Nice little fire piston kit

  • Hey Guest, Early bird pricing on the Summer Moot (29th July - 10th August) available until April 6th, we'd love you to come. PLEASE CLICK HERE to early bird price and get more information.
B

Bushie

Guest
Hello all,

Ive been this site for a year now and have finally signed up. Ive taken lots of information onboard from various posts, relating to all aspects of Bushcraft.

Thanks to everyone who has contributed information in the past. This is a great site.

I would like to share a little secret with everyone......

Ive recently purchased a Fire Piston through some friendly chap on e bay (Fairttade01) and would like all you fellow bushcrafters to know about how good it is.

Some of you may know of them, but for those that dont...they are definately worth checking out. They have got to be one of the most impressive way of lighting a fire.

I took mine to a recent meet on Dartmoor (16 of us in total) and no-one had ever heard of a Fire Piston. You should have seen their faces when I showed them how to light a piece of tinder within seconds, which then lit a fire for us all to cook some food up on.

I think they are not just a very useful piece of kit, but educational at the same time. The kit I got comes with allsorts of extras....plenty of charcloth, instructions, lube, spare seals and you even get a neat little pouch that clips onto your belt for everything to sit it. Theres a few kits out there, but this one (with all the extras) has got to be one of the best! (and cheapest).

Theres a short vid on you tube of the kit.... (hope the mods are alright with me posting this link)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LjATCMASJPI

Ive had mine a few weeks now and used it to light several camp fires, without using anyother form of artificial fire lighter.

I think ive got my brothers christmas pressies sorted already!!!


Thanks for reading and keep up the good work chaps.


***BUSHIE***
 

Stryker

Tenderfoot
Aug 5, 2008
57
0
Durham
Hi,

Mine arrived this morning. Must admit I've had no success with it yet. I know it'll be a case of persistence and technique, but as with most things I'm looking for instant success,LOL.
 

launditch1

Maker Plus and Trader
Nov 17, 2008
1,741
0
Eceni county.
Youre not the only one!Ive had one ember that went out almost straight away.One ember out of about 40 attempts.I gave up with sore hands!!
 

RobertRogers

Need to contact Admin...
Dec 12, 2006
361
0
62
USA
Possibly it is like a fire bow in that you can try 100 times over a period of weeks. And then, eventually, it becomes quite easy to you.
 

Galemys

Settler
Dec 13, 2004
729
41
53
Zaandam, the Netherlands
Youre not the only one!Ive had one ember that went out almost straight away.One ember out of about 40 attempts.I gave up with sore hands!!

Make sure your tinder is good, fire pistons are quite critical about that. I found that, as a rule, if I can´t light my tinder with a traditional flint and steel than it won´t work in my fire pistons.

Cheers,

Tom
 
B

Bushie

Guest
Thanks to all wo have contributed to this thread. I get little time to go online these days so have not been able to reply.
Fire Pistons require a degree of accuracy and perfection. There must be good compression for the tinder to ignite when rapidly compressed. Ive noticed my rubber washer loosing air round the sides, so I just tighten the screw some more. Dont put too much tinder on.
 

stretch3144

Full Member
Feb 3, 2009
206
0
51
North Tawton, Devon
I also bought a fire piston online a few months ago and after many, many attempts to ignite it, I still cannot do it! It seems a waste of money. I got all the extras with it, watched a few youtube videos but still can't get it.
Think I'll have to stick to a firesteel, although I have been playing around with a flint and steel. Getting mixed results. I can get a spark (now and again) but can't get it to land on the charcloth!
Matches and a lighter may be the way ahead!
 

spamel

Banned
Feb 15, 2005
6,833
21
48
Silkstone, Blighty!
I also bought a fire piston online a few months ago and after many, many attempts to ignite it, I still cannot do it! It seems a waste of money. I got all the extras with it, watched a few youtube videos but still can't get it.
Think I'll have to stick to a firesteel, although I have been playing around with a flint and steel. Getting mixed results. I can get a spark (now and again) but can't get it to land on the charcloth!
Matches and a lighter may be the way ahead!

Perserverance is the only way. That is why these things are called skills! You have to work at them, and that is where the feeling of success comes from. You haven't failed, you've just learnt how not to do it! Keep going, you will get there in the end!

I found that sometimes simple things can be the difference between success and failure. If you push the rod into the hole on your fire piston and slowly push it down, when you release it it should push back out as the pressure under the seal forces the rod back out. If this doesn't happen, then you have issues with the seal and aren't getting the right compression. If it does, the look at your tinder. Good quality tinder such as char cloth or chegga should go up no problems. If your tinder is fine, then it is technique and for that you'll just have to practise! Plunge the piston down and immediately draw it out. If you go too slowly, the tinder will use up all of the oxygen and the ember will die. Get it out to oxygen ASAP.

Best of luck.
 

BCUK Shop

We have a a number of knives, T-Shirts and other items for sale.

SHOP HERE