If all that’s holding your keys together is a regular old carabiner (or an even more regular keyring), then the Firebiner will provide you with the perfect excuse to upgrade. It’s sleek, it’s sharp, it’s shiny, it’s sparky. And it will hold your keys.
Firebiner Characteristics:
- Stainless steel
- Titanium coating
- Rated for 50lbs/ 22kgs
- Weighs 1 oz / 22g
- Patent Pending EverSpark wheel Firestarter
- 2 Free Replaceable Ferro rods
- 5 colors: Silver, Black, Gold, Blue & Red-Blue
Firebiner Review:
There are a multitude of keyring survival tools on the market. But few of them took it as far as a complete re-design of the humble carabiner. In fact, most keyring survival tools need to be clipped on to a carabiner. The Firebiner sails past its competition in being able to legally hold 50lbs / 22kgs (pushed to 403lb /182kg before breaking) while sporting a blade, firestarter, screwdriver and bottle opener.
Thus far, I have lit a bunch of cotton balls on fire in the sink, easily cut threads off any item of clothing to come my way and hung the firebiner on my belt loop without it catching when I took it off. All in all, it has been a joy to use. And I am not the only one to think so. Positive reviews from other Kickstarter backers have been flooding the Firebiner comment section, while some have even taken to leaving 5 star reviews on their website.
This is a true case of receiving what you have put your money into. Every tool incorporated functions as it should, without going overboard with too many bells and whistles. I have axed many a Kickstarter project from my list that added-on a Plush Doll or something else unrelated halfway through their campaign. Features like those take up time that I prefer designers to spend on the backed product.
Outdoor Element has done just that. Their campaign promises were to make the Firebiner better and more cost-effective for backers. For instance, they promised a free accessory kit to international backers after sourcing cheaper international shipping. Many companies simply absorb these savings as profit. Outdoor Element kept things transparent and courteous. They consistently provide updates, acknowledge any mistakes, speak to the community as often as they can, and continue to take on board feedback to improve their products.
Some are easily remedied (if your firebiner won’t spark, prime it by turning it in the opposite direction for a bit first before trying again), others require a bit of DIY (dab some super glue in the wire gate holes to decrease likelihood of losing the wire gates). Quality wise, there are bumps, burrs and scratches on the Firebiners, and one person’s Firebiner only had one hang slot. Go figure. Others who have tried to “fix” their Firebiners have accidentally lost their screws and springs, and it seems that a fair number of international backers didn’t receive their free accessory kits (myself included). However, the latest updates from Outdoor Element show that they are aware of these issues, and are already working to rectify them.
In fact, I’m planning on buying more for Christmas. The Firebiner completely replaces an everyday object, and that is what truly makes it.
p.s. What to put in the vials?!? So many options. Cotton wool, sewing needle, thread, fishing line, strike-anywhere matches, iodine, bobby pins, a paper clip (for sim card removal!), hair bands, water purification tablets, prescription medication, Potassium Permanganate (firestarter, trail marker, water purifier all in one), alcohol wipes, bandaids, etc. Personally, I had a lot of trouble deciding and am still trying to stuff more things in there.
