Jessica O.
I love the size of the striker. It holds well in the hand for a strong grip and it doesn't slip in your hand. The fat wood is a little hard to scrape shavings. But with time, it gives a nice bundle and lights very well.
Kelly S.
I like how this compass is so light and transparent making it easy to use when reading trail map. The ferro rod creates spark easily. Making fire naturally has never been easy for me, it's good that fatwood is included for tinder, this really helps me start a fire alot easier
Steven N.
Just got this for my little boy, I'm teaching him some survival stuff. Well, he didnt know what this was, so we took this ferro rod to the backyard and I showed him how to strike the ferro rod and use the fat wood for tinder. His face just lighted up with excitement when he saw the sparks flying off the ferro rod. It has been 2 hrs, he's playing with it, oh boy, I just hope he doesn't burn anything down
Jason M.
When I got this ferro rod, I had already seen a few videos about how they work, so I didn't have any trouble using it right away. The metal striker is really well designed. It has sharp little teeth at the end which do a great job making sparks. It also has a rolled edge, which is safe to hold but does a great job scraping off shavings to make kindling.
I tested the ferro rod by trying to light some old papers in my fire pit in my yard. I had a hard time getting them to start, even under ideal conditions. The papers were dry and they were sheltered from any wind. I shot sparks at them over and over until the papers had little light brown singe spots all over them, but they wouldn't ignite. I happened to have some dried milkweed husks nearby, so I tried those, but I couldn't get them to ignite either. Then I built up a little pile of magnesium and fat wood shavings. That finally did it.
This was a fun experiment. I think I would have a very difficult time starting a fire with damp twigs. I could probably never do it by rubbing sticks together if my life depended on it.
If you want to experiment with a ferro rod, this is a great way to start. The kit is inexpensive and it is set up to make you successful.
Paul P.
Very happy with the purchase, compass and ferro rod Weight 1.2 1.9 Oz super light. The ferro rod has a nice wooden handle firm to grip and strike to create sparks. The compass is accurate transparent has rule and scale easy to use on a map
Willy P.
Had this Ferro rod fire starter with me for a 5 days backpacking trip, it worked every time I used it. One time I accidentally dropped it in the river, picked it up, wiped it dry, And tested it out, it sparks right away. It's a lightweight and reliable fire starter. I will always have it with me on all my backpacking trips.
Andy R.
I compared this compass with my friend's very expensive compass; they both have the same level of accuracy. It's just that this one is lighter and has a black string for me to wear around my neck. Since it's so light, I don't feel any stress on my neck while hiking. I also tried to create a campfire with the fire starter, pretty easy to do, highly recommended this kit for beginner backpackers like myself
