Being prepared with several techniques will increase your chances of survival. Never depend on only one source of fire preparation. Fire is essential not only for warmth and to cook your food, but to decontaminate your drinking water, first aid sterilization, and is also a source of light. Some of the other methods of fire starting along with matches or lighters are a bow drill, natural flint and steel, a magnifying glass, or a battery and steel wool. Few people have found natural flint and steel to be successful because of the minute spark that is achieved upon striking.
Special tinder is required to ignite with the tiny spark that natural flint produces.
A bow drill also takes practice and expertise to assemble and use. A magnifying glass is beneficial during the day but is useless after dark. The battery and steel wool will work, if you have them with you, and if it is charged. The benefit of the metal flint and magnesium is that it works even when it's wet. The flint supplies an extremely hot spark to ignite dry or slightly damp tinder.