überleben Hexå Ferro Rod Fire Starter for Survival – Up to 20,000 Strikes, 1/2" Thick Hexagon Fire Steel with Striker and Lanyard – Waterproof Flint and Steel for Camping

Yes, you can purchase a ferro rod at virtually any sporting goods store for a fraction of the price. Common are the magnesium blocks with a small ferro rod glued in on one side with what looks like a small chunk of spent hacksaw blade spray painted black and attached by one or those little strings of metal beads that never stopped anyone from stealing a pen from a bank teller window, ever.On such cheapies the ferro rod can fall out of the magnesium block which is not good when you really need to spark a warming fire.Enter the Uberleben (English translation “to survive”) Hexa.This one is different. This one is special. This one just feels “right” in an unquantifiable sort of way. One look and you just know it’s a good design.The hexagonal shape makes it easier to spark a fire and lets face it: the time you absolutely NEED a fire could well be the time you’re compromised mentally and/or physically in some way. Early into hypothermia we humans get uncoordinated and less cognitive. You can’t think the way you normally do and you’re shaking and maybe frustrated and all sorts of things and the fire you need to get through the night might not be so easy to make.Which is why I like the flat sides. You can slide the spine of any decent knife fixed blade knife down the flat side and get a shower or sparks, and the more sparks the better.(And on a related aside: the SOG Pillar is an awesome all around fixed blade for just under 200 bones. It’s made in the USA of good S35VN steel but more importantly it has a large, squared sharpening choil that can put a good scrape on a ferro rod while keeping the edge pointed at the tinder and away from you.)This ferro rod has a metal tool tied to it with a leather strap that could easily be replaced with paracord or what have you, and that little chunk of metal is good for shaving tinder from sticks and likely even for striking the rod though it’s not as heavy as a good camp knife.The Uberleben Hexa appears to be a good piece of essential kit. One I’m sure will get it’s share of use over time. About the only real problem you could ever have with it would be to lose it.You could go cheaper. You could go more expensive. But this one is about right.Maybe if you’re a hardcore hiker who measures your gear by fractions of an ounce this one wouldn’t pencil out. For the rest of us it’s worth making a little bit of room in the backpack to accommodate.You’ll want to carry more than one source or fire, and this would be a good one to include in the gear.And DO go for the 6” model because again: the time you really need to spark up a fire could well be the time when you’re not firing on all eight due to the situation at hand and the more sparks you can get for your efforts, the better.As for myself, I am already considering buying another. Maybe even a few more for gifts.

Works great. An essential for camping or bugging out!

The überleben Hexå Fire Starter Ferro rod is an excellent backup fire making tool that will last for 1000s of fires. The 6 in x 1/2 in rod fits comfortably in your hand and gives you a lot of surface to strike sparks for a fire. The ferro rod come with its own striker and a leather cord to keep every thing together. It is a good idea to place some 1 in Gorilla tape or duct tape at the handle area to give you more gripping surface and also so you can use the tape as tinder if natural resources are damp or wet. The ferro rod comes in a zip lock bag that can be re-used to store and pack when not in use. There is room for a piece of fat wood the same size as the rod as well. I highly recommend this ferro rod because it already has angles that make it easier to strike than the normal round rods. The price is reasonable due to the amount of usage you will get out of the rod if used properly and for its intended purpose.

I have this in my camper and I find it easy to use. It is very easy to get a nice spark and start kindling for the fire pit.

Great fire starter, but I was under the impression it came with at least one wick. The photo shared is my explanation to why I was under that impression.

After purchasing other barely functioning fire starters, I was not expecting such a good experience. I believe the longer 6” length helps as well. The striker has a well designed sharp lip edge. I get a tremendous volume of sparks from the rod without having to apply much pressure at all.

Awesome, works GREAT!

Seriously one of the best tools to have on hand when camping, 100% recommend