When you find yourself in the back-country during a downpour and need a fire — like five seconds ago — that fancy Zippo of yours isn’t going to cut it. The Exotac nanoStriker, however, will get your fire going with a shower of burning Ferrocerium.
Like
It’s so tiny! The nanoStriker is less than 3.5 inches long and weighs just 14.5 grams, which means I can dump it in a pocket or tie it to my pack and just forget about it until I need to set something alight. I also dig that the entire system is completely self contained — the ferrocerium rod and steel striker just unscrew from either end of the handle. Plus, it even works when it’s wet.
No Like
There isn’t much to fault with the nanoStriker though I wouldn’t have minded the rod itself were a bit longer. As it is, you’ve got to hold the striker at precisely the right angle to get a solid shower of sparks.
Last Word
While it won’t be the first fire starter I reach for when lighting a cigarette, it will be the first I reach for when lighting a campfire. $US27 from Exotac.