In article
,
Mark628CA wrote:

Hi-

I have a 50,000 year old method of starting a fire using two sticks
and a lot of patience. Have there been enough technological advances
to make it worthwhile spending the money to upgrade to what I
understand are called "matches," or possibly the latest butane powered
fire starters?

Please reply soon, as winter is coming.

These "matches" may be fine for retired rich folk, and are probably
useful for competing in the World Fire Championship, but they completely
ignore the reality of the current state of fire in the US. How do you
expect young pyromaniacs to participate in fire when they have to pay
for matches, on top of tuition and books and all the rest?

No young people show up at my fire pit expecting to see shiny new
matches, and none of them get scared away by people rubbing sticks
together. They just want fire, they don't care about the latest shiny
doodads. If everybody upgrades to matches, it will kill the sport!

(Was that about right?)

--
Mike Ash
Radio Free Earth
Broadcasting from our climate-controlled studios deep inside the Moon