A Sparker is small, inexpensive, lightweight, lasts a very long time, can be used when wet, and it throws sparks onto your fire starter. A sparker is normally a feral rod with a metal scraper. Scrape the rod with the metal scraper to generate sparks.

Some of these devices are more effective than others and this one by is the one that I own and I know that it works. I purchased a more expensive sparker and had to return it because it would not throw the sparks far enough to ignite the kindling. I also found this one at my local Walmart. I like this one because the orange housing protects both the rod and sparker steel.

Using a Sparker

Position the sparker near the fire tinder. You can either hold the feral rod still and move the scraper over the rod or hold the scraper still and pull the rod back to generate sparks.

A Lighter Alternative

An empty lighter might seem useless but it can act as an effective fire starting sparker. The sparker on the lighter works even when the fuel is gone. Simply remove the metal shroud on the top of the lighter and hold it very close to the fire tinder and engage the sparker.