that rich, I'd hole up in my cool-ass movie theater and eat caviar all day. Who needs a watch for that?
    
15. Shark or Unicorn: This unicorn color-changing light is on my wishlist. I want it so badly, but have no idea where I would put it. The bathroom maybe? It has to be somewhere that won't get in the way of all my other unicorn stuff. I like when people just happily stop upon a unicorn in the apartment. When they're peeing is a good time, right?
    
16. Smells Great: These candles are the scents of a coffee shop and so I know everyone in my house would feel warm and welcome right when they walk in once they are lit. These are actually three of my favorite scents, so you can probably tell that I have a slight coffee-related addiction.
    
17. Toy: Dixit is an amazing game. Like...I don't know how to describe it. A bunch of cards with illustrations on them need to be described by the players, and then everyone votes on which description they like the best (blindly vote). It's just a wonderful game for inspiration, and you can make it as complicated or as simple as you'd like. I really enjoy playing it with both my friends and family.
    
18. Helpful for Writers: An Imaginative Workbook! I think one of the biggest things writers forget how to do is play! We spend so much time in our universe, trying to make it perfect, that sometimes we forget to just let go and have our imaginations run wild. I think workbooks like the one I just linked are perfect for when writer's block hits, or when we need a pick-me-up to remember why we started writing in the first place.
    
19. Current Obsession: My current obsession has become learning how to play the ukulele. I heard on a couple of podcasts that it really boosted some people's happiness, especially if they loved music, but didn't feel like they had the time to learn to play a new instrument. I have been borrowing my neighbor's, but since I am moving soon, I've decided to purchase one from Amazon. They have tons of ukuleles on there, weirdly.
    
20. Makes You Laugh: As a person who loves Wes Anderson films this coffee table book always makes me laugh.
    
    Edit: Finished! I love scavenger hunts; it always reminds me what a weirdo I am.

There are a lot of really cool camping things! I'll be back to edit this post on my computer with some things that we like / are unique /cool

EDIT - these are things that we use that we love. These things all range in price, so hopefully you can find one or two to fit whatever budget you have.

• Collapsible Coffee Dripper : They can use this to make REAL coffee on the trail. They just have to heat water!
  
• Portable camping grill : This takes a little time to set up, but it's a very compact grill and makes it easy to cook food or even just balance your mess kit
  
• Nonstick camping mess kit : A nonstick kit is much easier to clean than a stainless steel one IMO. this set has a kettle, utensil, and scrubber which is awesome.
  
• Camp Suds : An environmentally safe soap so they can clean their gear but preserve the trail!
  
• Dry sacks : Dry sacks are just what they sound like... waterproof bags that keep your stuff dry. They can also double as a pillow if you stuff clothes in them!
  
• Portable camping stove : This little guy connects to a small fuel canister and gives you a nice little stove. These are great for heating water / soup as they provide a better heat source than a fire you'd build.
  
• Food dehydrator : This is not something they'd take camping, but it can really help them to save money on meals. If they are backpacking, they likely won't want to carry around cans of food and won't be able to carry around ingredients that would go bad. The dehydrator allows them to make their own backpacking meals that they will reconstitute with water.
  
• Pocket bellows : allows you to stoke the fire without having to get your face super close. Also this lets you target a small area.
  
• LED light bulb ; This does require a portable battery but it's really great to have this little guy. We use it in the tent at night or when we're hanging out but need a little light to chop food/etc.
  
• Pocket chain saw : Cut big pieces of wood! It takes some muscle, but it really does work and it's a lot smaller than a hatchet or actual chain saw..
  
• Literally the best backpacking chair : when you're backpacking, you have to carry EVERYTHING with you. So that means that stuff has to be light and small. These chairs are great, because (for chairs) they tick off both of those boxes. They have a back! And they are big enough to actually sit on!
  
  Other general items that are useful: Climbing/heavy duty carabiners (to clip stuff to other stuff. you can even get locking ones); water filters (if you get a Lifestraw, I recommend the water bottle. The actual Lifestraw is an interesting idea, but we've found in practice it's a little awkward); hammocks with nice straps; base layers; battery-operated lights of any kind (especially ones that clip or are hands-free); a set of waterproof cards (to pass the time on a break); nice, wicking socks; hiking poles; a camping knife.
  
  I haven't tried Cairn (the camping sub box) but they always look interesting.
  

I'd go Saw instead of Axe, less exersion/calorie use, better cuts.

Dump the gill net, in the case of season 3, your inland, not on the ocean, if you don't get lucky enough to get a stream on your site you wasted one of your 10. If you are lucky and get a stream, building fish traps is easy.

Maybe Bow, but only if your skilled in it's use

Definately cordage should be added, there are too many things that you can do with it.

Here is the list of what I would bring...

• 1 Survival knife: My personal Knfe is a Gerber Strong Arm Fine Edge, I've picked up a mod for the sheath to allow it to be attached better in a verticle fashion (on a belt for ex.) from a Chamdar17 on YouTube that makes it. Definately worth getting as the factory design is very flimsy awkward.
  
  
• 1x5 lbs Food Rations: Beef Jerky (protein) Generic "Oh Sh!t backup". Can be re-consitiuted with water and "bulked" back up, but may switch to another source away from protien as that may be the only nutient source collectable during the contest, and one needs diversity to survive/thrive.
  
  
• 1 300-yards of nylon single filament fishing line and 25 assorted Hooks: they don't say what types only overall length in the posted rules, so I would divide it up as such;
  
  1, 100 Yard 30lb test (Additional Cordage, Snare wire)
  
  2, 100 yard 20lb test (Additional Cordage, or use as heavy line)
  
  3, 100 yard 15 lb test (for actual fishing)
  
  for the 25 hooks, get the "red" colored hooks [Here is why] as they may be a built in attractant, a bonus within the rules is a bonus...
  
  
• 1x2qt pot with lid: Found this one that has a lid that can double as an additional pan, Note the 2liter pan is too large, and the 1.5 liter is a little small for the qt conversion. but I get the 2 for 1 lid as a fry pan. Maybe look for someone to make a custom pan set. Another possibility is getting a very deep pan with cover like the Lodge Logic Cast Iron Skillet, 5 qt (aparently there is no size limit of skillet/fry pans in the rules, weight would suck, but it would most likely fit in/on the pack)
  
  
• 1 flint or ferro rod set: Best I can find (big and thick rod 1000s of strikes)
  
  
• 1 multi-seasonal sleeping bag that fits within provided backpack: My Choice is a Cabela's bag rated to -40 it's a rectangular extra large bag for comfort.
  
  
• 1 saw: Hand Made Bow Saw, 30 inch blade, wooden. I created a 30 inch bow saw out of hardwood based loosly on the following plans from the ToolsForWorkingWood.com Site, note I upscaled the design to utilize a 30" Bacho Green Wood Bow Saw blade
  
  
• 12x12 ground cloth/tarp: very heavy, rubberized and aluminized tarp for heat reflection and durabiity (Add Grommets every 12 inches all the way around)
  
  
• Paracord Cordage: Actually a Hammock, I found instructions for creating a paracord based hammock that is a single piece for the main field of the Hammock. Doing this would give me a minimum of 330' of paracord and within the rules. plus the braided ends for attaching to trees as additional length. Special Note, The rules I've seen states "Paracord", but not the type. If you get the 750lb instead of the 550lb it has 11 triple strand core fibers instead of 7 double strand...
  
  
• Lastly I have one open slot, Need to consider where I'll be. Possibly a Bow (rather a good shot), maybe more rations. Possibly a water container/canteen (which would be a 38oz Nalagen with a mod to hang over the fire). There are lots of posibilities...
  
  
  My Start
  
  Day 1, job 1: temp shelter and fire building Prep for first night... NOTE! If in an area of Large Predators (Boar, Big Cat, Bears, etc) First order of Business Make a Boar Spear! 8 feet long, and mount a cross bar about a foot down (Boar Spear, else they will climb the spear torwards you)
  
  Day 2, water production and evaluate the site, dig into a little of the rations for food for the day. Plan out the permant camp (if located), fishing/food prep/trapping areas, Freshwater sources. Try to make the permant cam centrally located between food and water, but away from food prep area and possible larger predator areas.
  
  Day 3, Water Production, Hunting gathering morning, Camp building after noon. Food prep and bed.. Basically I'll follow the rule of 3s mostly (3 minutes air, 3 hours exposure, 3 days water, 3 weeks food) everything has it's priority, Shelter fire 1st, water 2nd, food last, beyond that is comfort to survive and thrive in the situation.

Cheap and reliable is best for fire.

• Fire been sorted out for hundreds of thousands of years.
  
  Even more important when you need fire, sometimes you need it NOW! and delays, dead batteries etc are not okay.
  
  
• Get a combination of reusable fire starters like flint and steel or Fresnel lens (only daylight) and anytime fire (matches.)
  
  
• Get fire helpers like Magic biscuits, or saw dust and wax, or accelerates (like ether, gasoline, charcoal lighter fluid)
  
  
• Get an 8'5" x 11" frenzel lens. (for starting with sun light.) https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00IITFX02/
  
  
• Matches
  
  
• birthday candles for kids / make your own fire starters from make-up remover pads and parifin wax. These are the best fire starter helpers you can have. (you can use crayon wax if you don't buy paraffin) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uCni8yLXR3w
  
  The only thing the above video fails to do is use a double boiler so what you want is to make a "cup" or the like with some tinfoil, put the wax in that, then set the cup into a pot of boiling water. In this way clean up is a breeze, whatever wax you don't use you can just wait to cool and harden and throw away with the tin foil.
  
  These "magic biscuits" style fire starters will stay dry forever, and you can "crack" them in half to expose cotton fibers for things like flint and steel starters or the focus point of your Fresnel lens, or a match. etc.
  
  

  Make use of the small fire you do start.
  

  
  

• Getting a flame is just the start. One of the VERY BEST things I've ever bought cost about 10 bucks. It was a collapsible tube used like a very long straw to blow air at a fire without having to have your face close enough to suck in a lot of smoke when you take a breath.
  
  Made in america version for $12 from amazon.
  
  Absolute cheapest version $4
  
  

  Skills
  

  
  Fire is great. You don't need to go out int he pouring rain to start a fire, but doing so once in a while will help. Same with the wind. Mostly you need to know how to build a stack of wood so that stuff burns. There are many ways to do this.
  
  

• most of the time building your fire (kindling and med sized wood.) before hand and then covering it with a tarp or plastic. is the best practice. Building on a slight hill or digging a trench around the fire area is also a good "prep" to do before hand.
  
  
• If you are going camping or want a few kits making easy to use fire starter kits from pine cones, dryer lint, wax, pop-sickle sticks, cardboard etc will help. Old pine wood scrap from two by fours or lumber mills or woodworker shops works well too. These are things you can make in your spare time, when it's dry and comfortable.
  
  

  Fire cups!
  

  
  

• Fast food cups that are the wax paper cups (down south and in warmer places use Styrofoam cups) are great for a kit. You can put Popsicle sticks, some matches, some magic biscuits (waxed cotton pads), some black paper (to better start with Fresnel lens / sunlight). Then you put the plastic lid on with a bit of tape over the straw hole and you have a "water proof" cup you can set out, and use when you see fit to start a fire.
  
  Edit corrected spelling.
  

Some things I forgot to put on the list that would be useful:

If she needs to make a fire, a [small lighter] (http://www.amazon.com/Scorch-Torch-Ambassador-Cigarette-Adjustment/dp/B00G9GUESC) might come in handy. It might need [butane gas] (http://www.amazon.com/GasOne-Quintuple-refined-Premium-Lighter/dp/B00BRYD8PC/), but one can should last long enough to get a good safehouse going with plenty of tinder to use with a [firestarter] (http://www.amazon.com/Ultimate-Survival-Technologies-SparkForce-Flint/dp/B00F73BO7S) instead.

To keep tabs on the smaller items when they're in that crate, you might put them into a new production .50 cal ammo box. It can store a lot and will easily survive rough handling, and if you ever need a sturdy waterproof container for whatever reason (camping, etc), it's a good storage solution if you're willing to put up with the weight.

It would be pretty neat if you used a wooden crate that she had to pry open with a crowbar; would feel very survivor-esque.

Now, this last part is totally optional since everything else would be kickass, but it could be an idea.

If you're ever played L4D, there's a gun that looks like a Mini-14; it's referred to as the 'Hunting Rifle' and is preferentially used by Zoey.

I'm not saying for you to actually buy a Mini-14 Ranch Rifle or a Ruger 10/22, but if you bought a [Crosman 1077] (http://www.pyramydair.com/s/m/Crosman_1077_Combo/1742), a [few clips] (http://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Crosman_413_12_Rd_Pellet_Clips_Fits_1077_NightStalker_3_Pack/466), and [two magazines] (http://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Crosman_1077_Air_Rifle_Magazine/2411), it'd probably be super cool, and practical, because then you could teach her how to actually shoot, and eventually she might pick up a Ruger 10/22 or Mini-14 down the line on her own.

Obviously this would have to be accompanied by proper instruction (four rules of gun safety, always respect the gun as something potentially deadly, follow through with your shot, etc; if you want to get the 1077 but personally don't know how to shoot, first brush up on the manual, which comes with some basic marksmanship information, and then take a class in rifle shooting), but it would certainly be neat and a cool thing to look forward to.

Oh, and you'd also want [pellets] (http://www.pyramydair.com/s/p/RWS_Hobby_177_Cal_7_0_Grains_Wadcutter_500ct/220), [O-ring oil, to be applied on each CO2 cylinder before use] (http://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Crosman_Pellgun_oil/222), [pellet trap to put targets on] (http://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Leapers_UTG_Accushot_Pellet_BB_Trap_Ballistic_Curtains_Paper_Targets_Steel_Backer/3567), [eye protection for you, her, and anyone else who might want to try her new rifle out or watch] (http://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Air_Venturi_Safety_Glasses_Clear_Anti_Fog_Lenses_Adjustable/4515), and a [case] (http://www.pyramydair.com/s/a/Plano_Rifle_Case_Single_Scoped/593). You can pick up the case, pellets (look for .177 wadcutter), and CO2 Powerlets at a local sporting goods store if the price is competitive.

Oh fun! $500 is a good amount to work with. I am going to assume he has absolutely nothing as you said full kit.

This folding saw is just awesome, and on sale! I've had one for many years. About $22.

This Knife is a lot more heavy duty than the Moras people will inevitably recommend (not that there is anything wrong with them). It's also a lot more expensive. I think it would make a nice gift. Also on sale. $104.

A pot $15.

A Silnylon tarp $63.

Gotta have paracord $10

There are a lot of firesteels out there but this one was uber cheap and looks just like the one I've had for years. >$2.

I would HIGHLY recommend a small forest of Hultafors, Wetterlings, or Gransfors Bruks make. I couldn't find a good link for them on Amazon. They'll be about $150

All told that list(including and axe) is about $360 before tax and shipping) Obviously a pack to put it would top it all off and bring you pretty close to $500 mark. It's just too personal a choice and I can't begin recommend one.

What stuff if any does he have already? A blanket or sleeping bag could be a good choice. A small alcohol stove too.

I do these for myself. The good news, they are cheap and easy to make, I'm going to link to the various rods I have used so far here, the 4.5mmx75mm, the 8mmx80mm and finally the big one, 12.7mmx127mm. All of these rods have performed well for me, I personally prefer the larger diameter, although the 8mm might push it a bit. I have some 6.5mmx75mm rods on order, expecting to see them in the new year.

The next part is a bit of antler. For these, I picked up a bag of antler tips off of Etsy, I think the bag of 50 tips was less than $20 shipped. So right around $2 to make the 8mm size.

I did these a little different, and tapped them both the antler and the fero rod. I recommend that if you have a tap and die of the right size. I used JB Weld on these, and am happy with the results, any good 2 part epoxy should give you a good bond.

One of the things I like about this hobby is being able to make good equipment, if you decide to try, don't hesitate to ask questions, I'll answer the best I can.

I made the mistake of subscribing to monthly camping box. The previous month's box looked awesome and came with a camping pillow (something I needed) and a bunch of other stuff for $25 so I signed up with the intention of getting one and canceling. I ended up with three months of the box before I was able to get the cancel function on the site to work. The second box I got came with pocket bellows.

When everything is damp and we're car camping we often used a lid from a tote box or an empty cardboard box to fan the fire but now we have this little thing and it works amazingly. It gets a lot of condensation in it by the end of the night but it's fun to use if you get past the spit. It's great for backpacking too and it's got a nice little carrying case so you don't have to worry about it getting bent in your pack. It's simple, it works. I love this stupid little thing.

>On some comments there people complain not getting any sparks so I guess there's really some kind of quality issue with some.

Generally, it's not that there are quality issues. It's that people are unaware ferrorods can have different hardnesses. The harder the rod is, the more difficult it will be to get sparks off of the rod. You will need to scrape faster and press harder, but the rod will last much longer as a result. You probably have noticed it is incredibly easy to scrape dents and wells into that Light My Fire rod, and that's because the rod is about as soft as they come. But the result is that you can flick sparks off of it with ease.

If you have confidence with your ferrorod technique, or are ready for a better challenge, it is absolutely time to graduate to one of the harder rods. You get more mileage out of them, and you can actually use them in more different ways than the softer rods. I bought two of these last year, and I have been a very happy customer. They will undoubtedly last me for many, many years.

Much better ferro rods out there, and that knife sharpener is so small it's only purpose is touch up, and I would question that.

For Ferro rod, https://www.amazon.com/bayite-Drilled-Ferrocerium-Starter-Survival/dp/B00S6F4RDC or https://www.amazon.com/bayite-Survival-Drilled-Ferrocerium-Keychain/dp/B00WPCR0N6 or https://www.amazon.com/HOODDEAL-Magnesium-Ferrocerium-Emergency-Survival/dp/B0180MSC36

I have used the first one, and it was a good rod, I expect the second to also be good. You would want to play with the third to be sure it gets good hot sparks, but I have had good experience with bulk rods like this. But you never want to depend on something you haven't tested, so the multi-packs are good for that.

For a sharpener, carry something like https://www.amazon.com/Corona-AC-8300-Sharpening-Tool/dp/B000BPASBK in your pack. I wouldn't use them to pull metal off if you really don't have to, but it does a decent job with that, they do really shine to touch up a blade though.

Those two things need to be separate from the multi-tool to be used, so why would you have them attached when not in use, instead of in a pocket on the sheath?

The Victorinox Swiss Army Knife is a classic

• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0017VJS0O
  
  Light My Fire makes reasonably good fire starters
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00B49WCWU
  
  Storm proof matches are fun
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00Y4TYJTQ
  
  ----
  You can definitely gather the tinder from outside, don't buy this. Just get a handful of pencil sized sticks and wrap it up with some twine. Just make sure it's dry (not green / wet).
  
  Zippo's are okay, but torches and even bic lighters are more valuable for actual fire starting.
  
  ----
  Maybe a map for your local area. It would go well with the compass and maybe encourage you all to get out and hike a trail.
  National Geographic has many options.
  
  
• http://www.natgeomaps.com/trail-maps/trails-illustrated-maps
  
  ----
  Headlamp is valuable. 'to see your love' or whatever.
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B011K7J69M
  
  ----
  Duct tape is fun. It comes in lots of different colors and is versatile for all sorts of adventures.
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00HZ3CUYO
  
  ----
  First Aid Kit is more practical - but if you are being corny - you could say 'in case of broken heart' or something.
  
  
• https://www.amazon.com/dp/B000G80KZQ
  
  

A Buff is a cool (warm) gift.

If you want something goofy to throw in the stocking pick up a Pocket Bellows. Always good for a laugh around a campfire, but surprisingly useful.

Premium GaiaGps membership.

A nice hat -- I really like my Tilley Airflow.

My wife just bought me a überleben Leicht Fire Starter Necklace. I can't pronounce it and I'll probably never use it to start a fire, but it's gorgeous and it fits with my EDC mentality. I love how it looks and I think it'll fit into my rotation nicely.

Nice work! Definitely get a hook knife for the next one. Also, do you have an axe? I'd highly recommend using that to do the vast majority of the wood removal. Here is a good video showing one technique.

You can also burn the bowl out with a coal. I have one of these and it's perfect for directing air flow and burning the bowl out really quickly.

Hmmm... I am going to guess 880 Minutes. That sounds like a good round number right? My list item.. don't judge me..

So how did you get into the PSO business? Is it weird at all? having never called one of those numbers it absolutely fascinates me that its still widely used today! Welcome back to RAoA!

After the essentials, I'd honestly recommend a pocket bellows. I got it as a gift and I've used it to assist construction of every single fire I've made for the last several years.

It's definitely not an "essential" item. You can obviously start fires without it. But it's quite nice.

I've seen a lot of comments on fuel choices and stacking, and that's all very important. But don't forget oxygen!

Blowing on a fire can take an ember into big flames very quickly. I recently bought a bellows on amazon, it looks a lot like a collapsible antenna but is about twice as fat. It did a great job of 1) keeping my face away from the flames and 2) focusing my breath into a really strong column of air. It's going on my short list of must haves for every camping trip.

Edit: I used a Pocket Bellows: Epiphany Outdoor Gear Pocket... https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LDSW5BA?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share This was also easy to get the fire re-lit the next morning. It looked dead, but a few puffs from the bellows and a flame popped right back up in the coals. We put new logs on top and cooked some eggs!

• I have fun practicing my fire building. See if you can actually start a fire with those materials. You might find you need some tinder like some vaseline cotton-balls or something like wetfire. Can your snow-saw also cut wood?
  
• It looks like you tour a fair bit, so you know 16 miles with 3000' of gain is a big day, especially with a sled! You might consider scouting some possible intermediate camping locations.

If that's not an issue, then I recommend this one. It's big, but not to big. It throws showers of sparks with 1 strike. The striker isn't to big and it isn't to small. The lanyard is dogshit, so I'd replace it with paracord if you can.

My favorite part about this thing is how long it is. If you move just slow enough with the striker, sparks will come off this thing like a sparkler on the 4th of July. If you can pull that off the right way, you only gotta strike it once, you get a crazy amount of sparks, and you extend the life of the rod dramatically by doing that.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QM4N11I/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o02_s00?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I absolutely love this thing.

Got it as a gift along with the ferro rod for the holidays; it's from The Friendly Swede. [Here's the Amazon link.] (https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B01HM4C68U)

Would I buy it myself? Probably not (I'd likely buy something a bit more beefy), but as a gift I figured why not.

Retractable thing is a pocket bellows, here is a cheaper version on amazon as well for way less! $4 instead of $15
I use this one and im pretty sure it functions exactly the same

https://www.amazon.com/POCKET-BELLOW-Collapsible-Campfire-Blasting/dp/B07KJWQ7VM/ref=sr_1_4?dchild=1&keywords=pocket+bellows&qid=1573845181&sr=8-4

Thanks!

I went with this one:

Relefree 1/2" X 5" 12.7mmx12.7cm Ferrocerium Rod Flint Fire Starter Lighter Magnesium Tool Kits Camping Hiking Survival Outdoor Black https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00UHD41T6/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_awd_9WJOwb10GP4JQ

Thanks to whoever recommended it here on /r/Bushcraft. :)

Thats pretty cool... I have one a lighter similar to THIS and it works great. I have probably had it close to a year and put fluid it in twice. Just another option.

I'm posting this because the name is hilarious! Zombie Tinder, Flint and Steel, Large "C" Striker, https://www.amazon.com/dp/B01FN01Y10/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_F5zuybHSP9GXG
But really you can find some great ones on Amazon even, very traditional solo strikers and combos.

I find a lot of nail art stuff for less than £2

There are some sweets that are sold for less than a [pound] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Lawsons-Sweets-227gm-Fizzy-Bottles/dp/B007RBMDU0/ref=sr_1_8?s=grocery&ie=UTF8&qid=1347473349&sr=1-8) but charge you 2 or 3 pounds for shipping , very annoying >_<

if you like camping there are [emergency space blankets] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Steroplast-1805-Emergency-Foil-Blanket/dp/B0017L48RC/ref=sr_1_1?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1347473848&sr=1-1) or [survival firelighters] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Emergency-Survival-Waterproof-Stainless-Body--Silver/dp/B008S4TERA/ref=sr_1_15?s=sports&ie=UTF8&qid=1347473809&sr=1-15) pretty cheap.


Edit: I see that youre a guitar player? A strap with pick holders in for [£3.38] (https://www.amazon.co.uk/Black-Guitar-Strap-Pick-Holder/dp/B00669LN6O/ref=pd_sim_MI_71)? Some acoustic guitar polish/oils are less than £3.

I got an Everstryke Pro a couple of months ago, and I love it. It's very compact and has a seal so the fuel doesn't evaporate. It is basically a tiny zippo.

I keep mine on my keychain. https://imgur.com/jfrDtGj

The advice I follow is “three fire starters, in three locations in your pack.” You have a Bic lighter as the main fire starter, a backup like a firesteel, and a second backup like matches. Keep them all in different parts of your gear so if you crush/wet/otherwise destroy one, you don’t also hit the other two.

For tinder, pay for Tinder Quik (or a knockoff), or save a little money making your own cotton balls with Vaseline/petroleum jelly sealed in duct tape.

A lot of people say the Fire B.O.S.S. kit has a pretty complete list of firemaking supplies, and I agree.

Fire Baby Fire

I love cheap

We have another one but this one is waaaaay better!

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00PSGOM32/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_apa_i_RsZ9AbPB0NQA0

At first I was like, damn, thats a lot of money for a firesteel. I bought decent ones for $8 that work great. But then I saw the pic of the guy holding it. Shit, that is huge. I may have to get me one of those. Go with a two pack, different brand and no lanyard, but the reviews are just as good.

I bought mine local (and I only have one - open flame is more versatile.. so I also carry a lighter and waterproof/windproof matches). If you dont want to use amazon or firesteel.com then Id say check your local shops - even Walmart carried some sort of ferro rod the last time I was there. But i mean, this is cheap enough a good sized/reviewed ferro rod:

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00QM4N11I

very usefull, five$ item, 2$ item. Thanks for the contest more caffeine

I recommend This One! Been using it for years

I picked up this thing for about $11, it's called the Pocket Bellows V3.

You don't need it, that much can be established. However, it is just long enough for you to not have to have your face that close to the fire, effectively allowing you to never get smokey eyes while building up your campfire, and to me, it's totally worth every cent.

You can also get something like this

Yep that's the one I use. Huge and inexpensive - think they are still 8 dollars. I use a bit of gorilla duct tape around the end for some grip.


There is also another one that has a hole for a lanyard for a couple bucks more - but if you have a vice and a drill you can put a hole in this one easy enough to run some paracord through.


This is the firesteel

That's normal.

Peanut lighters are like zippo with an o-ring seal and last a long longer. But it's less convenient to need to screw the cap off every time.

https://www.amazon.com/EDC-Waterproof-Lighter-Emergency-ring/dp/B01MZ622O3/

Define "big"?

These are 1/2 inch by 6 inch in a pack of two.

They work well.

One alternative that could help you get around the brittleness problem would be to forge/file a hard edge onto part of the brooch (not sharpened like a knife), and incorporate something like this, maybe attached with leather or something. That way you could still use the brooch to start a fire, but won't risk it breaking.

pocket bellows. It's like a turbo charger for your fire.

Add This To Become a Trail Hero

I use the EOG Pocket Bellows. It works amazingly.

1/2" X 5" Ferrocerium Rod

I had this one in mindfire starter

wet fire

Scoutmaster here. This pocket bellows for starting a fire is my favorite purchase this year:

Epiphany Outdoor Gear Pocket Bellow Collapsible Fire Tool https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00LDSW5BA/ref=cm_sw_r_cp_api_zW--BbX22HT5T

Pretty standard stuff but the details depend on weather and what I plan on doing (if I'll be spending time working on bushcraft, fishing, or if I'll be hiking or portaging long distances). One thing I strongly recommend is a pocket bellows. You should be able to make one with an old collapsible antenna (although I prefer the one I bought because of the width) but these things are incredible at helping get a fire going, keeping a fire going, or starting up the fire from last night again in the morning.

Uh.... Why would I bother with this BS when I can just get stormproof matches: http://www.amazon.com/UCO-Stormproof-Waterproof-Replacement-Strikers/dp/B00Y4TYJTQ

ive been using this pocket bellows to get fires cranking fast and minimize the smoking stage. Also, I almost never collect enough kindling; it's such a chore. This allows me to get a hot fire going with very little tinder, or just newspaper.

https://www.amazon.com/Epiphany-Outdoor-Gear-Pocket-Collapsible/dp/B00LDSW5BA/ref=sr_1_3?ie=UTF8&qid=1524442508&sr=8-3&keywords=pocket+bellows

Have a look at this. It's basically a collapsible lung operated version of the same thing that is inexpensive and invaluable. I first saw it on the Outdoor Gear Review on Youtube. It kicks ass.

Epiphany Pocket Bellows:
https://www.amazon.com/Epiphany-Outdoor-Gear-Pocket-Collapsible/dp/B00LDSW5BA