Best fire-starting kit for stoves & log burners (2026)

A BIC Maxi multipack is the sensible baseline for reliable ignition: each lighter gives roughly 3,000 lights and simply works for years. Buy a multipack so there is one in the kit, one in the kitchen and one in the car, but treat it as your fair-weather option rather than an all-conditions fire starter.

Worth knowing: Not windproof or waterproof - the flame struggles in wind and the lighter will not light while wet until dried out

Who shouldn't buy it: Do not rely on it alone for wet-weather or outdoor emergency fire-lighting - pair it with a ferro rod or stormproof matches, as a standard pocket lighter can fail in wind, cold or damp.

Stormproof matches from a UK outdoor brand: extra-long, quick to light and made for wind and rain, with up to 20 seconds of flame from each. They come in a watertight container with spare strike panels, so the whole kit stays dry in a grab bag.

Worth knowing: Only 25 matches, so it's a backup rather than an everyday fire source

Who shouldn't buy it: You just want everyday matches for candles or the hob: standard matches or a refillable lighter are far cheaper. These are for the emergency kit, not the kitchen drawer.

SOL's Tinder Quik tabs are small cotton tinder briquettes that catch from a single spark and burn for up to three minutes, which gives damp kindling time to take. SOL describes them as waterproof and windproof, and they're light enough to live in any kit. Like any tinder they need a separate spark or flame.

Worth knowing: Only 12 tabs in a pack

Who shouldn't buy it: You already carry a lighter and some cheap DIY tinder for fair-weather use: this earns its place mainly as a wet-weather backup, not an everyday firelighter.

A genuinely windproof, repairable classic that will outlast almost anything in your kit, backed by Zippo's lifetime guarantee. The catch for emergency use is that its liquid fuel evaporates in days to weeks, so it rewards regular topping-up rather than sealing away and forgetting.

Worth knowing: Naphtha fuel evaporates steadily even unused, so a lighter left in a grab bag can be empty when you need it

Who shouldn't buy it: Don't buy it if you want a fire-starter you can seal in a grab bag and forget for months — a ferro rod or stormproof matches hold up far better in a set-and-forget kit, since the Zippo's fuel will have evaporated.

A cheap, refillable way to keep a flame to hand for hobs, pilot lights and camping stoves, and because it tops up with butane it should outlast a drawer full of disposables. Just don't lean on a soft-flame version outdoors, as it struggles in wind and cold.

Worth knowing: Generic soft-flame versions are unreliable in wind or cold and can be fiddly to light

Who shouldn't buy it: If it's going in a grab bag or is meant for outdoor emergency use, skip it: a soft-flame utility lighter fails in wind and damp. Pair a windproof jet lighter with stormproof matches instead.