Best Waterproof Matches for PSK??

Sharp Eye

Sharp Eye

Joined
Feb 21, 2008
Messages
1,551
What do you think are the best matches to include in your PSK?
Where do you get them?
Thanks again for sharing your knowledge and wisdom.
Sharp Eye
 
the REI matches aren't that bad.... and believe it or not, the coghlans(green packaged goods) matches work great... i have used them for years... :thumbup:

their little tinder cubes they sell rock :thumbup: , burn for a long time... give em' a shot...
 
mtnfolk mike said:
the REI matches aren't that bad....
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Aren't that bad??? What's that mean? I thought they worked really well. I keep mine for a must-have-fire emergency, so it's been a while since I actually used one. I seem to remember them working great.
 
Scott Ridgeway said:
Aren't that bad??? What's that mean? I thought they worked really well. I keep mine for a must-have-fire emergency, so it's been a while since I actually used one. I seem to remember them working great.
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it doesn't mean anything......... my apologies... they work fine...
 
No apologies needed-- I was just worried that I've been relying on something that maybe I shouldn't. :)
 
I've heard the REI ones are better than the Nato matches, and cheaper too.
 
texastonydobbs said:
Firesteel..metal match...
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I concur...for a PSK matches are only for convienance...when the chips are down Firesteel works when wet and lasts longer. As an aboriginal back up being able to create fire by friction is something one might want to tuck away into their skill set.
 
The lifeboat matches that I have are essentially the same match as the REI Stormproof. I certainly don't recommend carrying only matches, but their redundant presence would hardly be ignored in the kit under ideal circumstances. I have had real good luck with the REI matches in extreme temperatures, and on wet drizzling days. If I need more than a match, my kit offers plenty of other options, too. :)
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I also like the REI matches, though I don't actually have them in any of my kits right now. I've just got ferro rods and peanut lighters.
 
Dantor said:
I've heard the REI ones are better than the Nato matches, and cheaper too.
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+1000 Comparatively, the lifeboat matches are crap. They are smaller, don't burn as long, and are very difficult to light. Add to this that the striker on the cap is next to useless. Then again its NATO so I probably shouldn't expect too much.

Get the REI matches. The box has strikers on each side and they also include 2 double sided strikers inside incase one is wet or gets worn out. Much much better.
 
I don't like matches for a PSK but if you want them, you can't go wrong with true waterproof and windproof BCB matches. Matches take up a lot of space a ferro rod of equal size could use. The ferro rod can light more fires and is much more versatile if you ask me.

Again, if you like them, BCB is a good choice.
 
I am not a match person either, but the REI as previously mentioned are very good.

I feel inspired to do a new video on how to properly light a match, as many don't know. How to split a match to can be important too.
 
I keep the REI matches in my PSK for the simple reason they are quick, simple, & effective; and when the chips are down, my hands and fingers are half numb and loosing sensitivity, and I'm going stupid from exposure & hunger quick, simple, & effective is a nice piece of mind. My $.02
 
Matches as Kevin said Take up lots of room plus you have to rotate out because the untreated part absorbs moisture over time, better off with a combo of mini BIC and Ferro rod ,just my Experience of 40-50 years
just pulled some Life Boat matches out of one PSK thats at least 10 years old it took 6 to ten hits on the average to light and this was sealed very well.If the seal is not tight it would not work.
 
I know this was about matches for a psk, but I always have matches, at least two mini bics, a ferro rod (and sometimes a Zippo w/Z-plus insert) if I'm going in the woods. Although I always have at least two knives with me, I'd rather have only one knife than only one way to make a fire. I keep my REI matches in a K&M matchcase. These are carried in a daypack and are for last resort emergency use.
 
Another vote for REI matches. You can light them, immerse them in water for a couple of seconds and they keep going. As a guy who's experienced hypothermia more than once, that's a good bit of kit to carry in my opinion.
 
I have the nato matches, and there not that great. I carry a few of them, but I also like the strike anywhere matches by diamond.I don't fully depend on matches though. My Doan's Mag bar goes everywhere with me. The matches get carried in my K&M Matchsafewith some tinder. The K&M Matchsafe is awesome. When the weather is real cold you definetly cannot rely on the bic's & as much as I love zippo's they dry up to fast.
 
I agree with the ferro rod replacement for matches in the PSK. Matches or a bic lighter are great carry tools and I use them 95% of the time for convenience, so they stay in my pocket. Firesteel is the backup and I know I can use it when all else fails. Regular practice does help here.

For me personally, I wouldn't think that matches would be all that much better "when the chips are down" and your fingers are cold and lack coordination. In those conditions, you are just as likely to be breaking the match in half on striking it (I do this all the time in my normal -lack of coordination - condition) or have ruined the striker pad on the match box via the same mechanism that got you cold & wet in the first place. My experience is that strike anywhere matches don't really live up to their name.

If you had to, it would be pretty easy to scrap the firesteel with the working edge (:eek::eek::eek:) of your knife under those cases where you were lacking coordination to use a small striker or the knife spine. My 2 CDN cents...
 
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