UCO  Stormproof Match Kit

Cannot overstate how bad these matches and canisters are, how little you can rely on them. They're fine on a pleasant day, but all matches are. When they get wet from rain or snow they're completely useless: The lighter strips tear, the surfacing rubs off on the match heads, and the matches don't light. Absolutely do not count on these working in wet conditions. I had some trouble with them in light snow earlier in the year, but could not believe how completely useless they were in a recent modest downpour. Negligible wind either time. Went through the entire included set of strips and half a canister of matches without getting even a single one to light.

The matches are indeed waterproof, but that is of little use when they are so difficult to light. Wet or dry, multiple strikes are required to get them lit. In many cased, the match head is completely worn off before it lights. The waterproofing in the matches is some kind of waxy material, and it coats the striker, reducing the friction, and making subsequent attempts more difficult. The striker is bonded to thin cardboard, which is not waterproof, so when it gets wet, the abrasive material can be easily worn off of the backing. I give the product 2 stars because the waterproof case is very nice and I'll find use for it elsewhere.

Sandpaper and striker paper are not the same thing. Striker paper has chemicals in it that help combat the problem some people have with lighting these matches. better striker paper can be purchased online try Etsy. (see photo) another trick is to use paper tape and tape each one to a household stick match like blue diamond. these also need striker paper and not sandpaper to light.

So they're just matches so , but that being said, as they're described, they should be better than the average matchbox match. The matches don't do well as a "strike anywhere" match. And the strike stripe on the container is cheap and wears away quickly. When you light the match, it burns all the way to your fingertips right away and then extinguishes quickly. I was out in cold weather this last weekend, my lighter failed so I depended on these matches....they worked, but it wasn't a great experience.

I bought a few of these a while back, for both hiking and also to equip my buddy and I's PFD's we wear for canoeing with. Thee cool thing is dump out all the matches, then put a bright colored, Mini Bic lighter inside, 12 of the Matches, the spare striker strips that come with it (sealed in plastic) and two Birthday Candles so that now gives me have two methods of starting a fire plus WAX to get it going. And remember you can also use the Bic lighter to ignite the Match heads. In essence you now have an ultra light, Mini-Fire Starter Kit. I have not tested it for total waterproofness yet, but in my PFD inside pocket I also carry small Fire-Steel on the lanyard. These Matches burn HOT! There are a lot of different methods to start that emergency Fire, but this Stormproof Match Kit is a very good investment when your life might be on the line.

I have been disappointed in these every time I've used them. There are a lot of duds in the pack--I've had at least one match just never light or break every time I've tried to light something. Assuming I can get one to light, it does last for a while, but you can't really extinguish it, either. It just has to burn all the way up. This isn't a problem if you're lighting a campfire, but is very inconvenient if you're trying to cook on a gas-canister camp stove. I'll keep the canister, but I'll refill it with normal matches or switch to a lighter. The actual matches are just garbage.

I have a plethera of match cases and this is probable, the best one made. From cheap usgi to expensive k&m brass safes, to exotacs. If you were shopping for a safe to be used. This is what i would get. Pack some sandpaper inside for a striker. Then fill it with wood matches. I keep a safe in my work coat all winter long and actually use them. In cold and wet enviroments. Uco matches are ok and work. Just figure you have a 1 year shelf life after you open them up, in humid enviroments. After a year, they just dont burn as brightly. When they absorb some humidity. Dont feel bad about using them.

Good - The firestarting chemicals on the end of the match are effective and burn hot and strong for about 5 seconds, a pretty long time. Good - The container is waterproof and has a great striker. Safety orange color helps make it easy to locate in dim light. Disappointing - When lighting a match, after the chemical burns out, the remaining wooden part of the match does not seem to burn, as if it was soggy. I will try storing the matches at home with the container OPEN to see if that makes a difference.

These matches work great. They are hard to put out and stay lit even when it's windy. I used them to light an esbit fire cube to cook up some rice while at 9600 ft on top of a peak and did awesome even when winds gusted. Definitely the way to go if you need matches. The included flint/striker also works great and is awesome to have right on the match holder.

Burn a little quickly, but storm proof is right. These saved me when my lighter stopped working in the middle of a crazy storm in Big Sur. This was the only thing I could get to light the stove or the fire, they were absolutely worth it to have even for emergencies.