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As has already been stated here multiple times, it really doesn't get more simple than the bic. I have been studying fire craft all my life. Fire was my area of responsibility as a kid when my family did commercial fishing and trapping. I would be dropped at our chosen camp or work site, and I was to have the fire up and going good and hot by the time my father and brother returned with very cold wet hands, regardless of the weather. I got pretty good with fire at a young age, but it became a subject of serious study after dealing with frost bite while in an unfamiliar environment and nearly losing half my toes.
I never go to the woods without at least one bic, but mechanical parts can fail and fuel can leak so I also always have at least one ferro rod fire starter on me. Not all ferro rod fire starters are created equally. The LMF are ok, I've went through a few in the course of teaching classes. My favorite standard style ferro rod is the polySTRIKER from Exotac Inc. They throw awesome sparks. My wife had no trouble getting fire started using birch bark tinder the first time she used one.
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