Firestarter

I'm excited about another crowdfunding project I backed on Kickstarter, by Tortoise Gear. It's called Firefly. Firefly is a firesteel insert meant to fit in the toothpick or tweezer's holder of your Swiss Army Knife. I've had one for a few weeks now and have started fires for the Weber grill, and our fire pit. It does what it was designed to do. Make lots of sparks. If you have dry, fine tinder available, you should get a fire.

But isn't that what matches and lighters are for? Sure. But why let your outdoor skills languish when you can practice them calmly and be prepared for when you can use those skills.

Bou, when are you going to use those skills? I'm not Les Stroud by any means. Let's say your tipsy friend throws all the matches into the fire pit and while it's a raging marshmallow roaster now, what about the next four nights you'd like to have a fire? I hate being the responsible friend. Do you trust this friend to keep the fire going as penance? Do you forgo the warmth of the fire and just go to bed when it gets dark? Do you drive the 200 miles round trip to the sketchy gas station to buy a lighter for eight bucks, and then pay another $20-30 for gas? Or do you just start a fire with the tools in your pocket without holding a grudge, because fun time in the woods and on the water will continue as planned? I'm not saying this person is absolved from their crimes. I'm just saying I'll be less angry about it. If I draw them as my Euchre they better not get us set. That would send me over the edge.

But I digress. This came just in time for bonfire season and since I find the toothpick insert gross, a welcome addition to my favorite pocket knife. I haven't used it enough to notice extensive wear. It fits perfectly in the two sizes of SAK that I have, Tinker and Executive models. If you see these at your sporting goods store pick up a pack for your favorite outdoorsy SAK owning parent or friend. You can also go to Tortoise Gear and check out some of their other stuff. I hope to see you on the trails. If you come to our bonfire, bring marshmallows he threw those in too.

***Just a reminder, I don't receive payment or free products for anything I've endorsed. If I test or review a complimentary product, I'll do that via the company since they have parameters for me and rarely let me go gonzo on it. I like to test the limits of things (break things) and take them apart. So that when I do endorse something, you can trust that it has been through the ringer for regular people. Durability, self-repair potential, and excellent customer support are my main criteria. In a disposable world I still cringe when people buy things new when they can just fix what is broken themselves. Industrial Arts teachers for the win!