• Weight 58 grams
  • Lifespan 12,000 strikes
  • Colours Brown, Blue, Orange, Red
  •  
  • Cost $41.90

Light My Fire FireSteel 2.0 Army

Camp Kitchen

Rating

Rating: 8.8 / 10
Value for Money 2.1 / 2.5
Versatility 2.1 / 2.5
Weight   2.3 / 2.5
Durability 2.3 / 2.5

Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel BIO Army 2-in-1 Review

I originally purchased the Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel BIO Army 2-in-1 it sat in the bottom of my gear testing box getting pushed aside in favour of larger items. When it came time to write an article about fire on the trail I thought that it’s finally time to test this little accessory and after having a play with it I realised that I may have been missing out.

A stereotype here but I only tend to read the instructions for use when I really have to preferring to work it out by trial and error and I must admit that it took a bit of fiddling to work out how best to create a spark. For trial I decided to use my Jetboil Zip Stove unit.

I started by having a play with the FireSteel and seeing how best to create a spark and sure enough the method recommended on the packet where you drag the smaller of the two pieces along the larger ‘rod’ works well and creates a decent spark. In fact Light My Fire quote a spark temperature of over 2,980° celsius from the magnesium alloy construction and the spark that comes out of this unit it certainly intense.

The technique is a bit of learned process as you need to work out the appropriate distance and strike angle so in the short demonstration video below it took me two strikes to light my stove. Having said that two strikes is often what it will take me to using a small cigarette lighter.

This fire starter is not really ultralight weighing in at 51grams with a Bic lighter sitting in at around 22grams but weight is not the only consideration here. This unit will create a spark in just about any environment or for that matter altitude. The FireSteel will also start when wet so you aren’t going to have to try and keep it dry in sopping wet conditions like you would if using matches.

The Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel BIO Army 2-in-1 is the larger fire starter from this company and will last for 12,000 strikes which for most users is probably a lifetime (so far mines 3 years old and hardly showing any wear). There is also the smaller, lighter weight, and cheaper Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel BIO Scout 2-in-1 which will last for 3,000 strikes so if weight is a real consideration then you have a choice. There is also a whistle built into the handle of this unit but I find that the days just about everything has one so while it’s handy it’s not something that I will purchase an item for.

Now any product will have its negatives and the only one that I can identify with this product is that the spark direction (through user error) may go astray so if you are in an area that has a high fire danger you will need to ensure that you clear away any flammable material away from your stove. This is something that you should do anytime to prevent fires getting out of control but with a Bic lighter you are right at the ignition point. For me though this is just being picky.

We Like

  • Not reliant on a fuel source, will last most hikers for years
  • Works in all weather
  • Emergency whistle for those safety conscious hikers
  • No dangerous goods restrictions when travelling

We Don't Like

  • Make sure that you clear the area around your stove before you generate a spark because if your aim is off you may unintentionally set something alight

Best Uses

  • A weatherproof fire starter that will last for years

Buy One

You can purchase the Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel BIO Army 2-in-1 from Wildfire Sports

You can also purchase the smaller Light My Fire FireSteel 2.0 Scout from Wildfire Sports

Disclosure:  We may earn a small commission, at no additional expense to you, if you click through and make a purchase. Please note that our affiliations do not influence, in any way, the independence of our reviews. If we don’t like a product, you’ll hear about it from us!

Investment

AUD$41.90 RRP

Other Versions

Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel BIO Scout 2-in-1 is a smaller lighter and cheaper version

Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel BIO Army 2-in-1 as purchased

Light My Fire Swedish FireSteel BIO Army 2-in-1 out of the packet

Whistle in the handle

Multi purpose whistle in use

 

Light any of the Light my Fire Fires steels in the same manner

Disclaimer

This review was done with product purchased by Australian Hiker

Last updated

8 February 2024

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