Long Term Report

Long Term Report: Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel Scout

July 31, 2006

Tester Information

Name: Chari Daignault
Age: 43
Gender: Female
Height: 5’ 6" (1.68 m)
Weight: 135 Pounds (61 kg)
Email address: chari.daignault@gmail.com
City, State, Country: Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.

Backpacking Background

I've been an ultra light hiker for 33 years -- I take the bare minimum with me and prefer a pack under or close to five pounds. I've hiked all the Florida State Forest trails in Central Florida and climbed Mt. Fuji in Japan when I was nine. I have hiked dry & sandy, rough & rocky and wet & boggy trails and as a result, have found what does and doesn't work for me in terms of equipment and clothing. Central Florida affords a lot of sun and rains, with high temperatures and massive humidity. It's a great testing area for clothing, footwear and headgear.

The product

Manufacturer: Light My Fire Sweden AB
Web site: http://www.light-my-fire.se/
Product: Swedish FireSteel© Scout
Year manufactured [per package]: 2005
Verified weight: 1.8 oz (52 g)
Size [FireSteel Scout]: 3 in. (76 mm) long [without lanyard]; 9 in. (229 mm) long [including lanyard], .5 in. (12.70 mm) deep, .75 in. (19.05 mm) wide.
Size [Striker]: 2.5 in. (64 mm) long, .75 in. (19.05 mm) wide, and flat.
Color tested: Red
Colors available: Red, Yellow, Green, Blue or Oak

Please see my Initial Report on the FireSteel Scout for a thorough product description and an explanation of the instructions and use.

For my impressions after two months and one week of field use, please see my Field Report on the FireSteel Scout .

Testing Information

Firestarting

I have been testing the FireSteel Scout daily with quick tests on dried plant materials found on the local hiking trails. I have had the most success at igniting dried grasses. Larger, more dense plant materials are much more difficult to ignite and my patience and/or striker hand gives out. Although dried grasses do ignite, they don't actual get to a point where I feel as though I could build a camp fire. I usually end up with more of an ember, which dies out quickly. I feel I have pretty good fire tending skills and have used other types of firestarting tools in the past with success, so skill is not at issue.

In the rain, the striker does cause a spark, but I have not been successful at lighting any plant material. I do my best to protect the fire pit from moisture, but it's possible that very high humidity is affecting the starter material and preventing the spark from taking. High winds also impact the FireSteel Scout's ability to ignite, as the spark is extinguished almost immediately and doesn't reach the starter material, even when set right on top of it.

Accidents

My initial concern with regard to a possible accidental spark occurring while transporting the tool was unnecessary. I hung the FireSteel Scout from a hook on my workbench and systematically clinked and clanked various items into it, in an attempt to see if it would spark. My thought being that if someone chose to carry the tool on their key chain, would they then risk it sparking if it came into contact with a key. After about fifteen minutes of manhandling, the FireSteel Scout did not accidentally spark one time. I've determined it's a very safe item to carry around.

Emergency Signal

Our new subdivision [so new we still don't have street lights] proved to be a great place to test whether the FireSteel Scout could be used as an emergency signal. Standing approximately 300 ft [91 m] away down the street, my friend waited with a flashlight. We chose nine o'clock at night to test, as this is when the sun is usually completely down during the summer [and I'm usually still awake]. Our objective was to see if my friend could clearly see the "signal" from the spark of the FireSteel Scout at that distance. Each time she clearly saw the signal, she would signal back with the flashlight. I struck the FireSteel Scout five times over my head, and five times down by my feet. Nine of out the ten times, I received the flashlight signal. The one unsuccessful attempt occurred when I was striking near my feet. We then did the same test during daylight hours, with full sun. That test was the complete opposite of the nighttime test, with one successful signal and nine unsuccessful. My conclusion is that the FireSteel Scout works well in the dark as an emergency signal, but that the spark is not large enough for daytime use.

Wear and Tear

With regard to how well the FireSteel Scout stood up to repeated use, I feel it held up very well. I've used it at least 250 to 350 times the past four months. In this manner, it could easily last almost a year. The firestarter end is completely silver and gouged-looking, with none of the protective black coating left at all. The handle has gotten scraped a few times when I got a bit over enthusiastic with the striker. The striker itself has no damage, but does have a slight gray to black powdery-looking coating on it near the end that gets most use.

Final Impressions

The FireSteel Scout is easy to use to get a spark. However, it is not easy to use with regard to building a fire. It takes quite a bit of muscle, time and patience to get anything close to what could become a camp fire. I have to use both hands when utilizing it, which I feel is very limiting. Whatever is being lit has to be able to stand on its own. And, due to the movements required to strike a spark, it's very easy to knock down whatever it is you're trying to light. It has limited use as an emergency signal, especially during daylight hours, due to the small size of the spark it creates. Overall, I feel the FireSteel Scout is an excellent tool to keep in an emergency kit for times when there are no matches or lighters to be found and you have a lot of time for starting a fire. But it would not be my "stock" firestarting tool of choice.

Many thanks to Light My Fire USA and BackpackGearTest.org for the opportunity to test this product.

Read more reviews of Light My Fire gear
Read more gear reviews by Chari Daignault

Reviews > Cook Gear > Fire Starters > Light My Fire Firesteel Scout > Chari Daignault > Long Term Report

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