UCO Survival Fire Striker

The UCO Survival Fire Striker is a compact ferrocerium rod, 8.5 cm long and 29 g, built as backup fire-starting gear that doesn't rely on a lighter or matches. Sparks around 2,980 °C will ignite even damp tinder, and a rated lifespan of 3,000+ strikes means it should last several seasons of occasional use. A multi-tool scraper is built into the body, doubling as a screwdriver, bottle opener, and hex key set, so the striker earns its pack space as a small secondary tool beyond fire-starting. UCO states it performs reliably in rain and strong wind — exactly the conditions where a standard lighter tends to fail. There's no electronics, GPS, or SOS function, and no subscription involved — it's a purely mechanical tool. For ultralight hikers it belongs in the repair or first-aid kit as a backup ignition source: rarely used day to day, but hard to replace in the field if a lighter gets wet or matches run out.