Fire pistons were thought to have originated long ago among the indigenous peoples of South East Asia & Pacific Islands as a means of fire starting. It is thought that the fire piston may have developed out of blow pipe construction
Fire pistons (a.k.a fire syringes) were popular throughout Europe during the early nineteenth century. They were supplanted as a household tool with the development of the safety match in 1844.
They work on a principle similar to a diesel engine. As an atmosphere is rapidly compressed, the temperature rises. The compression of the air as the piston is rapidly pushed into the cylinder raises the temperature to about 500°F. This heat causes tinder on piston face to ignite.
Next, the piston is quickly withdrawn, and the smoldering tinder is transferred to a larger tinder pile such as hemp, sawdust, or other suitable tinder (see sidebar).
The Scout fire piston sold here is constructed entirely from modern space age materials and engineered to hold up under the harshest outdoor environments.
This compression fire starter was designed with the modern hiker, backpacker and survivalist in mind and features a high compression O ring seal for dependability. It’s completely water proof and impervious to the elements, works in the most extreme conditions - as demonstrated in this video:
This kit includes the Fire Piston - ready for use, and extra O-ring seal, roll of char cloth starter tinder, and complete " how to use " instructions.
It is important to practice. Tips and Tricks that are important:
* Use the base of your palm to get best compression as stated in the instructions - move quickly.
* The shape of the tinder in the piston bowl was critical - pack it in - make sure a small portion extends above the bowl level (not hanging over side of piston. Once you get it right you will remember the optimal charcloth positioning.
* A tiny amount of Vaseline on the o-ring helps lubricate and clean the fire piston as well.
* Periodically clean & dry the tube and piston, lubricate the o-ring with Vaseline
Some workable tinders that can be found in nature include milkweed down, cattail fluff, poplar cotton, and dry rotting wood. In addition, cotton charcloth, familiar to flint and steel firemakers works very well in the fire piston and can be made at home.
