In an ideal world, you’ll always have a few dry matches and some fluid in your lighter, but as the old adage goes, you should always hope for the best and plan for the worst. So in the spirit of staying prepared for any situation, we highly recommend you check out these Flint Laces from Idaho-based retailer RattlerStrap.
Unlike traditional bootlaces, these badboys feature a section of rubber-encased ferro-rod at each end. The idea is that, if you ever find yourself stranded in the middle of BFE without your trusty Zippo, you can break open the lace, retrieve the flint, and strike it with a piece of steel to generate some sparks. Granted, making fire this way is easier said than done, but flint and steel definitely beats having nothing and just freezing to death.
The only gripe we have is that in order to use them, you’ve gotta break the lace open. This essentially makes them single-use — but in all fairness, if you do ever find yourself in a situation where your life is on the line, you probably won’t mind sacrificing your shoelaces to start a fire. You can pick up a pair for about 14 bucks on RattlerStrap’s website.
