Nanostriker

www.exotac.com, 0.59 ounces
We’ve said it before—when conditions turn foul in the backcountry, the little things can make all the difference. And this tiny fire-starter might be the personification of that outdoor truism.  Unlike matches (which can get wet) or lighters (which can get wet or run out of fuel), the Nanostriker pretty much always works; its ferrocerium and magnesium rod and a tungsten carbide striker generates up to 1,000 high-intensity sparks.  Gracefully encased in lightweight aircraft aluminum, the striker collapses into itself with a few twists, innocuous enough to dangle off your key ring or stash in your pack ‘till you really need it.  Its negligible weight and reliability makes it an essential (we also like to pack some dryer lint for easy kindling, which takes the superhero-like spark of the Nanostriker in a pyrokenetic whoosh of flame).