So here I am wandering the web and I find myself gawping at more fire-pistons. I must admit I've developed more that a little fascination for these wonders of fire making. I've made a few myself with varying degrees of success, and I'm slowly learning what constitutes a good one, and a mediocre one. Theres one fact staring me in the face though, charcloth gets damp in the UK, no ifs - no buts, if you've been storing this stuff for more than a few weeks, the effectiveness startsto fade. I have an order of Chaga, Innonotus Obliquus, True Tinder Fungus on its way from the States and I'm hoping for good things from this supposed pinacle of ember making. I also have some Artists Conk Fungus at home with the thinnest layer of amadou that I'll have to get around to preparing. Supprisingly, around my home location, up in the hills of Mid Wales, I can't find much in the way of fungus suitable for fire lighting. I've found Cramp Ball Fungus around South Wales, but little more than Fly Agaric and Horse/Field Mushrooms where I live. Perhaps I've just not done enough experimentation. Then I've also promised myself a play with some wood punk that I think I'll try charing to see how that performs with my fire lighting set up.

As for firelighting methods, apart from the pistons already mentioned, I regularly use a Firesteel, Flint & Steel and Bow Drill to get fires going - and all those with natural tinders where I can. The one skill that I'm determined to master at this years Bushmoot will be the Hand Drill, under the tuition of our very own Rich59.