Compare Our Fire Starters
Every Fire-Fast is handcrafted by my wife and me in Florida with the same premium Austrian ferrocerium, 96% pure magnesium, African hardwood handle, and real 550 paracord.
All four models throw the same massive shower of 5,400°F sparks. The larger the ferro rod, the more spark/heat per strike. The difference is size, weight, and how long the rod will last.
Rod lengths are listed as total length / exposed length. Buried length is how deep the rod sits in the handle.
Trekker — LARGE
Best for: Survival & bug-out bags
#1 seller for 8+ years
| Overall length |
6⅜″ |
| Weight |
5 oz |
| Paracord |
20″ |
| Ferro rod |
3½″ total / 3″ exposed / ½″ buried — 9.5 mm |
| Magnesium |
3¾″ total / 3″ exposed / ¾″ buried — ¾″ diameter |
Kamper Lanyard — MEDIUM
Best for: Camping & get-home bags
| Overall length |
5⅝″ |
| Weight |
3 oz |
| Paracord |
40″ |
| Ferro rod |
3″ total / 2½″ exposed / ½″ buried — 8 mm |
| Magnesium |
3¼″ total / 2½″ exposed / ¾″ buried — ½″ oval (about 30% more magnesium than a round rod of the same width) |
Firefly — SMALL
Best for: Backpacking & everyday carry
| Overall length |
5¼″ |
| Weight |
1.8 oz |
| Paracord |
16″ |
| Ferro rod |
2½″ total / 2¼″ exposed / ¼″ buried — 6.3 mm |
| Magnesium |
2¾″ total / 2″ exposed / ¾″ buried — ⅜″ oval |
Firefly Mini — TINY (Limited Edition)
Best for: Ultralight kits, or anyone who says even the Firefly is too big
| Overall length |
4¼″ |
| Weight |
1.5 oz |
| Paracord |
16″ |
| Ferro rod |
2½″ total / 2¼″ exposed / ¼″ buried — 6.3 mm (same rod as the Firefly) |
| Magnesium |
2¾″ total / 2″ exposed / ¾″ buried — ⅜″ oval (same rod as the Firefly) |
Quick comparison
| Model |
Overall |
Weight |
Paracord |
| Trekker |
6⅜″ |
5 oz |
20″ |
| Kamper Lanyard |
5⅝″ |
3 oz |
40″ |
| Firefly |
5¼″ |
1.8 oz |
16″ |
| Firefly Mini |
4¼″ |
1.5 oz |
16″ |
In 2022 we started burying the flints deeper. Trekker and Kamper ferro rods are buried ½″; Firefly and Mini ferro rods are buried ¼″. Magnesium on all models is buried ¾″. We have had zero reports of flint or magnesium separation since that change.
Still not sure? Most people start with the Trekker — 4.8 stars from 1,400+ Amazon buyers.
