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Light My Fire MayaDust Fire Starter
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Light My Fire MayaDust Fire Starter

Item # 762944

$4.95

Item qualifies for annual
REI Member Refund (typically 10%)

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Stop struggling with wet paper and a few measly twigs—a dash of MayaDust® from Light My Fire and you'll have a hot flame in no time.

  • Made from fatwood pine trees of Guatemala and Mexico, MayaDust is easy to light, even when wet, and produces an extremely hot flame
  • Waterproof tin conveniently fits in a pants pocket or backpack
  • Produced by environmentally friendly means and manufactured according to Fair Trade guidelines

Imported.

Item 762944

Light My Fire MayaDust Fire Starter Specs

Specification

Description

Weight0.5 ounce
Dimensions2.8 x 0.9 inches
MaterialWood shavings

Light My Fire MayaDust Fire Starter Customer Reviews

REVIEW SNAPSHOT®

by PowerReviews
Light My Fire MayaDust Fire Starter
 
1.5

(based on 12 reviews)

Pros

  • Compact (5)
  • Lightweight (4)

Cons

  • Ineffective (10)
  • Difficult to use (9)

Best Uses

  • Campgrounds (3)
  • Day trips (3)
  • Reviewer Profile:
  • Avid adventurer (7), Casual adventurer (3)
  • What Is Your Gear Style:
  • Minimalist (7)

Reviewed by 12 customers

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Jun

20

2008

(9 of 10 customers found this review helpful)

 
1.0

Don't bother

By Das

from Santa Fe, NM

About Me Avid Adventurer

Site Member

Pros

    Cons

    • Difficult to Use
    • Ineffective
    • Naturally Occuring

    Best Uses

    • Tent Perfume

    Comments about Light My Fire MayaDust Fire Starter:

    I rarely write poor reviews because I'm generally savvy enough not to buy junk in the first place... but I got hoodwinked on this one. =)

    Without opening the container, I purchased this "dust" thinking it was some sort of magnesium dust which could be lit with the swedish fire steel (product placement in the store seemed to make them go together).

    When I went to start a fire with my neat new toy, I open the little plasitc container to find a few sappy wood shavings. What? You'll never get these lit with a firesteel, if there's any sort of wind they're all going to end up blowing away... and you're more than likely already standing in a pile of similar tinder you DIDN'T pay for or pack in.

    No reason to buy this product. Meh.

    • What Is Your Gear Style:
    • Minimalist

    Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

    (9 of 10 customers found this review helpful)

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    Jul

    6

    2008

    (6 of 7 customers found this review helpful)

     
    1.0

    don't rely on this to survive.

    By dk009

    from Mount Vernon, WA

    About Me Avid Adventurer

    Site Member

    Pros

    • Compact

    Cons

    • Ineffective

    Best Uses

      Comments about Light My Fire MayaDust Fire Starter:

      I tried to get this to light with the firesteel for 6 hours. Yes 6 Hours. Managed to get a flame that burned for approx .5 seconds- Which only increased my frustration.

      I made it my mission to get a fire started with this and failed miserably.
      Dont buy it.

      • What Is Your Gear Style:
      • Minimalist

      Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

      (6 of 7 customers found this review helpful)

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      Nov

      7

      2007

      (6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

       
      3.0

      Don't Be Confused

      By Along the Rockies

      from Lander, Wyoming

      About Me Avid Adventurer

      Site Member

      Pros

      • Functional

      Cons

      • Difficult to Use

      Best Uses

        Comments about Light My Fire MayaDust Fire Starter:

        Don't be confused into thinking that this product is tinder for the Light My Fire FireSteel - it is not tinder and is very difficult, if not impossible, to light with sparks. It is very similar in function to the Lightnin' Bug Fire Starters.

        That said, it does function as an aid to starting a fire, especially if you are dealing with damp wood. Just plan on having a flame established by some means in order to light it.

        Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

        (6 of 6 customers found this review helpful)

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        Mar

        2

        2009

        (4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

         
        1.0

        Not good for flint and steel tinder

        By Treebeard

        from Greenville, Mississippi

        About Me Avid Adventurer

        Site Member

        Pros

          Cons

          • Difficult to Use

          Best Uses

            Comments about Light My Fire MayaDust Fire Starter:

            As a Scoutmaster, I teach Scouts how to start fires with flint and steel quite often (e.g., Blast Match, traditional, Spark Lite, etc.). I purchased a can of the MayaDust, assuming it would prove an effective tinder for sparks. After watching several Scouts labor over trying to get a flame, I attempted to do it myself to show they were doing it incorrectly. Come to find out, it wasn't them, it was the tinder.

            This might be fine for tinder in wet circumstances if one has an open flame like a match or lighter. However, if one had an open flame, it would be more effective to use congealed fire sticks.

            Note: It is difficult to beat shredded cedar bark in the Southern United States for a natural source of tinder.

            • Gift:
            • No

            Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

            (4 of 4 customers found this review helpful)

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            Dec

            1

            2008

            (3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

             
            2.0

            NOT a fire STARTER

            By Perry Clark

            from Not quite sure at the moment.....

            About Me Avid Adventurer

            Site Member

            Pros

            • Compact
            • It DOES burn

            Cons

            • Ineffective

            Best Uses

            • Campgrounds
            • Day Trips
            • Reuse container

            Comments about Light My Fire MayaDust Fire Starter:

            I expected more/better. This is exactly as described in the detailed info here--some shavings of pine fatwood. Or so it appears. But such is NOT sufficient to actually get a fire started unless one is using a constant flame source. Since it came from the Light My Fire folks, who make quite good firesteel implements, I had high hopes that this would make for a good tinder should I be so lazy as not to want to daub some petroleum jelly on cotton balls or grab some dryer lint. No dice.

            The two-star rating here also says "needs that special something". In this case, the "special something" is a flame. Not just sparks, but an outright, burning flame. If they'd called it Fire Builder Aid or some such, I'd be happier. It just doesn't qualify as a fire STARTER, IMO.

            • Gift:
            • No
            • What Is Your Gear Style:
            • Minimalist

            Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

            (3 of 3 customers found this review helpful)

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            Dec

            23

            2008

            (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

             
            1.0

            Not the greatist fire starter

            By Gage

            from Stockton Ca.

            About Me Avid Adventurer

            Pros

              Cons

              • Difficult to Use
              • Ineffective

              Best Uses

              • Reuse the container

              Comments about Light My Fire MayaDust Fire Starter:

              It dosent work. I tried to use it with my light my fire flint and steel, but it didnt do anything.

              • Gift:
              • Yes
              • What Is Your Gear Style:
              • Minimalist

              Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

              (2 of 2 customers found this review helpful)

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              Jul

              6

              2009

              (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

               
              1.0

              Light My Fire MayaDust

              By wwcca1

              from Michigan

              About Me Outdoor Professional

              Pros

                Cons

                • Difficult to Use
                • Goes out easy
                • Hard to light
                • Ineffective
                • Not hot

                Best Uses

                • Backcountry Camping
                • Campgrounds
                • Day Trips
                • River
                • Survival
                • Trips
                • Winter Camping

                Comments about Light My Fire MayaDust Fire Starter:

                I was winter camping last winter and the buddy got very cold and I needed to get a fire going very quick for him and i found some dry tender and tried to light the fire starter and it would not light after 5 matches it started going and only lasted for 45 seconds and it went out so I tried again and it started going again for 30 seconds and that was in. It did not work. I used a piece of paper and that worked fine.

                • Gift:
                • No
                • What Is Your Gear Style:
                • Minimalist

                Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

                (1 of 1 customers found this review helpful)

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                Oct

                20

                2009

                 
                2.0

                Why bother with shavings?

                By The Blue Camel

                from Bloomington, IN

                About Me Avid Adventurer

                Site Member

                Pros

                • Compact
                • Lightweight

                Cons

                • Difficult to Use
                • Ineffective

                Best Uses

                • Campgrounds

                Comments about Light My Fire MayaDust Fire Starter:

                Though I generally strive to maintain a minimalist attitude towards my gear, this product is taking that idea a little too far. For roughly the same price as a few shavings of fatwood, one can purchase a whole box of fatwood sticks (or, you know, just find some wood in the forest) and shave or split them down to any size desired. I always keep a few sticks in my pack for fire emergencies, but I can't see these shavings being worth the price.

                • Gift:
                • No
                • What Is Your Gear Style:
                • Minimalist

                Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

                Was this review helpful? Yes / No

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                Please let us know what kind of issue this is:

                Sep

                13

                2009

                 
                3.0

                Neat but not worth it

                By basher66

                from NC

                About Me Casual Adventurer

                Pros

                • Aggrivating
                • Compact
                • Lightweight

                Cons

                • Difficult to Use
                • Ineffective

                Best Uses

                • Backcountry Camping
                • Day Trips

                Comments about Light My Fire MayaDust Fire Starter:

                I knew what I was buying but figured Id give it a shot. Tried for 10 minutes with a good firesteel, nothing. Added some magnesium shavings...nothing really. Finally got it lit (yes, it DID catch) after busting the skin off my knuckle in the process. Was able to get it going one more time. Haven't tried the fire piston yet but I doubt that will work.

                • Gift:
                • No

                Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

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                Jul

                31

                2009

                 
                1.0

                Use Only With Steady Flame

                By stynes

                from Atlanta, GA

                About Me Casual Adventurer

                Site Member

                Pros

                  Cons

                  • Ineffective

                  Best Uses

                    Comments about Light My Fire MayaDust Fire Starter:

                    I purchased this to use with my firesteel. It's made by the Light My Fire folks that make some pretty good steels and the steels on the package advertise that this can be used to catch the sparks and start a fire. I've spent countless tries both in the backcountry and in a control environment at home trying to start this with sparks and it just doesn't happen. You try for long enough you'll smell the pine but can't ever get it smoldering, much less a flame.

                    On the other hand, try a match and it lights almost immediately. If you're looking for something to use with matches to help start a fire then this may work ok. If you're looking for something to use with a firesteel then look elsewhere.

                    • Gift:
                    • No
                    • What Is Your Gear Style:
                    • Comfort Driven

                    Bottom Line No, I would not recommend this to a friend

                    Was this review helpful? Yes / No

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