Fire, one of man’s greatest achievements, not because we invented it, but more for how we have tamed it throughout the years (except for maybe that Nero/Rome thing and that cow in Chicago). But, when it comes to making fire, especially in emergency survival situations, most of us would be lost. I am not saying some folks couldn’t light a fire without a lighter or matches, but how many of us carry those items on us. The folks at Live Fire Gear have thought of this and created the Live Fire Survival Kit and Live Fire FireCord.
Note: Images can be clicked to view a larger size.
Don’t get me wrong here, I am not what you would call a full blown survivalist or doomsday prepper, but I do actually believe since 9-11 that I should have some semblance of preparedness. That seems to be the philosophy of the folks at Live Fire Gear and that seems to be what drove them to come up with the Live Fire Survival Kit.
The contents of the Live Fire Survival Kit are pretty simple, you get a Live Fire tin and a Ferrocerium rod with a striker. The Live Fire tin has the following features as listed on the Live Fire Gear website:
- Waterproof
- Re-light again and again
- Lightweight
- Compact design
- Adjustable flame size
- Burns extremely hot
- A signaling device
- Creats charred cloth
- Cedar scented
- Includes a Ferrocerium rod
As you might have guessed by now the Live Fire tin is the heart of this kit and has the actual fire material in it. On the back of the package is a warning stating that the product contains:
- Mineral oil
- Polymer resins
- Hydrocarbons
- Aniline dyes
- Natural oils
- Petroleum distillate
which basically means this stuff will burn.
Above you will see that I have attached a demo video for the Live Fire kit. The part that really catches my eye starts at the 1:35 minute mark where the demonstrator starts getting it wet. As any survivalist will tell you, being able to get a fire going in wet or moist conditions can be a life saver.
After watching the video, I guess the only thing left for me to do is to fire this puppy up, really. When you open the Live Fire tin up one of the first things you will notice is the yellow color. There is a slight odor if you get up close to the tin other than that there is no smell. Next, I followed the instructions on the back of the tin to prep the Live fire for ignition. Before I go on here, let me say something about the instructions. I do appreciate the fact that the instructions are on the back of the tin, but (and this is just a personal thing with me) I would have liked to also see a bigger set in the packaging.
Since the kit came with an included Ferrocerium rod and a striker I figured I would give it a try. Creating a spark was simple but took a little practice at first. The simple spark was enough to ignite the Live Fire material creating a flame.
After getting the fire going in the tin, you can adjust the flame size by opening and closing the lid. Another nice feature of this product is that after you put the flame out on the Live Fire you can reuse it. The information from the Live Fire Gear websites says that the Live Fire will burn for 20 to 30 minutes when the lid is fully open.
Another product that was sent to me to review is Live Fires Gears FireCord. FireCord is a neat product, it is basically 550 paracord with a fire tinder strand added.
Common commercial grade paracord commonly consist of an outer shell with seven inner strands. FireCord has had an eighth strand that acts as an easy to light, waterproof tinder source. The red strand seen in the picture is the eighth added cord. Similar in composition to the Live Fire product, FireCord contains the following:
- Mineral oil
- Polymer resin
- Hydrocarbons
- Aniline dye
- Natural oils
- Petroleum distillates
Lighting the FireCord is as simple as unraveling the paracord, separating the red eighth inner strand from the rest and igniting it. I will admit that it took a little more effort to get the Firecord to ignite using a Ferrocerium rod, but I did eventually get it to light.
So, what’s my bottom line here? To me, it is two-fold, from an everyday carry situation standpoint the Live Fire may not be a practical every day carry solution, but, on the other hand, the FireCord is. With the ability to make the FireCord into several types of accessories. From an adventure standpoint, the Live Fire is a light practical solution to making a fire in an emergency situation. I can see the Live Fire Survival kit being a practical addition to anyone’s survival gear or bug out bag. Being waterproof and easy to light makes it an asset in the field. At $12.99 for the Live Fire Survival kit, the price is not bad. Although, I love the paracord’s practicality and many available colors, but the $12.49 price for 25 feet of it may be a little pricey for most. But who can put a price on piece of mind. Both products can be purchased from the Live Fire Gear website.
Source: The sample for this review was provided by DayOne Gear. Visit their site for more info.
Product Information
| Price: | $12.99 for Live Fire Survival Kit $12.49 for 25ft FireCord |
| Manufacturer: | Live Fire Gear |
| Retailer: | DayOne Gear |
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I think it’s going a bit far to say we invented fire. We were the first and still only species to be able to make fire.
What is the purpose of the fire cord? Is it to start a regular fire with wood? Or is it some sort of detonator?
@yeppers In my opening I was inferring that we did not necessarily invite fire, but we have tamed it to a degree…
@Sandee Cohen The FireCord is designed o be used similarly to the Live Fire product. The FireCord is a smaller, less conspicuous way to carry a ready fire source with you. I know a lot of folks wear paracord items, so it would not be real noticeable if you were to wear FireCord.