Blast Match Fire Starter

When venturing into the wilderness it's always a good idea to pack a decent fire starter along with your sleeping bag, tent and clean undies. The humble safety match is all well and good indoors, but trying to light a stack of twigs with a soggy Swan Vesta in the pouring rain is a bit like trying to nail custard to the wall with a rubber hammer (but not nearly as much fun).

Of course you can always rely on pre-historic Captain Caveman-style ways to create fire - rubbing sticks together is one method, as is chipping flint stones - but these techniques are distinctly un-Firebox, not to mention tedious. Besides, despite the obvious profit margin, we couldn't possibly sell sticks and stones alongside our fabulously hi-tech array of gadgets and gizmos.

That's why we almost spontaneously combusted with excitement the moment we saw the incredible Blast Match Fire Starter. Designed by a former US Air Force survival expert, this ultra-efficient fire-starting system performs superbly in the most extreme weather conditions (perfect for the UK, then) and it's guaranteed for life.

Originally designed for Rambo-esque military personnel, this light but rugged finger of fire generates an almighty spark that is three times hotter than a standard match. This means the Blast Match is capable of igniting any material (wood, paper, bark, cloth or man-made tinder) that a match can, even if it's raining, snowing or blowing a gale. And if the Blast Match becomes wet, you simply wipe it off.

At the heart of the Blast Match is a spring-loaded flint bar which rotates 360° to help prevent uneven wear and tear. A tungsten carbide striker built into the striker button is set at the perfect angle for maximum sparking. This takes the guess work out of starting a fire and allows you to accurately direct the spark. All you need to do is press the thumb button and plunge the Blast Match towards your tinder.

This really is a must have gizmo for all you outdoors-types. So if you go down to the woods today - or any day, for that matter - be sure to pack a Blast Match. It's flaming-well brilliant.