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Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparkie Fire Starter

ORANGE

Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparkie Fire Starter

$9.95

(19)

Item # 783662

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Designed for use in the most adverse weather conditions, the lightweight and compact Sparkie™ fire starter from Ultimate Survival Technologies is a must-have for any serious adventurer.

Weighing in at less than 1 oz., the Sparkie fire starter is about a third the weight and less than half the volume of its big brother, the BlastMatch™
Internal tungsten carbide striker allows simple 1-handed operation; user must press thumb button to engage the striker
Rubberized grip gives you great control during use
Spring-loaded flint bar rotates 360° to allow for even wear; bar retracts inside the body for compact storage
If the Sparkie gets wet, simply wipe it off and it's ready for use

Made in USA.

Item 783662

with coupon code ANNV13
May 17-27 Details

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Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparkie Fire Starter Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews

Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparkie Fire Starter

2.4

(based on 19 reviews)

42%

of respondents would recommend this to a friend.

Pros

Compact (18)
Lightweight (16)
Easy to use (9)
Functional (8)

Cons

Difficult to use (6)
Doesn't work (5)
Not durable (3)

Best Uses

Backcountry camping (9)
Camping (8)
Survival (6)
River (5)
Winter (5)

- Reviewer Profile:
- Avid adventurer (11), Casual/ recreational (6)
- What Is Your Gear Style:
- Survivalist / minimalist (12), Comfort driven (6)
- Was this a gift?:
- No (8)

Reviewed by 19 customers

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Displaying reviews 1-10

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Apr

2013

1.0

get a normal fire steel

By jwill

from az

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Cons

Difficult Setup
Difficult to Use
Not Durable

Best Uses

Paper weight

Comments about Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparkie Fire Starter:

save money, time, and frustration. Get a simple fire steel and not this. It is not worth the time to get the proper setup per strike on this thing. The simple rod and striker is much better than this thing.

Comment on this review

Jul

2012

2.0

Not worth the money

By chasinstorms

from Nashville,TN

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Compact
Lightweight

Cons

Cheap design
Ineffective

Best Uses

Campgrounds

Comments about Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparkie Fire Starter:

I purchased this to go in my survival bag because it is so compact and has a striker all in one. I also figured it would be good because you could use it even if one were to severely hurt one arm or hand.

After initially purchasing it, I took it home to practice making fires with it and after just one strike the locking mechanism in it failed. I now have to use a rubber band to hold the flint in. I tried using it again about 4 months later and then the flint kept popping out of the holder. This isn't what I expected and will be buying a different fire starter to replace.

See Pic below.

Comment on this review

Mar

2012

4.0

I like it

By Gingerman

from Maryland

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Compact
Easy To Set Up
Easy to Use
Fun
Functional
Lightweight

Cons

Maybe breakable in pocket

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Barbecue
Campgrounds
River
Survival
Trips
Winter Camping

Comments about Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparkie Fire Starter:

I worry about the plunger, but have had no problem with it. I use it for most of my fire starting needs, including my backyard barbeque.

I have found no downside to this, except my imaginary worry about breaking off the striker. If i did, I'd stlill have a firesteel, so, at the price, which is lower than the two part steels, what is there to lose?

I have given it as a gift.

Comment on this review

Jun

2011

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

1.0

Junky and ineffective.

By JustinBaker

from Santa Rosa, CA

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Compact
Easy to Use
Lightweight

Cons

Easily Breakable
Ineffective

Best Uses

Comments about Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparkie Fire Starter:

The sparkie is an interesting concept but it does not work well and is very prone to breaking. It is very similar to the Blastmactch, just a whole lot smaller. It produces a mediocre amount of sparks that aren't going to light much more than a cotton ball. It also broke on me pretty quickly.
You are much better off getting a regular firesteel with a striker. It's not as simple to use, but its really not that hard to scrape and make sparks in the first place.

Comment on this review

Jun

2011

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

4.0

Perfect for alcohol stoves

By jsvm

from NY

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Compact
Easy to Use
Functional
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
River

Comments about Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparkie Fire Starter:

One handed operation which is perfect for lighting alcohol stoves. It has a less chance of knocking the stove over as compared to using a typical rod and striker.
The rod could get stuck inside specially if stored in its closed position. A more robust rod would have been better.

Comment on this review

May

2011

(1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

1.0

Return It!

By CougarGirl

from Beaverton, OR

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Compact
Lightweight

Cons

Difficult to Use
Ineffective

Best Uses

Comments about Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparkie Fire Starter:

The hubs and I got this on a whim, always trying to find better fire-starters, and were really disappointed. We tried for over an hour to get the sparks to light some tinder and because you have to push the tip down to get a spark it would crush anything that lit. The overall design is great, but I think there are definately some kinks to be worked out.

Comment on this review

Nov

2010

1.0

Sometimes, simple is better than complex

By Papa Seals

from Portland, OR

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Bright colored
Compact

Cons

Difficult to Use
Ineffective
Unreliable

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds
Day Trips
Survival
Winter Camping

Comments about Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparkie Fire Starter:

I admit that I didn't completely read the package before I bought and I was under the impression that the sparks would come out of the device. But, it actually works in reverse. You must press down on the product where you wish to have sparks. Rarely do you have a solid surface next to your fire starter. Every time I start a fire I have my fire starter surrounded by the tinder and kindling. Not a very practical design.

Also, the flint does get stuck in the storage compartment so I found that it was not dependable as well. Sorry, time to go back to the drawing board on this one.

I do like the fact that it was brightly colored so that it can be easily found when looking for it.

Comment on this review

Nov

2010

5.0

Sparkie Fire Starter Rocks

By maxonhudson

from Catskills & Hudson Valley, New York

About Me Avid Adventurer

See all my reviews

Pros

Compact
Easy to Use
Functional
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds
Day Trips
River
Survival
Trips
Winter Camping

Comments about Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparkie Fire Starter:

My brother-in law gave me a demo and a was sold. If read the reviews I probably would have missed this tool. Pretty much (fall in the river) water proof and easy to use. To start a fire in any weather use the Sparkie on petroleum jelly mixed into a cotton ball or fat wood shavings.

Comment on this review

Nov

2010

4.0

Works well with practice.

By beardawg

from Atlanta, GA

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Compact
Functional
Lightweight

Cons

Difficult to Use

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
Campgrounds
Winter Camping

Comments about Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparkie Fire Starter:

I was skeptical at first, but after a few uses I would have to give this product 4 stars. The only reason I won't give it 5 is because it is pricey for the quality. I will say that using fire tinder such as "Ultimate Survival Technologies WetFire Tinder" is a must, otherwise getting a fire going takes some serious effort. It was a gift and I am happy with it, have used it in weather temps ranging 15-50 degrees and in the snow. I have not tried it in the rain. It doesn't feel very solid, but has lasted me on four trips with lots of "practice" strikes. It seems to work better with more use. I would definitely buy another one.

Comment on this review

Oct

2010

3.0

Nice Concept but needs a little work

By brandonandcarla

from North Carolina

About Me Casual/ Recreational

See all my reviews

Pros

Compact
Easy to Use
Lightweight

Cons

Best Uses

Backcountry Camping
River
Survival

Comments about Ultimate Survival Technologies Sparkie Fire Starter:

I own the blast match and love it so I thought I would try out sparkie. I bought the unit and after a few strikes I liked what it produced. I put it away and got it out a few days later to try it out again and the rod was stuck inside the unit. I contacted Ultimate Survival about the issue and they responded very quickly and said that they had just put new instructions on the label about needing to clean the rod after each use. I had an earlier package that did not have those instructions. They were very nice and sent me a new sparkie and a free blast match as well!! This company has quality products and great customer service. As far as this unit goes I do believe it is an awesome concept but has a few kinks that need fixed. I am sure sparkie will be an awesome fire starter after they work on it a bit more. I put that I would recommend this to a friend because I trust all of their other products but I would not recommend this unit to anyone just yet.