It is stainless steel, and it has stops so it doesn't collapse too far, making it difficult to open. Other than that, it pretty much is a car antenna.

I just received the data sheet from Live Fire on what their product is made of. It is lengthy, but the gist is that it has a wide variety of chemicals in it, and other substances. The sheet describes many handling hazards, which are not shown on their web site. Among other things it has:

Cellulose
Paraffin waxes and Hydrocarbon waxes
White Mineral Oil, petrolium naphthalene
Kerosine
pine oil
C.I. Acid Yellow 23
Bisphenol A-epichlorohydrin polymer

So maybe Blast can tell us a little about these things, especially when combined.

Another point is that you don't see many cars with collapsible metal antennas anymore. Even portable radios with such antennas are rare now, at least on the street.

Dude, that bellows is a joke. Spent ten days canoeing out west....on two different occasions...and started a fire each night without something like that. Just something else to carry and keep track of.

" I will still go with the cotton balls and petroleum jelly"

thanks Montanero. nothing beats experience and testing :-)

I use lint from the dryer as tinder. it works well. that's why there are always "dryer fires" in peoples' homes :-) I hadn't thought about petroleum jelly - that did not cross my mind. I do use some Jungle Juice (100% DEET insect repellant) and that stuff burns well if you need a backup.

cheers,
Pete

Something to help petroleum jellt cotton ballsis a small square of aluminum foil or the bottom of a soda can under it.while the PJB is burning the petroleum can melt out into the ground.The foil or can bottom prevents that and extends the burn time....

BOATMAN
John

Yes, Thank you for the review. I like the ones a guy on another forum makes, but hard to light with a firesteel. On the other hand they burn hot for a very long time.He's still playing with them however.

Barbakane, as I stated, it does work and does improve your ability to deliver air to get the fire started. That is not a joke. I have started many fires in extremely difficult conditions myself, without such a device. I find this item to be helpful in that it improves the ability to start a fire faster, and it weighs almost nothing. So, each person now knows that there is an item available and have a good idea of how it works, so they may want to see how it works for them. Everyone needs to weigh their own needs against their limitations on what they can carry.

I respect your 2 canoeing experiences, but I have spent 34 years living in the woods,and I have started more fires than I can count. I have attended numerous DOD survival schools, some civilian ones, and I have taught it for years. So I think my assessment is not a joke.

Boatman, you are exactly right. Any good, non-permeable surface under the cotton ball can help it last longer, not to mention not losing heat in the ground.

Minnesota is basically under water right now, and everything is wet. I was car camping a week ago, and was having great difficulty getting a fire started, as all of the available wood was green and had a very high moisture content. I split some of the firewood into thumb-sized kindling and used fatwood sticks as a firestarter. The fatwood burned well, but the firewood merely scorched. I ended up using the top of a 18 gal tote to fan the flames to get the fire started, and several times to revive it.

I mention this because under those conditions, I may not have been able to get a fire going with what I normally carry in my day pack. I think the portable 'bellows' could be very useful when starting a fire under difficult conditions like the ones I mentioned, or in snow. It looks like it could double as a drinking straw too.

I appreciate when forum members test items and report. Thanks Montanero. I'm going to pick one up for my daypack.

First, let me say that I trust Montaneros opinion. Him, AKSAR, Hikermor and some others are serious experts on survival and I listen to them when they post.

That said, I don't think he said your assessment was a joke, but that the device is. Like you I have started many fires in brutal, life threatening situations. But I must agree that it sounds like one one piece of equipment to cary. I've never used the device or even used a straw, but primitive fire starting holds no interest for me. It's a lot of gear and trouble which a Bic and matches with good tinder can replace and do a better, faster and far more efficient job. I have a firesteel I carry, but have only used in my backyard and once in a public campground simply to show off. It will never replace a waterproof matches in my humble opinion.