This is the Leicht fire starter neck lanyard from the team at Überleben. It was developed as an ultra-lightweight and easy to carry fire starting kit that’s ideally suited to use as a backup fire starting method.
The Überleben Leicht consists of just three parts and it’s designed to be worn around the neck, though of course it can also be stored away in a pocket or backpack. The two most important parts are the fire steel rod and the striker – when the striker grinds down the side of the fire steel it sends off a shower of sparks at temperatures up to 3,315 °C (6,000 °F).
Above Video: This is the Überleben Leicht fire starter demonstration video. As you can see, with some dry tinder and a practiced hand it’s relatively easy to use.
Fire steel, also known as ferrocerium rod, ferro rod, or spark rod, is a simple device used to start fires. It’s a synthetic pyrophoric alloy that produces extremely hot sparks when scraped against a rough surface or a sharp edge. The alloy typically consists of a mixture of metals including cerium, iron, magnesium, lanthanum, and praseodymium.
When the fire steel is struck, the sharp edge shaves off small particles of the alloy, which are heated by the friction and ignite in the presence of oxygen from the air, producing sparks that can reach thousands of degrees – these sparks can be used to ignite tinder and start a fire.
Fire steel offers a number of benefits over other fire starting methods, a single fire steel stick can typically last for thousands of strikes and they’re impervious to water, snow, mud, or cold weather. On the downside, a fire steel does require practice to use correctly, and it’s not as easy as simply lighting a match.
The Überleben Leicht Fire Starter Neck Lanyard consists of three pieces, the fire steel rod, striker, and the lanyard itself. It can be worn around the neck, or tucked away in a pocket or bag until it’s needed.
The Überleben Leicht fire starter neck lanyard is the smallest and lightest fire steel we’ve ever featured. It’s also one of the least expensive at just $14 USD. As noted above, the team at Überleben don’t intend for it to be your primary fire starter, it’s designed as more of a back up method that’ll save the day when your matches get wet or your lighter goes AWOL.
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