fire starter

[Hrusai]

(10 August 2012, 16:53)Skvez Wrote: Agree NR

Also in a damp environment there is a big difference between a glowing ember and a flame. (If you don't have the right dry tinder prepared it's the difference between nothing and a fire).

I also have concerns about the long term life of the rubber seal on a fire piston, will it still be sealing in 10 years?

they also require lubrication, which can be a pain in the ass to get you can use things like animal fat but it doesnt work as well as other things, and the seals certainly wear away, but the simple fact that it was a widespread tool used by many many tribes over a large area does serve to give validity to its real world use! personally i think they are certainly a cool and quick method, but i'd definately supplement them with other things like lighters and fire steels ....and whilst an ember and a flame are very different the key variable is experience at getting dry tinder, seasoned survivalists will always find dry tinder no matter how wet it appears, but its not something that you can pick up quickly, i learnt this fact rather quickly ....i guess my main advice is to practise blowing an ember into a flame, start with ideal conditions, then start using less and less ideal conditiosn until your able to do so even in the most wet and windy enviroments!...but never rely on a single method, 2 is one and one is none, words to live by.