One option for starting a fire is charring something like an old shirt or lint. Get a can, like an altoids can or pint size paint can, and put two small holes in it. Put what ever you are going to char inside, can be any organic material, seal it (so the holes are the only openings) and place it on a fire. Fumes will start to come out of the holes, the fumes will burn, once you can't see the fumes anymore plug the holes with small sticks and remove from the fire. The idea is you are "burning" the material without oxygen so the flammable material remains.
After doing this you can use flint and steel to light it very easily. it won't have a flame but will burn very hot and only get hotter with air flow, and is lighter than magnesium.

Also you can just use the igniter on a bic lighter to light the charred material. Yes you could just use the fuel from the lighter, but that eventually runs out. Charred cloth could be a backup.