When we get about 5 or 6 alcy stoves lined up, we ask one of the scouts to ‘light’ them. He lights a stove with one strike and from about 1 foot away! We watch the spark arch through the air and land in the alcy. So it’s entertaining to watch. We all go ooh and agh.
Works when it's warm out. Too often I'm lighting my alky when it's a bit cooler (ok, likely frosty) in the morning - and I find when it's cool the sparks often just don't ignite the alcohol that easily. not enough nice warm vapor. I need flame (matches or bic)
I keep the flint/striker portion of an old bic lighter in my cook kit to light my alky stove, but I've found that anything colder than around 55-60F and it won't do the job.
I really only have it in there because it fits in my nesting stove/cup/pot kit, and usually works during summer months. I have a mini-bic elsewhere in my pack, but I generally have to dig for it some, so I always try the striker first.
The trip I just got back from yesterday in the NC Smoky Mountains, I think I only had to get the Bic out one morning, when it was around 50F.
I agree with Jason though, that you need to be careful with any sort of sparking device though, so as not to spill fuel, and cause a big fire. It's easy enough to do with my sparker, but with a knife/firesteel I'd be pretty leery about it.
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