The Bic lighter is for redundancy. In a bad situation, like its after dark, you have a hand injury, and the bugs are eating you alive. Would you rather have to scrape off magnesium chunks, work on finding extra small tinder and then try to spark it with one hand? Its kind of a PIA to get a fire going with that method in decent conditions. Or would you rather just pull out the Bic lighter and have a fire going rather quick? I would still definitely have a magnesium fire stick with me, but for back up, not for a first go around. Bic lighters dry out fast after getting wet. Put it in your front pocket before you leave and forget about it... Having a fire going quickly helps with confidence and is a great way to keep the bugs at bay in the middle of nowhere. Trust me, the bugs at night will eat you alive and drive you insane.