UCOTitan Stormproof Match Kit with Waterproof Case, Replacement Strikers and 12 Matches

I'll use a real estate analogy for this product. I deal with real estate developers that want to load up a house with all the bells and whistles, and end up with a finished product that's absolutely fantastic, over the top, but so unaffordable that nobody around the area has any use for it (and therefore, can't justify every buying it). Then, you have those real estate developers who just get it. People just want a home to live in, but don't have the time or finances to wait months and pay out cash to take a handyman special and put work into it to make it livable. These latter developers make the minimum viable product (MVP), they deliver and offer just the minimum that's acceptable and sufficient. As a result, it keeps the price low enough the inventory keeps moving.This product is the latter, and that's a great thing. You can't argue with the price. On top of that, the quality of this product (given the price) is excellent. Not some cheap flimsy plastic that looks like it's going to crack under 10lbs of pressure. The case is genuinely waterproof, and large enough to comfortably fit the large Titan Stormproof matches from UCO (and still have a little bit of space for some cotton tinder on top).I'm a recreational survivalist (more than a practical prepper). I have money to spare and like to err on the side of excess with an arsenal of different alternates to fit the situation. I've went for the aluminum $30+ option, with a sexy bright orange. The metallic case is actually heavier than this plastic case. On top of that, it's too small to fit the Tital Stormproof UCO matches. That may not be such a big issue for the recreational car camper. If that's the boat you're on and you're looking for a luxury status symbol product to show off to your camping buddies, then go with the $30+ metallic sexy bright orange case. If you're going to be primitive camping in the winter in 10F to -10F weather, with winds and wet precipitation, for 3+ days, then its very important you have a product that's light, simple, and can give you the 20+ seconds of match time you need to do whatever it is you wanted to do with that match. 10+ seconds is fine. But with a 20+ second match, you can literally just use it as your ignition and fire starting tinder until it lights up your feather wood fuel.For preppers, it really depends what you're preparing for. If you're preparing for a full blown NBC scenario, then you're probably going to be in a basement, and you probably don't need this product to begin with (let alone the additional gasses from a 20+ second Titan match). If you're a non-NBC emergency prepper, I would still recommend this product over the $30+ sexy orange metallic case. You can use the regular Stormproof matches if you don't live in an area with high winds or wet precipitation (even if the weather is freezing). This will allow you to store a higher total number of regular Stormproof matches, and ample tinder in a waterproof and airtight container.

Couple things to note. First, a good "fire kit" for those who backpack camp or even car camp (but not for those through hikers who don't bother with fire-making or stoves) consists of: A BIC Lighter, A few Stormproof Matches, A Ferrocerium (big, fat, long lighter-flint-like rod), Firestarters/Tinder (Vaseline saturated cotton balls/strips, commerical starters like Baddest Bee, or a chunk of Fatwood (resin saturated strip of pinewood), and, for ease of getting a good fire, a "Pocket Bellows" of collapsable stainless tubes. Second, can't make a fire without good tinder and various diameter deadwood split to reveal dry heart, prepared and on hand, and a reliable source of ignition.Now the BIC is the first choice - lots of "lights" - but it doesn't work in a strong flame. The Ferrocerium Rod is the second choice - thousand of incendiary sparks - but it "sparks" to flame that cotton ball or a pile of fatwood shavings, things that can be blown away in on a windy day or become difficult for a spark to reach if placed deeper inside a tinder pile. The Stormproof Match is the ignition of last resort. These UCO Matches explosively ignite and burn magnesium hot for quite a while, affording a good reach into the tinder pile to ignite the starter material without a panic.Normal matches or even stick matches will blow out or burn out too quickly.THIS UCO Titan Size is long for two advantageous reasons: reach and burn time. If you're wondering which size to buy, consider not just the size of the container/match-length, but the reach you will have and burn time the longer provides. Of course this choice also depends on how you build your fire and your developed skill in use of the matches to light the fire under the conditions that make the Stormproof match the choice.These may seem expensive, but consider: They WORK (they ignite, are stormproof, rainproof, have longer burn time); They come in a WATERPROOF TUBE (for storing a few matches and spare striker, but ALSO a smaller Ferrocerium rod, commercial or home-make fire-starters, and even a BIC - a full Fire Kit).Note that these are not "strike anywhere" matches, but require the friction and chemistry of the striker as do other safety stick-matches.

Good quality container, Matches work great. All my BOBs have this.

The media could not be loaded. Wow. I made the mistake of lighting this indoors.This match lit immediately and burned bright for almost :30 seconds. I took it outside for the last :15 seconds and the wind did not affect the burn at all.Matches are awesome.Comes with some cotton for tinderExtra striker strip.Waterproof container.I've used survival style matches before, but never like this. These are very serious matches that I hope to have with me if the need arises for a fire in bad conditions.