Posted: 7/7/2012 9:36:24 AM EDT
| any of you guys own one? i am thinking of getting one from goinggear.com and keeping it in my bag. or will a plan old fire steel work? |
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I made one with the intent of it being a prototype of a Boy Scout advancement gift.
Managed to make it work once, then it never compressed again. I would like to see how consistently the professionally made versions work. If they are truly reliable then for the size I think they can complement a firemaking kit adequately. If you don't habit an area that produces natural tinder, you'll have to carry your own char cloth. Also the rings or gaskets are a consumable item. They are not a perfect solution, obviously. If you can reliably get a fire going with a firesteel, it makes sense just to carry that. The piston is just one more method in the kit bag. Wouldn't rely on any one method to the exclusion of others. |
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Quoted:
I made one with the intent of it being a prototype of a Boy Scout advancement gift. Managed to make it work once, then it never compressed again. I would like to see how consistently the professionally made versions work. If they are truly reliable then for the size I think they can complement a firemaking kit adequately. If you don't habit an area that produces natural tinder, you'll have to carry your own char cloth. Also the rings or gaskets are a consumable item. They are not a perfect solution, obviously. If you can reliably get a fire going with a firesteel, it makes sense just to carry that. The piston is just one more method in the kit bag. Wouldn't rely on any one method to the exclusion of others. I think I'd like to make one with some local locust and maple, with something simple for a seal. Posted Via AR15.Com Mobile |
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They are pretty cool, But I dont know that I would carry one as a survival tool. You could replace it with a bic lighter, in a waterproof package and have a much more reliable option, without much if any extra size or weight.
Magnesuim blocks seem to be the single best way to make it happen, if you don't have a lighter. With a magnesium block and the wood saw on any multi-tool or army knife, I can "usually" go from grabbing a handful of twigs and leaves, to a fire in less than 4 minutes. If you use the saw to cut a trough into a piece of wood (into the end works good), saving the sawdust, and repack the trough with the sawdust. Then scrape your magnesium onto a card, plastic, leaf, etc. and dump that onto the sawdust. Then strike away. I have actually had the sawdust "Burst into flames" using this method. |
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I've used them. They can work but they are about 100 times fussier than a fire steel and good tinder. The fire piston is, in my opinion, a neat toy for boy scouts but the fire steel is far more reliable. I do not currently own one.
If you want good fire starting in all weather, its quite hard to beat a decent large diameter fire steel, a decent striker and a cotton ball with vaseline. fro |
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Besides two boxes of stormproof matches, my daily BOB has a mag/firesteel block and a vacuum-packed bag of cotton balls with vaseline (something I picked up on here, and LOVE how well it works). I have also carried a firesteel in my wallet for the last 25 years or so.
I've never been very impressed with the piston fire starters, other than the initial "OOOoooooh! That's NEAT!" |
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you won't be dissapointed with goinggear.com. I have the added benefit of them just being right up the street. everyone there is very knowledgeable and all the stuff they sell is good quality stuff.
I don't have a fire piston yet but if they endorse it I would buy it. they have never let me down before! the owner is in the GAHTF quite alot too. great group of guys. |
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Quoted:
I own a professionally made one. If you want to carry it make sure you practice with it a LOT in different conditions. Mine is a fussy bitch sometimes Indeed. I got one for Christmas a couple of years ago. I've managed to create some embers but nothing to start a fire with. 
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I used one during my mountain man phase.
As someone said, they are a neat toy but you need to ask what the purpose is? If for use 1-6 months after TEOWAWKI, a BIC and a baggie of cotton balls soaked in Vaseline is the smallest/lightest/most reliable method of fire starting. If you need to create a fire for 1-3 years, a box of disposable BIC lighters would work better. If for >3 years, the seals on the piston would wear out and not be easily replaced. For that period a flint and steel would be hard to beat. |