In many survival situations, fire is a critical need. My typical go-to fire-making tools at home or on the trail are a BIC lighter or a ferrocerium rod. But it’s always a good idea to hedge your bets when it comes to being prepared. That’s where Pull Start Fire comes in.
I came across this product a couple of years ago. It looked intriguing, so I bought a three-pack to play around with at home. I’ve been impressed with it enough to buy a few more boxes and keep them stashed in a few kits.
What is Pull Start Fire?
It’s a box that’s about the size of a small remote control. The box is wrapped in plastic to keep it from getting wet or damaged. At one end of the box, you’ll find a green cord. There’s a red one at the opposite end.
Here’s how it all works. Start by putting together a fire lay with some logs and kindling. You want at least one log that’s three or four inches thick, if possible. Remove the plastic from the Pull Start Fire box as well as the yellow safety tab. Loop the green cord around the log at the base of the fire. Brace that log with your foot, then quickly pull the red cord. You’ll hear a “pop” noise and smoke will start pouring out from the box. In a few seconds, the box will start to flame up.
Once ignited, the box will burn briskly for a long time, upwards of 20-30 minutes, in my experience.
Pros and Cons
I love that Pull Start Fire works without any additional ignition equipment. It’s entirely self-contained. There’s also no need for tinder, as this serves that purpose in the fire-making process. While it’s sealed in plastic, it’s essentially waterproof. The manufacturer states it’s perfectly fine to keep in a vehicle, even during the hot summer months. They’ve rated it as safe up to about 400F. Once ignited, it’s pretty much windproof and rainproof, though dousing it with water will put out the flame.
The manufacturer gives it a minimum shelf life of five years. They follow that up by saying, “That being said, there is no component that would suggest Pull Start Fire would have anything but an indefinite shelf life!” They also state that you can safely cook over their product.
But, it’s a little heavy and bulky to pack, especially as it’s a single-use item. The box measures about five inches long, two inches wide, and an inch thick. It weighs about 3.6 ounces. It’s also a little pricey at about $5.00 per fire, though that price goes down with the larger quantity packs that are available for purchase.
Recommendations
I keep at least one Pull Start Fire box in each of my vehicle emergency kits, my evacuation kit, and all of my hiking packs. I don’t look at this product as my primary fire-starting tool or method. But if I were in a bad situation and I desperately needed to get a fire going fast, I’d reach for Pull Start Fire without hesitation.
You can view videos of Pull Start Fire in action at PullStartFire.com. It’s available for purchase there as well as at Amazon.
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