I had no problem getting a campfire started with this. I have found that using punk wood (wood that is rotted) works REALLY REALLY well! Just take a piece of punk wood and attach it to the focal point on the tab and in 5 to 10 seconds, you have a burning ember that is easy to work with and long lasting. Iv'e tried to get an ember on an overcast day and did not have any success so you need a clear and sunny day for this to work. Worth every penny in my opinion!