Gear Review – Aurora 2SA Fire Starter

Recently, I have been in communication with the folks at Solo Scientific in regards to their fire starters. While I met Andy Putrello at a local “Preppers Expo” and bought two items from him, I was hesitant at purchasing another fire starter for my gear.

I was wrong and should have added this to my gear immediately, instead of waiting. Although the website gives a perfect overview of the Aurora 2SA Fire Starter, actually putting it into action proves it performs above and beyond what is described on their site.

While I will provide two pieces of info that speak to the reliability of the product from their staff, I will also show  just how good this little gem can be in a camping or survival situation. I say little gem because it is just over 3 1/2″ in length.

From site and staff:

We are very proud to announce that this model Aurora Fire Starter (2SA) has been approved by the Navy Diver Olympics (now called Navy Diver Challenge)see testimonial page.

With the Aurora 2SA, you will be able to start every thing from cotton balls and dryer lint to leaves, birch bark and char cloth. You can use the tungsten carbide blade to sharpen your knife in the field and the guided blade helps you use it at night. Ferroceriumrods all have cerium in them which is water soluble so one the rod is used a few times, protection is required, hence the housing.

 Let’s start with their new packaging. It clearly states on the bottom left hand side: Made in the USA. This becomes another bonus for this guy. Additionally, it comes with two cotton balls to get you started with tinder.

 

As I mentioned earlier this is a little gem because it is just over 3 1/2″ in length. This plus the fact it comes with a lanyard hole so I can add either paracord or shock cord becomes yet, another benefit. Keep in mind, if you prefer belt cases, you can purchase one from the Solo Scientific site. <- I did purchase one to add to my MOLLE webbing on by carry bag.

You can see clearly in the photo the O-Ring that is used for the aerospace quality, rugged housing to ensure the cerium stays dry even in the rain. Yes, although no photos assist in this, I did carry it outside during a rainstorm to ensure the solidity of the protection claim.

Starting a fire should not be a difficult job and even though it is very intuitive because of the 45-degree lifetime tungsten, carbide, cobalt Super Alloy Striking Blade, I wanted to show the proper way to hold the starter. While the adjectives are a mouthful, this does mean the blade will never dull. Note that my thumb is near the top in order to ensure proper pressure is applied to the striker against the 1/4″ rod. These little facts are one of the reasons the Aurora 2SA was used during a climb of Mount Everest.

Now comes the fun part that really does appeal to my pyromaniac side, striking the rod. A little secret that I will share, is when the package arrived, I opened it and immediately decided to strike the rod without forethought. I almost caught my socks on fire! While I am thankful I did not, I was truly unaware of just how many sparks would be thrown during the actual strike.

Keeping in mind the photo was taken mid-afternoon, this still shows that many large sparks are thrown. One other fact about the tool is it doesn’t just strike and throw up to 5,000 degree Fahrenheit sparks, but the angled striking blade also catches pieces of the rod in order to provide bigger sparks and ensure fire lighting within one strike. The demonstration video on their site proves this fact.

After all was said and done, I did generate a nice hot fire within my I.C.E. Stove and was able to do it with just one strike. This proves very beneficial as it saves wear on the rod and I did not have to shave any of the rod in order to ensure my fire was going to light.

As I come to a close and drink my fire boiled coffee, I want to provide you with one of the main things my posts share.

Just the Facts:

• Item # aurora-fire-starter2SA
• Size – 3.6″ in length x .625″ in diameter
• Colors/Cost: Silver – $27.95
• Black Anodized – $30.95
• Rescue Red Anodized – $30.95
• Add-on Belt Mounted Type Case – $9.95
• Also available in 440c Magnesium
  • Item # Aurora-Fire-Starter-440c
  • Silver – $22.95
  • Black Anodized – $25.95
  • Rescue Red – $25.95
• All order ship within 24 hours
• Demonstration video on their site
• Instructions on back of package
• Custom laser etching
• LIFETIME WARRANTY

Take a moment and use a credit card or PayPal and order this product. Also, send a note to Andy Putrello (info@soloscientific) and let them know you saw it here.

Until then,

Use your instincts to survive