When I first started hiking and spending more time out in nature, I found myself looking for tips and tricks on Reddit and other websites so I could have the best “survival” bag out there. One issue that my mind kept going back to was the issue of “how am I going to start a fire?” I don’t feel like I will always need to start a fire but I also don’t want to be out in the middle of nowhere when I realize that I need it. Circumstances can always change, and before you know it you need to set up camp and you don’t have any light source other than a flashlight.

I will recommend the same thing that a fellow Reddit user told me: Don’t overthink things and don’t make an issue more complicated than you need to. People are going to try and convince you that you need a product that costs ten times as much as a lighter when the reality is that Bic lighters should be your go-to fire starter. They work even after getting wet, they can be used over and over and they are cheap. I also always recommend carrying some sort of tissue paper that is kept in a waterproof container so that you have something to easily light should you be making a larger fire. For long-term use, I realize that a Bic lighter doesn’t seem realistic, but it really is just as easy as trying to maintain a flint/wick set up and they are cost-efficient.