For fire, the basic tools that you can expect to find in someone’s EDC would be a fire stick and striker—usually consisting of flint and steel. You’re also likely to find lighters and matches. Humans have been carrying fire strikers since the beginning of the Iron Age (around 1200 BC), and some evidence shows iron being used as early as 3000 BC! I guess we can’t go wrong with such a time-tested technology. Luckily our modern fire strikers are much more effective than their ancient counterparts.

Lighters are quick and easy to use. Many of them are windproof and waterproof. I’ve even found lighters online that are small enough to be used as zipper pulls on your jacket or other clothing! Now that’s EDC ingenuity…

There are also a variety of waterproof matches that can be added to your survival and EDC kits. One advantage that matches have is their longevity. I’ve heard of matches that were easily 40-50 years old still striking easily and lighting a fire. However, they can be highly susceptible to water—even water resistant and water proof matches can be ruined over time by moisture,

A great trick to combine some of your survival supplies is to wrap some of them around a lighter and hold them in place with tape. One example I saw had a small fishhook laid against the lighter, then they wrapped it in fishing line and covered all of it by wrapping it with multiple layers of duct tape. This combined many different things into one convenient little package.