Carrying a disposable lighter to easily start fires when you’re camping is always a good idea, although having a backup plan in case your lighter encounters trouble (like getting wet in a thunderstorm) is definitely a lot better. The UCO Stormproof Sweetfire should make for an excellent backup in most situations.
Designed to light up even after being submerged in water, the match allows you to easily start fires even in the middle of a torrential downpour, ensuring you can get a fire started, regardless of prevailing conditions. From there, just make sure your fire is covered from the pouring rain to enjoy toasty flames all night long.
The UCO Stormproof Sweetfire consists of a matchbox with a striking surface and a set of match sticks. It has tinder at the tip, allowing it to easily light up like a match with a quick strike. Do note, since it has tinder at the tip, sparks are likely to fly whenever you light it up, so you might want to be careful using it around people and objects that could be set on fire. They recommend striking it away from the body, too, so there’s no chance sparks could get onto your clothing. Because, you know, burning your jacket is just not a good thing.
Each stick is infused with vegetable wax, which extends the burn time to well past how sticks this size will normally burn before turning to ashes. Seriously, the darn thing is a veritable kindling, apart from being a match and a tinder. Specifically, this extends the stick’s ability to keep flame for up to seven minutes, which should be long enough to let even inexperienced individuals start a large fire in the outdoors. It’s windproof, too, so you can light it in the face of strong winds and it will keep burning until the seven minutes are up.
If you’re curious about the name, the UCO Stormproof Sweetfire is made from bagasse, a fibrous by-product of sugarcane production that’s used around the world as a sustainable biofuel. So, you know, it’s eco-friendly and stuff, if you care about those things. It comes with 20 sticks per box, by the way, so a single box can last you a bit, especially if you rely on it as a backup fire starter (you know, one you’ll only use when the weather isn’t cooperating).
The box measures 5.5 x 0.75 x 0.4 inches, so this should easily fit in your pants pocket or backpack pouch, making it ideal for people who need to travel light. Do note, while the match can light up easily as long as the striking surface is dry, that changes when both are dripping wet. According to the outfit, there’s a good chance you’ll have a hard time lighting it. In such cases, try drying the stick first (the tip, at least, needs to feel firm) by wiping it down thoroughly. We know, that sucks, but, hey, at least there’s a simple solution.
The UCO Stormproof Sweetfire is available now.
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