The Kupilka Firesteel 8 was developed in collaboration with Karu Survival, a company that specialises in teaching bushcraft and survival skills in Finland. With nothing more than a Firesteel 8 and some dry tinder you can create a fire in a matter of seconds with a shower of sparks at 3000º C.
Perhaps the greatest benefit of Firesteel when compared to normal matches or a lighter is that Firesteel is water, snow, and mud proof, it can’t run out of gas or fluid, and each Firesteel is good for thousands of strikes before it needs replacing.
Kupilka make the Firesteel 8 in four color combinations using European ferrocerium rod, each has an ethically-sourced reindeer leather cord, and the handle is ergonomically designed to be useable with or without gloves on.
Firesteel 8 was designed by Krista Hoque and it has won a series of awards including the Scandinavian Outdoor Award (SOA), Hardware Winner, 2019 and ISPO Award, and the Outdoor/Tools & Equipment Award 2019.
The company name “Kupilka” is a Finnish word, described below:
“Kupilka is an old name, from times way back. Even in ancient times it was a tradition to sit around the fire and drink from a small cup. Sometimes a hot drink, sometimes something sweeter. When evening came, your own Kupilka was like your best friend; it signalled a time to listen to stories, to the waves on the lake and the trees in the forest.”
With a size and weight of just 124 mm (long) and 47 gm (including striker and leather cord) the Firesteel 8 is an ideal addition to any hiking backpack, survival kit, motorcycle pannier, or car glovebox. They cost $21 USD each and have the ability to start thousands of fires, making them a great addition to your camping/survival kit.
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