I can see a fire piston being extremely useful in a long-term hunkering-down-at-home situation. You will probably have other people around, and that's the time you would find out that all of them want to start a fire, but don't know how.

Yes, I know... everyone here knows how to start a fire. But try this:

I have two sisters, one smart and one is an idiot. (Idiot in the insulting use of the word.) The Idiot was visiting from out of state. Ten minutes in the same room with her has me trying to crawl up the walls. She wanted to start a fire in the stove. Fine, I gave her a new box of strike-anywhere wooden matches and I escaped to run a few errands. When I returned, she was still trying to start a fire... with the matches and three large pieces of split firewood. There was a box of kindling and some small sticks and some Coghlan's firestarting sticks (sawdust/wax) right beside her, none of which she had attempted to use. Most of the box of matches was gone. The firewood had a few smoke marks on it.

Never underestimate stupid, esp in a survival situation.

Also, when the power goes out and there's three feet of snow on the ground is when some people discover they forgot one little thing... matches.

Sue