You Can’t Light a Fire Without a [Nano] Spark

All-in-one-kit packages flint, tinder, and pivot into a tool that can be used one handed.

According to the Boss’ Dancing in the Dark opus, you can’t light a fire without a spark. Sounds pretty effortless, but ask any outdoorsman or home fire pit maker, and you’ll inevitably hear tales of frustration about how that lighter or soggy match just wouldn’t do the trick.

It so happens, a Georgia-based company called Exotac is tackling the problem of sparker engineering. The company, which a couple of years back launched Firesleeve, a kit that transformed a regular Bic lighter into a piece of outdoor survival equipment, is back at with their latest project, Nanospark. Nanospark, according to an article on Digital Trends, sets the bar higher for sparker technology by combining everything you need—flint, tinder, and pivot—into an all-in-one kit that can be used one handed.

As described by Digital Trends, Nanospark comes in a waterproof aluminum chamber weighing less than 0.6 ounces even with all the necessary firestarting tools. The kit comes with five pieces of QuickLight tinder, which is made of flammable-treated cotton and is primed for firestarting in adverse conditions, the article said.

The Nanospark, which has patents pending, is designed from the ground up to be used on the go. Exotac is aiming to start production this month and trying to generate additional funding through a KickStarter campaign.

About the Author

Beth Stackpole, contributing writer | Contributing Editor, Automation World

Beth Stackpole is a veteran journalist covering the intersection of business and technology, from the early days of personal computing to the modern era of digital transformation. As a contributing editor to Automation World, Beth's coverage traverses a range of industries and technologies, including AI/machine learning, analytics, automation hardware and software, cloud, security, edge computing, and supply chain. In addition to her high-tech and business journalism work, Beth writes an array of custom editorial content and thought leadership pieces.