Hotspark

longbow50

longbow50

Joined
Jul 12, 2002
Messages
3,291
I finally went down to the local central office of the Boy Scouts and picked up a few of the Hot Spark fire starting tools. Though smaller than either the Scout and Army models, for the 2.45 that I spent for each tool, I can cover a lot more of my kits for a heck of a lot less money. I still want a couple of the Army model firesteels or similar, like the starters that can be bought at Buckshots. Here's a link to the Scouts site. After you enter the site, do a search for Hot Spark

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not for nothing... it's junk... it's good "dollar-fifty" junk. but it's still junk... it's about an inch long and throws about one or two sparks when you strike it. God help me if I have to really rely on it to start a fire...

Go for something at least two inches long.
 
I have used the BSA Hotspark for years and I can get a fire going in one or two strikes. Maybe if try a different striker or just practice some more with one you will get better results. My local BSA Shop sells them for $1.99
 
I use a blastmatch, and as a goof, I'll play with a Strike-Force... I've been planning on yanking the ferrocerrium rod out of the strikeforce and epoxy it into the cap of my Reeve Project 1.
 
I'm with Ron M., I had the tools out of package for less than 10 minutes and started 4 fires with one of the tools using tinders of Cotton, birch bark paper, cotton w/vaseline and a 1/4" section of spark-lite tinder. Maybe yours was a dud Mutt. :D

The blastmatch is a great sparking tool and compared to that, I can see where you might think that the little BSA Hot-Spark doesn't fill the bill, but it works just fine for me, is priced good and sized so I can stuff them in my Becker sheath's altoids kit and the USAF PSKs Blackhawk sheath pouch along with a compass and stone.

I'm happy with the purchase and am completely satisfied that the little sparker will do just fine under any fire starting conditions I might find myself in.
 
I have had very good luck with them. Sure if you can carry a bigger one do it but for all the little kits that are tight on space they are the perfect solution. I have started many fires with them and definitly feel they are worth it. akraven
 
While better firestarters exist, I keep a hotspark on my keys and it is plenty usable. I have never been terribly thrilled with the little steel striker that comes with it; it works, but a knife edge or peice of hacksaw works better. I have really been pleased with using a small file (I think for jewelry work) against the rod...lots of sparks, although it does use up the rod a little quicker. You could also carve a V in part of the striker, so that you get more surface in contact with the rod...sort of like the notch on the toollogic knives. We have been teaching scouts to use these things for years, and despite its deficiencies, it still is more consistent for me than flint and steel. Hope this helps.
 
can you buy these things on line i would like to get a couple of them to play with.

i have the bigger rods and they work just fine, the military firesteel and the strike force i have carried for years, also have played with the doan tool, but would like to try these.
 
Yep, you sure can. Go to the original post in this thread and click on the highlighted Hot Spark and it'll take you to the BSA online store. Do a search for Hot Spark and you'll find it.
 
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