Follow Your USPS Tracking Number

When we ship your package you are e-mailed a tracking number so you can check the progress of your package via the US Postal Service website.

FireSteel.com LLC typically ships every day, Monday through Saturday via First Class Mail. In the USA this means your package will arrive within about 2 to 6 full business days. Sometimes due to holidays, weather, breakdowns in the USPS system, and other unforeseen circumstances the mail may run a little slower than that.

An unfortunate fact of life is that a very small percentage of packages “go missing” for a variety of reasons that are outside the control of FireSteel.com.

So far this year, from January 1st to May 5th out of all the thousands packages we have mailed only about a dozen have "gone missing" and the majority of these were easily found and successfully delivered:

• Four of these packages had been delivered and the customers found them at home after a quick search.
• One package had accidentally been delivered by the postal worker to a neighbor, who was kind enough to return the package.
• Three packages were found by the USPS (forgotten at the bottom of a mail bag, for example).
• Two packages had incomplete or erroneous addresses and so were returned to FireSteel.com LLC.
• Two packages may have been stolen as they were never seen again. 

Should your package become lost in the mail, we will do everything within our power to find your package (and we usually do) – rest assured you will get your stuff!

Missing Package?

First of all – Don't Panic! I will personally see to it you get your stuff one way or another :-)

Experience has shown that usually when the USPS tracking website shows your package has been delivered or reads "Out for Delivery" but you do not have it, the package is actually there only we do not know it yet!

Try the following:

• Make sure the mailing address you gave when you made the order is correct.
• Check with other household members who may have taken in the mail but forgot to tell you. Little brothers are sometimes prime suspects :-)
• Check behind counters, tables, underneath the mail rack, etc, where the mail have fallen behind something or is out of sight.
• Check areas around your home where the Postman may have put the mail (between doors, for example) - sometimes a replacement postal worker does not know the area well.
• If you have a PO Box sometimes the post office will put your mail in that instead of delivering it to your door.
• Check underneath car seats, etc, where the mail may have rolled if you pick up your mail at the end of the driveway for example
• Check with neighbors who may have gotten your package by mistake

You may come up with other ideas specific to your circumstances.

If you still cannot find your package, be sure to contact me by email:

ron@firesteel.com

I will contact my local Postmaster who has access to more information than is displayed on the USPS tracking website. Often he can track down an errant package and get it delivered.

If after trying all of the above and you cannot find your package at home, there is a good chance your package was forgotten at the bottom of a mailbag or got hung up somewhere in the USPS system during processing.  This is where my Postmaster comes into play and almost always his influence is enough to get the job done.

You WILL Get Your Stuff!

You can trust FireSteel.com LLC - I've been in business for many years and I stake my reputation on making sure you are happy with your purchases!  Tens of thousands of people use FireSteel.com FireSteels, a name you can trust.

Enjoy the day and have fun making fires,

Ron Fontaine, FireSteel.com LLC

Well done, Chad  I've always liked bushcraft knives and beautiful workmanship!

Tony over in West Springfield, Massachusetts sends us pictures of his home made antler FireSteel handles.

" Hi Ron, I really like the firesteel rods. Thought you might like to see what I did with mine. Tony".

Yes indeed, each of Tony's antler FireSteel handles is unique and naturally attractive.  He even puts small sections of antlers to good use, which gives me an idea for all the "chewn" bits of deer and moose antler I find laying on the forest floor while hiking.

John, owner of UW Gear, a custom tactical gear maker based out of Florida, recently made an excellent video discussing his FireSteel.com FireSteels and especially the GobSpark Armageddon.

I've always enjoyed John's videos and have learned alot from him. Be sure to check out all of his content on the Alpha-Charlie Concepts youtube page.

As Mike, from Murfreesboro, Tennessee writes:

"I bought one of these [Square FireSteels&91; due to being curious about how it would compare to a round firesteel. I'm impressed! I handed it to my wife and told her to build a fire - the sparks from the new flat side rod looked like someone was welding. Great product - more sparks and seemed hotter."

Big Robust FireSteel Sparks

That's the main thing about FireSteel.com FireSteels - these are the Real Deal FireSteels that give the big robust sparks that everybody in the survival, bushcraft, military, and other online communities are talking about.

Another Square FireSteel user pointed out that these are actually "rectangular firesteels", which is true. Call them what you like - Rectangular FireSteel or Square FireSteel - same robust high sparking formula all FireSteel.com FireSteels are famous for, but in a new and interesting shape!

Be among the first to give our Square FireSteels a try: same high sparking formula FireSteel.com is famous for, but now in a unique new shape.

Here is the link for our new Square FireSteels: http://firesteel.com/square-firesteels/

Square FireSteels come in two sizes and your choice of with or without a lanyard hole:

• 3/8-inch square by 3-inches long - your choice with or without a lanyard hole
• 3/8-inch square by 4-inches long - your choice with or without a lanyard hole

I like how these FireSteels stack as well as the sharp angles that allow for very precising scraping concentrating on the edges.

At this time FireSteel.com has several hundred of each size of Square FireSteel, in stock and ready to ship. More are being made, so there are plenty of Square FireSteels for everyone!

Get out there, enjoy the day, and have fun making Fires!

Ron
FireSteel.com

His unique FireSteel handle is attached to a FireSteel.com 3/8 -inch diameter by 4-inch long Armageddon FireSteel. The other end of the wooden handle has one of our button compasses securely glued in place.  He has also added a lanyard through which a Magnesium Bar (as a fire starting aid) and Super Scraper has been strung.

In Sebastian's own words, this is how he did it:

* After all drilling is done but prior to attaching anything I used Pecan Walnut 1 step stain and seal (2 coats). Put nails into each end temporarily to suspend over parallel 2x4's and allow stain to dry.

1. Cut branch into 2-1/4 inch length
2. Bake in oven on 220 degrees for 1 hour to dry wood.
3. Spindle sander to bevel the edges.
4. Using a 3/8-jnch drill bit, drill 1/2-inch into center of one end of the wood
5. Epoxy FireSteel into the hole
6. On opposite end of wood use a drill press, forstner bit and epoxy for compass
7. Drill 3/16-inch hole in side of wood for insertion of a lanyard.

I think Sebastian's baked wood FireSteel handle came out well. I hope it sparks some FireSteel ideas of your own!

And remember, FireSteel.com FireSteels are made using an especially high-sparking formula.  When you want the best you can't go wrong choosing our FireSteels for your unique project.

Enjoy the day, and have fun making fires,

Ron
FireSteel.com

The answer to “what's the best FireSteel for Scouting” often comes down to a few simple considerations

• Price of the FireSteels
• Ease of FireSteel Use
• Number of Fires the FireSteel rod can produce
• Quick Shipping of FireSteels

In this FireSteel.com Blog post we will examine each of these considerations in turn.

FireSteel Price

Scouting Budgets are an Important Consideration

Usually a Scout Masters budget is limited, and often he or she is actually paying for the FireSteels out of pocket, or buying FireSteels for some of the disadvantaged scouts in the group.

For example, a recent Scout Master purchased 25 FireSteels from FireSteel.com, 7 of which he said went to Boy Scouts who could not afford even a few dollars each to buy a FireSteel for themselves.

So when it comes to Scouts purchasing FireSteels price is often more of a consideration as compared to, say, a military unit purchasing hundreds of our FireSteels or by someone who is planning to hike the Appalachian Trail or storing FireSteels for emergency preparedness.

We Balance Price with Making The Best FireSteels

Rare Earths, the elements that go into our FireSteels and make them spark so well, are quite expensive. One way to make cheap firesteels is to reduce the amount of rare earths in the FireSteel formula. But this comes with a steep price: less sparks when you scrape the rod.

We Sell the Best FireSteels Because People Stake Their Lives on Them

Because our FireSteels are often used in adverse conditions where peoples lives may be on the line (US Military, Scouts, Lost Hikers and Hunters, Emergency Preparedness, etc) I have chosen the hard line that I WILL NOT skimp on rare earths just to save a couple bucks.

And neither should you.

Fortunately, while FireSteel.com FireSteels are considered by many to be the best in the world (don't take my word for it, read the reviews), we sell so many of them there is a FireSteel.com FireSteel to fit every budget.

Ease of FireSteel Use

99% of People Can Make a FireSteel.com Fire on the First or Second Try

FireSteel.com uses the same exact high sparking formula in all of our FireSteels. We are famous for the ease of creating large, robust sparks that bounce and pop as they dance amongst your tinder.

That said, of course the larger the FireSteel the larger and more prolific the sparks will be that fly off the FireSteel rod when it is scraped. That stands to reason.

So when choosing a Firesteel size we need to consider it's intended use.

For example, you may not want to try and fit our famous FireSteel Magum™ into your Altoids Tin survival kit but our FireSteel Ranger, the FireSteel Pups, FireSteel Embers™, or FireSteel Miniature may be a good choice.

Another consideration is the ease of holding onto the FireSteel rod.

While the FireSteel Tiny™ and FireSteel Micro™ are very small and inexpensive, when you are first learning how to use a firesteel it is often easier to practice using a FireSteel that is a bit larger simply because it will be easier to hold onto and give larger sparks as mentioned earlier.

Number of Fires From a FireSteel

FireSteel Size Directly Relates to Number of Fires

Another important consideration when choosing a FireSteel for scouting is the number of fires the FireSteel rod can make.

It should be pretty obvious that the larger the FireSteel rod the more fires it can produce, simply because there is more material in the rod.

Other factors affecting the number of fires that a firesteel rod can make include the length of stroke the firesteel user makes when he scrapes the rod as well as the amount of pressure placed on the sharp edge of the FireSteel scraper or FireSteel Striker.

The amount of sparks the rod produces with each use can increase or limit the number of fires the rod can make before wearing out. Because FireSteel.com FireSteels create massive sparks due to their enhanced formula, in theory you will need fewer attempts (just one with practice!) to light a fire.

And in an emergency you don't want to mess around – you will want to get that fire going NOW!

Also, you after the end of training your scouts how to make fires you may want them to still have plenty of firesteel remaining for use at home, hiking, biking, camping, etc, or to put into their survival kits.

Quick Shipping

FireSteel.com FireSteels are In Stock and Ship Daily

FireSteel.com ships nearly every morning. So fast in fact that often we ship out an order within minutes of it being made!

Oftentimes a scouting organization has plans for an outdoor adventure or FireSteel training session that are coming up very soon. So it is important that they get their FireSteels delivered to them quickly.

FireSteel.com has got you covered on Quick Shipping. Almost always we have as many FireSteels as you need of any FireSteel size you need in stock and ready to ship. What's more, FireSteel.com ships nearly every day (except Sundays) via USPS so your package will usually arrive within two to five business days from making your order.

Once in awhile we may have low stock on a particular FireSteel size due to a large unforeseen purchase by the US Military or other entity. In those rare cases we replenish our inventory very quickly.

So What is the Best FireSteel for Scouts?

The GobSpark Ranger™ FireSteel
By FireSteel.com is a popular Scouting FireSteel

Ok, so now we know something about choosing the Best FireSteels for Scouts. We discussed considerations including cost of firesteel, ease of firesteel use, amount of fires a firesteel can make, and firesteel availability.

Very often a Scout Master is seeking a combination of good FireSteel prices combined with excellent ease of use by young scouts learning how to start fires with a FireSteel. What this comes down to is a FireSteel that provides the “biggest bang for the buck” while also factoring in ease of use and number of fires the FireSteel rod can produce.

Crunching the numbers and considering the special firemaking needs of your typical scout, in my opinion the best firesteel for scouts to train with is the

• GobSpark Ranger™ for scouts with higher budgets
• FireSteel Ranger 2.5 and add a Super Scraper for scouts with lower budgets

Why Are These Good Scouting FireSteels?

First-Rate FireSteels for First-Rate Fire Making

As of this writing (March 2015) the GobSpark Ranger with lanyard and Super Scraper is $6.49. The GobSpark Ranger is designed to be somewhere in the middle between large FireSteels and small FireSteels.

The GobSpark Ranger will typically give well over 2000 fires, is easy to hold onto while scraping, and has one of the excellent specially hardened alloy Super Scrapers attached using a 550 paracord lanyard.

The advantage of providing a Super Scraper to your Scouts is that while you can use just about any sharp, hard object to scrape the FireSteel and make sparks, some work better than others. Even knives are made of different materials, hardness, etc. By providing Super Scrapers to all your scouts, you will have them all using the same materials as you teach them how to use firesteels.

If you are even more budget minded, you cannot go wrong with purchasing a FireSteel Ranger 2.5 and a Super Scraper for each scout. While the Super Scraper is not attached to the FireSteel, these FireSteel rods will still work very well for training scouts how to make fires with FireSteels.

Scouting and FireSteel.com Go Hand in Hand

A Matchless Combination

As always, I am here to answer your questions and especially value those from the wonderful people who are teaching the next generation the important skill of making fires!

Well, there is still three feet of snow here in the Great North Woods, it's a sunny day, 20-degrees F - I'm going snowshoeing this fine Spring Day. Hope you get out there too :-)

Ron Fontaine
FireSteel.com LLC

In Why you Should Have a FireSteel Part 1 we learned something about the kind of people who make sure they always have a FireSteel.com FireSteel available. These include:

• The Military of All Branches
• Hikers and BackPackers
• Mountain Bikers
• Hunters, Fishermen, and Trappers
• Survival and BushCraft Enthusiasts
• Preppers
• The Special Effects and Movie Industry
• Homeowners for barbecues, fireplaces, wood stoves, and more

Whether it be for emergency use or simply to light up the family barbecue, our FireSteels serve to ensure you can always start a fire when you need one.

Here are some important factors to consider when you are thinking to buy a FireSteel from FireSteel.com:

Matches Have a Shelf Life

Matches have a shelf life. Many people do not know that. Even when a match head is coated to help keep out moisture, the chemicals that start a fire when you strike the match will likely go bad over time.

• Solution: Coat our FireSteel with petroleum jelly (such as Vaseline) or nail polish and store your FireSteel for decades. It'll work when you come back for it.
• Give a FireSteel.com FireSteel to your great grandchildren. 50 years from now they'll start thousands of fires with it.

Our FireSteels Work When Wet

• Drop it in water? The snow? No problem. Wipe the FireSteel off on your coat sleeve and fire it up!

Never Run Out of Matches Again

• Use your FireSteel.com FireSteel in place of matches. Because the rod has enough sparks within it to make many thousands of fires: you'll NEVER inadvertently run out
• Consider this as an example: Our GobSpark Armageddon™ is probably able to make more than 15,000 Fires. (I don't know for sure, I've never worn one out and I use it every day!!). Try carrying that many matches!
• This can be HUGE, especially in adverse environments when you absolutely need the ability to start a fire but the stores are too far away or perhaps its a a long term natural or human disaster situation where supplies are unavailable.

FireSteels are Pretty Darn Tough

• FireSteel.com mailed a package of our FireSteels a US Soldier in Afghanistan.  The package was accidentally run over by a 60-ton M1A1 tank!  Although the FireSteels inside were broken and smashed, you could still light fires with the shards!!

You Are Cold, Hypothermic, or in Shock

• Your hands can be too numb or difficult to control enough to strike a match.
• Maybe you are in an early stage of hypothermia or shock. You fell out of a boat, or have experienced severe weather, or been exposed to severe strain.
• In this condition you may not be able to hold and strike a match! But you can more possibly hold onto and operate a FireSteel rod – especially the GobSpark Armageddon™ much more easily.

FireSteels Have Real Advantages over Matches

As you can imagine, there are many scenarios where a FireSteel.com FireSteel has distinct advantages over matches, not the least of which carrying one FireSteel can be equivalent to carrying many thousands of matches.

Do I carry matches too?  Yes I do.  But I love the assurance a FireSteel.com FireSteel gives me, knowing FOR SURE I can start as many fires as I need when I need.  That's the value of our FireSteels!

You may not be falling out of boats or having your gear run over by 60-ton tanks anytime soon, but isn't it good to know your FireSteel.com FireSteels can take the same kind of abuse our Military can give them.

The long and short of it is a FireSteel.com FireSteel could save your life – at the very least make life a whole lot easier for you. Which is why the experts are carrying and using our Firesteels.

Shouldn't you too?

Live Long and Prosper,

Ron Fontaine
FireSteel.com LLC

After all, that's part of the fun in selecting and using FireSteel.com FireSteels!

What is the Best FireSteel?

Because there is a huge selection of FireSteels to choose from on FireSteel.com, I am often asked the question “What is the Best FireSteel for my needs”?

This is an excellent question. And as with most good questions the best answer will often be: “it depends”.

Let me explain.

Want the Best FireSteel for Your Needs?

Just ask!

Let's say like many customers you contact me and ask my recommendations for best FireSteels for some intended purpose you have. (I enjoy hearing from customers very much, by the way).

After all, I am a well-known, reputable seller of FireSteel Gear. I have been doing this for nearly ten years, and will likely have some valuable input on the subject that you can leverage to make an informed decision.

What's more, FireSteel.com has a huge selection of FireSteels to meet your every need. Surely amongst this wide variety of FireSteels there are certain sizes and configurations you can use to best advantage.

That's the beauty of buying FireSteels from a guy like me. I'm here for you each and every day (well, most days – I admit to often being out the forest and mountains). You can email me, ask your questions, and I'll get back to you.

FireSteel Recommendations

Asking the Right Questions

Before giving you my recommendations for what best fits your FireSteel needs, it's essential that I ask you some important questions such as:

• Your intended purpose for your FireSteel. For example will you be:
  • Using a FireSteel for BushCraft and Survival
  • Storing a FireSteel for Emergency Preparedness
  • Carrying a FireSteel Hiking, Biking, Boating etc
  • Choosing a FireSteel for a Survival Kit
  • Using a FireSteel for Barbecues
  • Best FireSteels for Scouts
  • US Military FireSteels
  • FireSteels for Every Day Carry ("EDC")
  • FireSteels for Disaster Situations
  • FireSteels in the Movie and Entertainment Industry
  • Other uses for FireSteels

Additional important considerations in choosing the best FireSteel for your intended purpose include

• Ages of the FireSteel users.
• How experienced is the FireSteel user in making fires.
• Is he or she experienced with using FireSteels.
• Are you teaching FireMaking courses in a Group.
• The weather conditions the FireSteels will be used in.
• Is there a chance the FireSteel user could be impaired – perhaps due to hypothermia, injury, or shock?

While these are not exactly tough questions, answering them will help give you the insight needed to choose the optimum FireSteel for its intended purpose.

Next up, we will delve further into how to choose the best FireSteels from FireSteel.com.

Until then, enjoy the day and get out there!

Ron Fontaine
FireSteel.com LLC

I am often asked “ Why should I have a FireSteel”? Good question!

In answer to that question, one of the first things I like to do is mention who has and uses FireSteel.com FireSteels,. Once people know that recognized experts use our FireSteels they are more open to a detailed explanation as to “why”.

So before we get down to the nuts and bolts of “Why” lets explore a bit about "Who" uses my special brand of FireSteels.

The Military Uses FireSteel.com FireSteels

There must be good reason for many thousands of members of the US military to be using FireSteel.com FireSteels in the field. The US Air Force, Army, Navy, Marines, Coast Guard, and Special Forces of all branches carry our firesteels and put them to good use in all conditions imaginable.

When you are carrying 30, 50, 100-pounds or more of gear in the field as the military does, every ounce counts. What's more, space is limited even on military transport vehicles so everything right down to the firemaking gear they choose to use is a very important decision.

Part of that gear is often one of our premium FireSteel Rods.

Why? Because FireSteel.com FireSteels are the real deal. They always work! The US Military knows that when things get tough and a fire is needed - perhaps for your very survival - our FireSteels are the insurance they need.

FireSteel.com FireSteels are a Non-Military Favorite Too

And that's not to mention the tens of thousands of hikers, hunters, fishermen, mountain bikers, preppers, survivalists, and home owners who buy FireSteels from FireSteel.com for non-military use.

At this very moment, FireSteel.com FireSteels are being used in the deserts of the Middle East, the South American rain forests, the northern tundra at -40 below zero. Anywhere you can imagine where you need to make a fire, FireSteel.com FireSteels have got you covered.

I have seen pictures of a FireSteel.com GobSpark Armageddon being used on the slopes of Mount Everest. The mountaineer easily lit his gas stove while wearing thick mittens as a storm raged outside his tent.

Even the Special Effects and Movie Industry use our FireSteel.com FieSteels – you likely have seen fires on television and in movies that were ignited by our FireSteels!

FireSteel.com FireSteels are Proven

The reason so many experts are using our FireSteels is simple: FireSteel.com FireSteels are proven, dependable, reliable in all environments for when you need to make a fire.

Fact is, our FireSteels are The Real Deal and the experts know that.

Next up, now that you know who has our FireSteels we get down to the nitty gritty showing you the details as to why you should get one or more for yourself.

Get out there, stay safe and have fun making fires!

Ron Fontaine
FireSteel.com LLC

As with any skill worth knowing, there is a learning curve but fortunately for us learning how to use a firesteel comes fast to nearly everyone who tries.

Learning How to Use a FireSteel is Like Learning How to Use a Match

People who have never used a match to start a fire will often find it difficult to make their first fire - that's because firemaking is a real skill. I've seen men and women who hold advanced college degrees fail at striking a match and starting a fire even when they had perfectly dry wood and tinder.

But that's simply because they have never done it before.  After learning the principles, applying proper techniques and using matches to make dozens of fires, firemaking with a match becomes almost routine to anyone willing to practice their firemaking skills.

In the same way, successfully using a FireSteel as a fire starting tool can take a little practice in order to become proficient. That said, the advantages of a firesteel over matches are numerous and is the reason seasoned outdoorsmen and military personnel often rely upon FireSteel.com FireSteels in the field. Once they learn how to use a firesteel they become firm believers in the advantages of FireSteels for making fires.

Basically a FireSteel of the type FireSteel.com sells is a chunk of metal made up of special rare earth elements that quickly oxidize upon contact with oxygen in the air. It is this quick oxidation that creates the hot sparks you can use to make a fire. Add a bit of iron for hardness, magnesium to help hold the spark, and some other ingredients in our special mix, and you've got the makings of the Best FireSteel in the World.

How to Make Sparks with a FireSteel

The first step in learning how to use a FireSteel is making your first sparks. With FireSteel.com's high-sparking ferrocerium formula this is very easy to do.

1. Hold one end of your firesteel firmly between your thumb and forefingers.
2. In your other hand hold the handle of a sharp knife, super scraper, or other hard angular object.
3. Press the blade of the knife (or whatever you are using) hard against the firesteel up near your fingers.
4. In one swift fluid motion scrape the firesteel down it's length.

As the blade shaves off slivers of ferrocerium from the FireSteel rod, they will oxidize and spontaneously ignite upon contact with the air, turning into a shower of red-hot sparks that are 5,500 degrees Fahrenheit!

In the video you can see me using a FireSteel to create showers of red hot sparks that go popping and bouncing down the hallway. Don't try doing this in your home!

Bear in mind that some items work better as FireSteel Scrapers (also known as FireSteel Strikers) than others, so it can pay to experiment. The FireSteel.com Super Scraper is an excellent choice, with its eight specially hardened alloy blades it creates an incredible amount of sparks when used on our FireSteels. I've gotten sparks using a shard of ordinary glass, though glass is relatively soft so its edge will wear down quickly.

How to Use a FireSteel to Make a Fire

Once you know how to use a FireSteel to make sparks, you can use your FireSteel to make fires. One of the best ways to learn new skills is start out doing them the easy way and expand from there.

Here is a good method for making your first fire using a FireSteel. It's not only a fun and inexpensive way to make tinder for starting fires, it's what I carry with me whenever I am outdoors to help ensure I can start a fire no matter what the conditions:

1. Get a cotton ball or roll up a piece of dryer lint.
2. Into this smush (is that a word?) in a dab of petroleum jelly (Vaseline is a brand you may recognize, but any petroleum jelly product will work fine.
3. Now simply scrape the sparks from your firesteel so that they land on the cotton ball /petroleum jelly tinder you made.

As soon as a FireSteel spark hits your homemade tinder, it will catch on fire and burn for several minutes.

Congratulations. You now know how to use a FireSteel to make fire. Now...

Learn How to Make a Campfire

In practice, if you wanted to use a FireSteel to make a campfire, you would first gather your firewood and prepare it in your fire pit. Then you would place your firesteel tinder ball (cotton ball mixed with petroleum jelly) in a nest of small, dry wood pieces so that when the tinder ball catches fire from the FireSteel sparks it will in turn catch the wood on fire.

And that's it. It's really very simple to use a FireSteel.com FireSteel to make a fire. Once you've done it a couple times the process becomes second nature and you'll have the ability to make a fire almost at will whenever you want one.

Of course there's more, much more, to learn about using firesteels.  Many people enjoy experimenting with natural materials as tinder and special techniques for making and aiming sparks from the firesteel.  This is all part of the fun.

When you come right down to it, having the skill to make a fire using a firesteel is just plain fun.

FireSteel.com - An Education in FireSteels

Get educated on how to make fires with firesteels.  It's a fun, handy, and very useful skill to have!

Thank you for reading - be sure to get out there and enjoy the day,

Ron Fontaine
FireSteel.com

Of course in these parts temps can still go down below zero F degrees, but the longer days mean the warming trend is in effect!

Death in the Mountains

About three weeks ago nearby Mount Washington (elevation 6288 feet in New Hampshire) was the 2nd coldest place on Earth - only an area in Antarctica near the South Pole being colder.

The Mount Washington Summit Observatory reported a temperature of minus 35-degrees F below zero and winds of over 140 miles per hour.

Mount Washington in New Hampshire
Recently the 2nd coldest place on Earth

I've hiked Mount Washington on many occasions and worked for several years on the US Forest Service Trail Crews. When the wind is gusting over 100 miles per hour on the exposed tundra above treeline it is difficult to just stand on your feet as you are buffeted around.

Even a brief exposure that kind of windchill can be deadly and, tragically, one hiker did lose her life.

Alas, that day on the 2nd coldest place on earth someone was foolhardy enough to challenge everything these mountains could throw at her.

While she had the wherewithal to enable the personal locator beacon she carried, rescue teams could not get to her in a timely manner due to extremely high winds, deep snow, and low temperatures.

After great personal risk to their own lives, rescue crews eventually found a body.

Many expert mountaineers train on New Hampshire's Mount Washington before tackling Everest. Now you know why.

Fire Means Survival

What she should have done is simple: retreated down below tree-line and struck up a fire with her GobSpark Armageddon™ FireSteel. She would have survived and rescuers would not have risked life and limb to save her.

That's the wondrous nature of FireSteel.com Firesteels – you carry with you the means of survival because simply making fire can save your life. It would have saved hers had she only known what to do and the FireSteel to make that life saving fire.

Life in Mud Season

As the Spring season approaches, the deep snow in the Great North Woods will take awhile to melt. This exposes a layer of thawed ground on top of frozen ground that results in the infamous "mud season" where you can sink up to your knees in muck while walking. Vehicles easily get stuck if you are not careful.

As dangerous as below zero temperatures are, early spring and mud season bring a wet cold, which is often more dangerous than the dry cold of sub-freezing temperatures. Hypothermia is a real problem when your clothing is wet with rain, melting snow, or even sweat.

The Solution to Hypothermia is Creating Warmth

The solution? Get under cover as best you can and strike up a fire with your GobSpark FireSteel. This beast won't let you down - even if your hands are numb and difficult to use because of the cold.

The GobSpark Armageddon™ FireSteel
Designed for use with cold, numb hands or gloves

The GobSpark Armageddons™ special shape and Palm Scraper™ is designed for use with gloved or benumbed hands. This makes it a favorite of hikers, backpackers, hunters, fishermen, adventurers, military personnel, survivalists, and anyone who wants the assurance of being able to make up to 12,000 or more fires reliably no matter what the conditions.

A GobSpark Armageddon™ can save your life. Start a fire, dry your clothing, warm your body, and drink warm fluids and eat hot food.

Can't go wrong there!

FireSteel.com Mud Season Special

Be sure to check out our valuable coupon codes the link to which is displayed prominently on the main horizontal menu of the FireSteel.com website. You can save an additional 5%, 10%. and more when you purchase the best firesteels on the planet.

And remember: Always Enjoy the Day!

Ron, -35 Degrees Below Zero
If FireSteel.com FireSteels didn't work, I'd be DEAD.
How's that for product testing?

That's it for now. Get out there, seize life, and have fun making fires!

Ron Fontaine
FireSteel.com