Fire pistons are no secret to avid campers and survival enthusiasts, but you don't have to be the outdoorsy type to build one of your own. All you need is a few dollars worth of spare parts and some time. Here's how.


When you compress a gas quickly and violently, the gas gets very hot. Hot enough to start a fire, if you have something to burn. The trick is compressing air quickly enough to light some fuel in the vicinity on fire, and that's the concept behind the fire piston.

Over at Wildwood Survival, Rob Bicevskis shows us how to build a simple fire piston using some PVC pipe that can all be purchased at any hardware store. All you need to do is find two pieces of PVC that will slide between each other and then cap the ends and the sides so you have a firm, airtight seal and a decent grip.


Add some glue, Vaseline, and tinder to light inside the piston, and you'll never be without a way to start a fire, in any condition rain or shine, heat or cold. Best of all, you won't need to rely on dry matches or having enough fuel in a lighter. Most people will never need to start a fire with a piston, but the knowledge may come in handy someday, and it beats starting a fire by rubbing sticks together.

Model "T" Fire Piston | Wildwood Survival
