Improved Fire Starter for All-Environment Survival Kit

The object of the task was to develop a fire starting device which could be used in all environments. Commercially available items and the present standard Army butane lighter all have shortcomings which can render them unserviceable. These particular shortcomings could prove fatal to someone who may find himself in a survival situation. Although numerous approaches were investigated and various prototype fire starters were developed and tested, only one item withstood the in-house testing and did not deteriorate under storage conditions. This item was a commercial wooden safety match manufactured in Australia and distributed by Coghlans Limited, Winnipeg, Canada.