The UCO Titan Fire Striker is a multi use survival tool, capable of starting fires, signaling, and even doubles as a basic multi-tool. This is my review:
The Titan is a combination of a stainless steel Striker and a large ferrocerium rod rated at 20,000 strikes. The striker does double duty as a multitool, functioning as a screwdriver, bottle opener, and a hex wrench in a pinch. They connect together with a small length of paracord, latched on via a small quick release carabiner. It retails for around $15 and weighs 3.4 oz.
The Titan works pretty well as a fire starter. Starting with small, carefully chosen dry tinder, it’s easily capable of starting a quick fire thanks to the hot spark and large rod. The action does take a bit of pressure, but I was able to routinely produce a spark and thus a fire with the right ingredients (practice makes perfect!). Initially, striking is a little difficult, but once the striker removes the surface of the rod and it starts to flatten out from wear, it gets easier and easier, producing better and better sparks as it progresses. So, I definitely recommend breaking it in. It does a great job of starting camp stoves and burners also.
The striker feels O.K. in the hand, but the cutout for the hex wrench can create some soreness with enough use as the thumb digs into the indention. Thankfully, it’s only an issue when taking many strikes in a row, and won’t come up too often. The grip is good enough to keep it from sliding out of the hand, but in wet conditions it can get a little slippery, especially with cold hands.
The entire kit is rather convenient, with it easily fitting into a pocket, tossed into a pack, or it’s best use, put aside into a survival kit. It doesn’t need to be kept dry either, so it can be stashed anywhere that is quick and convenient to access.
At around 15 bucks, it’s a handy piece of kit to have that works rather well. I would prefer the striker to be a little larger, or even to have some sort of built in grip, but it does what it is supposed to. Sacrificing some comfort in the grip to fit in the additional functions is a smart move when it comes to a survival tool. It cuts weight, applies additional functionality that can really come in handy in many situations, so to me the compromise is totally worth it.
Recommended
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