U.S. Military Fire Starter Trioxane Fuel Bars

Was very pleased to find these online - absolutely nothing beats them for firestarting, they burn like mad even if they're literally dripping water, you can soak them for days and they still burn. Never touch them to test if they're on fire - they burn with such a slight bluish tint that it's almost clear and if you've had a lit match anywhere near them they ARE burning. 1/3 of a single bar is plenty to heat up a canteen cup on it's own, or to start a good fire with a bit of heavy kindling. I have used bars in 2009 that were made in 1983 and they still work brand new, so the shelf life is basically unlimited. MUCH better than any civilian 'let's-play-camping' product out there; tried some civilian ones and they were horrible - maybe if you carry a blowtorch to light them they might be okay. These ones light every time, first try. And even if the bars get crushed on the trail you can pour the fragments out into a small pile and they work just as well.

I have used military trioxane off and on for over 20 years now. I have tried the newer military gel, the tablet products that are out, as well as the leading fire starting paste. Of all those, I have found that the trioxane is like an old and reliable friend. It always works, even if it is in powdered form. You can use a small section of it to start a fire and easily reseal it to use again another day. The gels, are impossible to reseal completely and leak out which is not something you want to have happen in your backpack where your expensive down sleeping bag is! Fire paste is an excellent product but does not burn as hot. The tablets work reasonably well but they have a short shelf life and towards the end of that life I find that they smell terrible even through their packaging. So, for me, when I need to start a fire out in the bush with damp or wet wood (I live in the Pacific Northwest) I haul out the stuff that can get the job done.

Ex-military so these were issued to all line field personnel to heat our rations back in the day before MRE's. They work fine and have a blue flame to diminish visibility. You can break them into thirds or just burn the whole tablet for about 12-15 minutes of fire. Surprised how expensive they were, about $2 per tablet if you buy the large box of 27 tablets. You get 9 boxes with 3 in each. They cost more if you buy the smaller quantities. Mine were dated 1982 so they're well over 30 yo and work fine still.

Several packs were not sealed and had evaporated.

Your not getting what is advertised, this is not for a case it is for 9 bars, after shipping these are not a good deal.

The product itself is excellent. I thought I was buying a case, but got three boxes.

Lights fast and burns long, lit with flint and steel on the first try. I like how easy it is to save the remainder in the foil pouches, doesn't make a mess folding it over to seal back up.

These are just what I wanted for my emergency fire starting kit. I have a couple of kits with several different means of starting a fire in them, these are excellent for wet starts.