What a great post! Flint and steel is a serious survival tool.

I have a small (a little bit larger than a credit card) kit that I've been carrying for years and years. A flint rod, a teeny knife with a corresponding notch in the blade, a little bitty flashlight, a whistle and more. I've started a couple fires with it.

And you are absolutely right, the tinder is the key. I actually have a bucket next to my dryer for lint supply. The pine forests that I'm mostly in ALWAYS can provide some useable duff even in prolonged rain. And I soak cotton balls in Vaseline for a huge fire start hack...

Thanks for a great article. I think I enjoy your education of the little man as much as the tech when you write.