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specifically timestamps 11:58, 22:00, 29:46 until about 36:10, summary at 37:51 if you want to skip the rest of the video of me chatting nonsense and making childish jokes about tent pegs.
Just to start off by saying I will do further testing, so this is all just my opinion based on my usage so far.
I am also reviewing this with the company's own claims in mind, so I have high expectations which I believe are fair and reasonable given the claims made by the company themselves:
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Just to pull a few claims from their website for you to keep in mind as I go forward:
- Fire-on-Demand in any condition
- Reliable flame for 120 seconds
- Ultimate companion for every modern adventurer
- Emergency / First Responder / Critical Mission / Preparing for the unexpected
- Designed to replace multiple items and make room for adventure
- Making fire-starting effortless, even in the most challenging conditions
- Unparalleled reliability with an unstoppable flame
- Ignored in any weather condition
- Guarantees fire at your fingertips even in the most extreme conditions
- Designed to light without fail, providing safety and warmth when you need it most
- A breakthrough in outdoor survival technology
I used 3 Ultimate Matches (UM) and used them to conduct tests under three sets of conditions.
1. Dry UM and dry kindling
A control test.
2. Wet UM and wet kindling, both left out in the rain overnight
Simulates equipment that's got wet over a period of a few hours in a wet climate, where a user is in urgent need of a fire.
3. Dry UM and slightly less wet but still damp kindling
Simulates usage of dry UM (perhaps kept in a container) in a wet climate.
If a user is using an emergency survival match it is likely because it is indeed an emergency and a survival situation, so there are some assumptions:
- The user may be potentially tired and/or cold (potentially hypothermic) or debilitated in some way
- There is not an abundance of dry wood, as in temperate or tropical climates
- If the climate is warm and dry you are less likely to actually need a fire for survival
- User may not have a cutting tool or the energy/dexterity to create matchstick sized, dry kindling (see: hypothermic/prehypothermic/tired and cold)
- Not all situations have the benefit of dryer low-hanging pine twigs/abundant birch bark
Test 1 was successful, a violent reaction (slightly surprising that it shot in more than one direction) which easily ignited a stack of dry kindling.
Test 2 was unsuccessful. To its credit, the UM did actually ignite after a night in the rain, however it only burned half of its fuel and did not ignite wet kindling.
Test 3 was unsuccessful. Match burned all the way through but did not ignite the wet kindling. This wet batch of kindling was slightly less wet, as Test 2s 20 seconds or so of flame will have dried it out slightly.
Tests 2 and 3 would've been fairly trival to light with a slower and longer burning firelighter or two, a third of a strip of Hammaro Lighting Paper got the fire going no problem.
Thoughts so far:
- Wood in a survival situation is very likely to be wet or damp, where you're better off with conventional firelighters which burn for longer and with less vigour and which you can carry far more of, with a longer shelf life and with fewer potential failure points (pin breaks, stick doesn't ignite etc)
- Thinking of the risk/rewards, doesn't the UM create more risk in the sense of unintended combustion when carried in kit? You wouldn't want this to go off in your bag. It also increases the opportunity for injury due to the spirted way in which it ignites
- Fire fuel prep is more important than specific devices for getting a fire going. If the wood had been dry, then there would've been no need for an emergency survival match over just using a lighter or matches
- The claims on the website do not match (hah!) my experience
I also note there appear to be some reviews on the website which are displayed as 9 customer reviews (all 5 star!) at the point of purchase:
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Usually when a site presents '9 customer reviews' in that manner it implies there's a mechanism with which to review the items, and you'd be able to see a balance of any negative reviews as well as the positives.
I'm not too sure who these people are, but I haven't been presented an opportunity to review my purchase at any point in the sale process, and keep in mind I did buy 5 packets of them.
I am not making any accusations towards the company here, but it does the raise the questions 'Who are these people?', 'How do I leave a review on your site?' and 'Are these the ONLY reviews or just the good ones you've chosen, if they are indeed legitimate reviews?'