UCO Stormproof Match Kit review: matches that won’t quit
When your hands are cold and the wind is up, nothing beats a match that simply will not go out. UCO Stormproof Matches burn through wind and rain, and even relight after being dunked in water.
New to fire-building? See our guide to building a fire for how to have tinder ready before you strike.
Quick take
The most foolproof fire source you can carry. These matches light in wind and rain, keep burning if you drop them in a puddle, and come in a waterproof case with spare strikers, for a few dollars. They’re a backup, not a bonfire, but as an everyone-should-have-them fire-insurance policy, nothing is simpler or more reliable.
What it does
UCO Stormproof Matches are oversized wooden matches coated so the whole head and much of the stick burn with a wind- and waterproof flame for around 15 seconds each, long enough to light tinder or a stove in bad weather. The kit includes 25 matches, three strikers, and a rugged waterproof case with an O-ring seal and room for spares, plus cotton attachment pieces to tie it into a kit. Dropped in water mid-burn, a lit match sputters and reignites once it clears the surface. The trick that gives them their name. They need no technique: strike, and you have a reliable flame in conditions that defeat a lighter.
What verified buyers say
Across verified-purchase reviews, the same points come up:
- They actually work in weather. Buyers report the matches light and stay lit in wind and rain where ordinary matches fail.
- Relight after a dunk. Owners repeat the party trick. Drop a burning match in water and it comes back to life.
- The strikers work. Several note the included strikers genuinely ignite the matches, unlike some competitors.
- Cheap, potentially lifesaving. A common refrain: a lifesaving item for very little money, and a great backup to a ferro rod.
Worth knowing
Two honest limits. You get 25 matches, a finite supply, so treat them as backup, carry spare strikers, and keep the striker dry (a wet striker won’t light them). And each match burns hot and fast, so have your tinder ready before you strike. They’re superb insurance, not an everyday fire method. Pair them with a thick ferro rod for an unlimited primary source.
Who it is for
For everyone, in every kit. Car, pack, canoe, and bug-out bag. A first-timer can use them with zero skill, and an experienced tripper carries them as no-fail backup when a ferro rod’s tinder won’t cooperate. Add a thick ferro rod for unlimited sparks and some fatwood tinder to catch them.
Specs at a glance
Contents: 25 matches, 3 strikers, waterproof case · Burn time: ~15 s each · Windproof & waterproof (relights after submersion) · Best for: no-fail backup fire in bad weather
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The Verdict
UCO Stormproof Matches are the simplest fire insurance in the outdoors: strike them and they burn, wind, rain, or dunk. Carry a case in every kit and back them with a ferro rod for unlimited sparks. New to fire-building? Start with our guide to building a fire.
