Most discussions about emergency firestarting discuss the tinder or the spark. IMO, the most important part of any firestarting, but especially important in the emergency is the preparation of the wood beyond the initial spark or the tinder which will ignite the main fuel.

I love birch bark, I am fortunate to have it every where. It works great and one doesn't need a lot. Same with the cotton ball w/vaseline, or the paraffin soaked newspaper firebugs we made back in the day. Another favorite is the tiny small dead twigs from hemlock, spruce, and other evergreens. All of them are great and instantly ignite super dry fuel wood.

Most people fail at fires when the fuel isn't dry and they don't know how to deal with it. I have seen people try to light this type of fuel with a bunch of vaseline cotton balls, some extra purell squirted on the "log", etc... All the "emergency firestarting methods". Their problem wasn't the tinder or the spark, but prepping the fuel. While i watch them try and fail, and someone else takes over trying the same thing with the same results, I am prepping the wood to ignite from my small square of birch bark. When the others finally give up, or they have used up all their cotton balls and TP, I light the fire with a single match. Not because I am special, or have super powers, but because I spent the time to prepare the wood which is used to light the main fuel.

IMO, the most important (and most neglected) part of firestarting is the wood and technique in between the "ignition" and the main fuel.