PBL Emergency Fire Starting Magnesium 8 Bags 99% Pure Camping Hiking Bushcraft

Great seller, good product. The bags we received had little to no 'fines' but I'm sure that's dependent on what you happen to receive. As long as you understand that Magnesium isn't always easy to get started, this product is outstanding as a boost for starting fires in damp/cold or high altitude conditions. Use Outdoors Only! Once started, you're not going to put it out. Produces toxic smoke and a Very Hot fire!Magnesium takes a hot heat source for several seconds to ignite. Your typical spark type fire starter will probably not light this magnesium unless you have some very fine magnesium material. A Bic lighter will light this with several/many seconds application of heat but a spark from your usual fire starter or ferrocerium rod will not get it burning. This product is best used as a boost to proper fire starting techniques in difficult conditions. It's also a terrific jump step between a small tinder fire and a blazing fire when used carefully. (i.e. saves time)If you can start a fire using proper techniques but need a very hot boost due to conditions like damp materials, cold or high altitude (low oxygen) to get a real fire going, this product is terrific. Not saying you cannot achieve the same result with careful fire tending and a lot of time and careful work to get the fire going. Just saying that this product speeds the process by a factor of 10x.I've used this product in damp & cold conditions like Winter in the Louisiana Bayou and high altitude conditions in the Rocky Mountains over 10,000' elevation. If you start a fire using proper techniques and add this product, it will allow you jump from a very small tinder fire to a blazing medium sized fire is seconds.Once started, it burns extremely hot, drying damp materials and providing a very hot core for a brief time. This allows you to build a 'real' fire in even the most difficult conditions. Once I was able to start a decent fire in a reasonable rain storm (with careful work) and continuous feeding of twigs and this product. Side note: this product is 100%+ waterproof.Building fires at high altitude can be challenging if you aren't practiced at it - talking 10,000' +. Over 14,000' elevation, starting a good fire can be a real challenge unless you know what you're doing. Using magnesium fines/powder this product gets you from a miniscule tinder glowing fire ember to an actual fire easily once practiced.Admittedly, this product isn't necessary for everyone but it does speed the process of starting a larger fire from a small tinder fire immensely. It's small, light, easy to carry and not at all flammable/messy like Vaseline cotton balls, wet fire tinder, etc. It is not necessarily a total replacement for these either, but it is an outstanding jump step to get these fire producing items to a real blaze in no time at all.

I used this for a project I was working on which needed different metal shavings. Worked perfectly. Good quality. Happy with this purchase.

When you (along with your matches or lighter) are damp and cold on a hike the idea of pulling out a knife to shave down a magnesium fire starter sounds like the recipe for disaster. Save yourself the potential of hurting yourself and pack some pre-shaved magnesium to start an emergency campfire. Only a small amount is needed (I think this package will last me a lifetime of camping and I'd only bring a portion of a bag for any given trip) and it burns hot when ignited by sparks from a ferro rod. Practice before your health depends on it, but being able to start a campfire without matches or a lighter is a lifesaving skill if needed.

This is awkward for me. I really like this item, it has a lot of good attributes, and the listing info is 100% honest, but there are two major problems.Good stuff first:- It lights when wet- It'll catch wet wood on fire- It's extremely light to carry- Since it's not easily combustible, and is so light, it's a great item to store safely or carry in a pack.The "not easily combustible" part confused me. I couldn't figure out how it could be so safe, but then still be easy to start fires with. No expert here, but by observation, I *think* it's related to high heat needing to be in direct contact to combust. Total guess.One thing the listing doesn't say, however, that has turned out to be a big negative for me, is that it burns VERY sooty and being so light, it flies all over the place when burned out.Granted, listing info clearly states not for indoor use. I just feel like they should have said why, because there are outdoor uses where flying hot embers could be a problem.My first test was inside a cement block "box", 3 blocks high all around with me peeking over the edge. As soon as they caught fire they started flitting around in just the air that was in the box. Meaning I hadn't stirred them yet, as the pkg info says.I waited a bit to stir, and there's the next thing I think the listing info should have mentioned. I used a titanium-coated poker to stir and the magnesium apparently didn't like that at all. Big pops and sparks, which caused a lot more sooty pieces to fly about.Listing info clearly says stir with a stick, but this being my first experience with magnesium, and me not particularly intelligent, I didn't catch the implied "don't use anything but a wooden stick to stir".So. As far as the listing goes, it gave good, correct info. I just feel it should have given this other info as well, in the form of warnings or at least slip in a result if you don't follow instructions.One reason is because I wanted this for stone ovens I make when we camp. It's just way too sooty and would get all over the food unless I give it extra time to burn off and settle, and that would only be partially effective anyway.I'll be keeping it to use for damp situations in camping or other emergency situations, but it's not going to be useful for the main reason I wanted it.Don't forget to use the Smile.Amazon.com address - It's an Amazon program where many everyday things you buy will generate a small donation from Amazon to the charity of your choice. Info here: https://smile.amazon.com/gp/chpf/about/ref=smi_se_rspo_laas_aas

I like the product and the fact that they send you a card in the package with their direct info and operating hours to reach out to them for any questions or pointers.