Agreed. When I have talked of fire building skills, I meant with matches plus emergency lighter if needed. I too love the REI matches. You can get the same effect cheaper with a regular match and a few of those no-blow-out birthday candles. Another interesting observation - I tried to use my REI matches this summer, and I had evidently kept them too long, because when I struck the match it literally fell apart, crumbled almost like powder. So check them at home and do replace with new ones occasionally.

Once you become hypothermic you are useless. The key is to recognize that you are becoming hypothermic before you deteriorate into true hypothermia.