Max Knives MKFSP — Magnesium fire starter, 24 g, compass and whistle

Overview

When every gram in the pack is counted, the MKFSP makes its case quietly: 101 mm long, 24 g on the scale, and three functions gathered on a single magnesium body. This is the fire starter you clip to a zip pull or simply leave in a jacket pocket season after season, because you never notice it is there. It uses the classic magnesium bar principle, adds a built-in compass, and stands apart above all through its whistle, a function no other accessory in this selection carries.

A whistle carries further than a voice

A whistle earns its place in a walking pack: it reaches much further than shouting, it takes no breath to keep going, and it still works when wind or terrain swallow a call. Three short blasts repeated at regular intervals form the signal understood in the mountains to give your position to a group or to a rescue team. Finding it here on the body of the fire starter itself saves adding one more object to the keyring: the function travels with everything else.

Technical specifications

Magnesium, 101 mm overall for 24 g on the scale. Compass built into the body of the tool. Integrated whistle, intended to signal your presence. Compact design aimed at hiking and camping. This is the lighter and shorter of the two magnesium models in the range: its neighbour the MKFSA measures 107 mm for 65 g and comes with a striker and a compass. Between the two, the choice comes down to carried weight and to the signalling function.

Care

A dry cloth is all it takes to put the piece back in order after an evening at camp. Dry the magnesium body before storing it, especially after a walk in the rain, and clear the whistle of any water it holds with a single sharp blow. The compass simply asks to be kept away from magnets, speakers and magnetic closures, all of which unsettle the needle. Stored dry in a closed pocket, the whole thing stays ready from one outing to the next.