ESEE Fire Kit users

W

Wriggs

Joined
Jul 18, 2010
Messages
67
RAT Packers,

If you've read my other threads you know I'm a SAR operator. As such I am constantly starting fires in survival type situations as well as instructing bushcraft and survival.

I am always in search of great kit. I go through magnesium/flint sticks like crazy. Very few last or produce a great amount of fire balls ( sparks are a pretty light show ) fire balls start fires !!

In the summer/fall I start fire by friction in the bush by I don't mess around in the winter/spring due to subject hypothermia risk.

Is the ESEE Fire Kit the cats meow from your guys experience. Does the flint stick hold up to serious use?
 
Absolutely holds up! Also look into going gear.com for smaller easier to carry mischmetal rods. Just practice a bit before u head out and you will have no problems.
 
Older pics but I enjoy my Firekits !
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Original style ( no longer available)
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The new style is a dark Grey/Gray and come with a standard ferro rod epoxied into handle.
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I've only had mine for a couple weeks but I've used it several times and love it and the compass is really handy. So far it has held up well and should last a good while before it needs a new rod. I've been keeping 4 petroleum jelly cotton balls in mine.
 
my older esee fire kit (green capsule) has misch metal rod and it throws gobs of fireballs. my newer one (dark gray capsule) is a ferro rod so it's more like sparks than fireballs so i replaced it with misch metal rod from goinggear.

friction fire, fire steel, etc. are trendy and all that among these parts but i hope you're carrying one of those 100 mph butane lighter thingies or a regular old bic lighter too and is your main fire lighting tool. even esee states their fire kit is for a last ditch effort.
 
Ive got one too. The handle provides an excellent grip on the firesteel, a major advan tage in cold weather, it has a little storage place and a button compass all in one package. I feel the ferro rod is exactly like my Primus and LMF rods, no better no worse. By that i mean, that i can light some birch bark or other tinder under favorable conditions, in 1-3 strokes, just like the others.
 
PropThePolecat said:
Ive got one too. The handle provides an excellent grip on the firesteel, a major advan tage in cold weather, it has a little storage place and a button compass all in one package. I feel the ferro rod is exactly like my Primus and LMF rods, no better no worse. By that i mean, that i can light some birch bark or other tinder under favorable conditions, in 1-3 strokes, just like the others.
Click to expand...

the Newer Version has a standard ferro rod in them just like LMF ,etc.etc.
the older ESEE firek its had Misch metal ,that threw molten blobs of fire ...Ferro rod throws sparks.
 
texastonydobbs said:
the Newer Version has a standard ferro rod in them just like LMF ,etc.etc.
the older ESEE firek its had Misch metal ,that threw molten blobs of fire ...Ferro rod throws sparks.
Click to expand...

Yeah, i know. Dizwolf explained it to me in another thread, as i didnt know ESEE had switched to misch metal.
 
If you look back a page, I've got video of the sparks and balls of fire

I love the esee kits, and they last a good while. They're also replaceable with any 3/8 inch rod
 
Dizwolf said:
If you look back a page, I've got video of the sparks and balls of fire

I love the esee kits, and they last a good while. They're also replaceable with any 3/8 inch rod
Click to expand...


I'm wondering if a LMF army rod ( pulled from the handle it has)
would fit the Esee handle. Just curious before I purchase it.:)
 
Wriggs said:
RAT Packers,

If you've read my other threads you know I'm a SAR operator. As such I am constantly starting fires in survival type situations as well as instructing bushcraft and survival.

I am always in search of great kit. I go through magnesium/flint sticks like crazy. Very few last or produce a great amount of fire balls ( sparks are a pretty light show ) fire balls start fires !!

In the summer/fall I start fire by friction in the bush by I don't mess around in the winter/spring due to subject hypothermia risk.

Is the ESEE Fire Kit the cats meow from your guys experience. Does the flint stick hold up to serious use?
Click to expand...

I love the ESEE fire kits I have. The rods on the new ones are somewhat hard but I like that as you don't just slice off big hunks for no reason. With the right amount of pressure they throw very hot sparks.

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And the large handle not only holds other items, but really works well for using the one-handed method I used in this thread.
http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=738721


.
 
texastonydobbs said:
the Newer Version has a standard ferro rod in them just like LMF ,etc.etc.
the older ESEE firek its had Misch metal ,that threw molten blobs of fire ...Ferro rod throws sparks.
Click to expand...

Depends on the striker used, and the pressure applied. I threw some white hot "sparks that rolled 6 feet across the waffle house floor last night and still sat and burned for a second.

While I much prefer a device that produces an actual flame when I really need a fire...I am happier with the results of all of ESEE fire kits I've bought than all of my LMF, and GG firesteels...but as it ever is it is all subject to personal uses and prefs.
 
JV3,

Some may feel friction fire and flint sticks are trendy however I would disagree. When you fall through the ice and submerge yourself in icy water. Your survival relies on your skills and tools. In the SAR world where fire is survival i have had more malfunctions with high end butane lighters that should have worked and didn't. I have found lost persons with great gucci lighters in their hands with no fire in front of them.

There is no quicker, surefire, any weather tool than mag/flint sticks with cotton balls and vaseline. They work wet, cold, in snow, etc.

I keep lighters with my fire kit but they are not my primary fire starter because they don't always work. I prefer in fair whether to practise skills necessary for horrible weather which is usually when I'm on a search for an unprepared hiker.

Just my two cents.

Thanks to all for their thoughts on the fire kit. Does anyone feel ESEE will return to the misch steel?
 
I doubtthey will. Reported supply problems. The RAt kits used some of the softest, and best misch I've found. Mike said it was apparantly really really nasty stuff to make, genes the supply issues.

As mist said, the ferro rods spark balls of fire once you find the right striker and pressure. That said, goinggear and firesteel.com have 3/8 rods they sell blank in many lengths
 
Dizwolf said:
I doubtthey will. Reported supply problems. The RAt kits used some of the softest, and best misch I've found. Mike said it was apparantly really really nasty stuff to make, genes the supply issues.

As mist said, the ferro rods spark balls of fire once you find the right striker and pressure. That said, goinggear and firesteel.com have 3/8 rods they sell blank in many lengths
Click to expand...

Shape and funtion are among the reasons I really like the ESEE kit. If I did happen to prefer my misch rods I would still use the kits and just replace the rods as some others have done.
 
hiwa said:
[/B]

I'm wondering if a LMF army rod ( pulled from the handle it has)
would fit the Esee handle. Just curious before I purchase it.:)
Click to expand...

yes it the same 3/8" diameter but if you go to goinggear.com you can buy blank misch rods or benbackwoods.com blank LMF rods . 3/8" is what you want :thumbup:
 
Ok, I'm confused (what else is new) I just ordered two of the rods linked below from goinggear.

http://goinggear.com/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=4&products_id=7


They are listed a misch metal ferro rods. I thought ferrocerium and misch metal were two different things????

I want gobs of molten metal that burns for days:D

Did I order the correct rods?



Anyone know what thread size the misch metal rods use in the firekits?
 
Last edited:
i have one too and it just needs some getting used to.. the short length was my only issue but i have it figured out
 
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