I will show you two simple, cheap and reliable fire starting methods. They cost about a dollar each and they will both last nearly forever.
The first half of the video shows you how to start a fire with a magnifying glass. Even a simple dollar store childs toy will work well. On cloudy days they can even work.
On a rainy day, use a dollar store cigarette lighter. Get a 6 or 8 pack of them. Each one is good for about 2,000 to 3,000 lights. That mean about 6 - 9 years per lighter. If you have six lighters, you are talking about as many as 50 years of fire. And if you only use them on rainy days, using a magnifying glass on sunny days, you have a lifetime of fire for two bucks!!
For details:
http://www.thediyworld.com/blog/?p=474
