Ferro rod? mine sits in a box. I take bic lighters (2 mini) and a waterproof container full of matches.
The best tinder I've found, tho it probably isn't found everywhere, is old man's beard - a dry green lichen that you find in tufts on the bark of cedar trees. The second best is cotton balls with a little vaseline on them. Put little sticks on the tinder, then slightly larger sticks, then larger, then larger - soon you have the fire going strong enough to take a substantial chunk of wood and you'll start to see embers.
I carry my ferro rod everywhere! I've used it literally hundreds of times, when it's wet it starts a fire much easier than a lighter. It's not affected by wind, rain, nor does it need fuel. I love love love my ferro rod! And we don't have old mans beard here. But we do have juniper bark that is a wonderful paper like tender that has enough oils to hold a flame.
2 years ago I was hunting and got caught in a major down pour. We couldn't get a lighter to light so I took out my ferro rod and with in mins we where warming up next to a fire under a tree. Saved our butts!
Don't get me wrong I always carry a lighter too but I find the reliability of the rod worth it. I've given many as gifts but find most don't know how to use them properly.
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