Lixada Fire Piston Kit Fire Starter Kit Survival Spark Magnesium Fire Starter for Emergency Survival Kits,Camping,Hiking

This did not come with the char cloth even though it it listed in the add. Even though it's the main component to start a fire with this tool. Even though it's listed on the boxes instructions

Hay que mejorar el diseño, se hace facilmenteGracias

Great set. Char cloth was not chared.

Bought this based on the pictures I saw online, and it came in the day I was going camping with the scouts. Good news. Bad news: Item was not as pictured. There was no char cloth. Had I known this, I would have made some in advance of the trip, but I expected there to be some in the kit based on the pictures. Instead of char cloth, there was some cotton ticking that I can turn into char cloth easy enough, and I did make some while camping so I could use the fire piston. Your mileage may vary, but I will be much more cautious next time, and I would not buy from this vendor again since the picture did not represent what I got.

So, was excited to try this. I am in the process of writing a Practical Prep article on making fire under different conditiions given different levels of preparedness from having planned ahead, to having nothing. Fire is essential to survival, and most overlook this in their preparations for emergencies. First, it does work, although because the product tolerances are so low, it was not easy to do so. You really have to add a lot of lubricant to help seal it, and make sure the top is very tight. These means that in addition to having a limited supply of carbon cloth (which ignites in the device to become your ember), you have to make sure you have grease to make the seal. You do get plenty, and a supply of o-rings which will eventually wear as well. You also get a supply of a canvas (why, i'm not sure), as well as some stuff for great tinder (in case you don't have some available). So, the kit is complete and has everything you need if in the wild. The drawbacks of this are that you will need some strength to make this work, and if you don't get a good seal, you won't get an ember from the heat caused by the sudden air compression. Finally, I wasn't real impressed with quality. The tin it comes in was dinged from stuff not being properly packed (I re-packed it in the photo, so it would fit better), and the base part had a flaw, which detracts from the appearance but not the function of the device. I only buy the best, when I shop for survival equipment, and this just detracts from my confidence in the product, confirmed with the lack of tight tolerances, and good seal without extra grease. But, it might just be that with the kinds of pressure and rate of change, it's the only way it will work. As a means of start a fire, while it works, I would say there are a lot more reliable ways, with no moving parts that take less energy to accomplish. But it is kinda cool. If it works without carbon cloth (e.g. with random tinder) then might be a tool to have in your bag as long as you have access to grease. One feature I did like is that you can put more carbon cloth or magnesium rod inside the base.