Great tips!

I participate in 1600-1700 era reenactments throughout the year. One of the main things I use for fire starting is Char Cloth squares. Cut up an old t-shirt and use a mint tin with a small hole in the top. Drop some in the tin and put it in a fire until the hole stops smoking and you have a cloth that will hold any spark you throw at it. Perhaps I use an old school backup for the matches, but a flint and steel has come through for me before.

Youtube has quite a few videos on making char cloth.