After leather gloves, the Pocket Bellow is the second most important tool I would carry camping.
I unabashedly promote and endorse this product, without any compensation. The folks at Epiphany Outdoor Gear came up with a brilliant yet simple tool to help get a fire started fast, and sustain it efficiently.
This is not a car antenna. Pocket Bellows have special weld points inside each section which prevent the sections from coming apart.
You blow into the wider end, and the narrow end points towards the fire. Do NOT put the end directly into the fire. You will just speed up ruining the Pocket Bellow, and there is absolutely no need to do so. You want to position the Pocket Bellow about 6-8″ away from the base of the fire or coals and blow gently. Also, keep you hands off the end closest to the heat until it cools down.
Version 3 (V3) collapses down to 3.5″ from 20″ when fully extended, so it fits neatly into a compact Altoids Tin Survival Kit which you can throw into the car, or bug-out bag.
One important tip on storage: Make sure you wipe down the Pocket Bellow frequently after use. Blowing though the bellow will cause condensation to build up. Although Pocket Bellows are made of stainless steel, it is best to have the condensation evaporate first before collapsing it after use.
NOV 2018 UPDATE – I’ve noticed that Amazon now carries tons of Pocket Bellow knock-offs for a significantly lower price than the original. I’ve purchased a few to test them, and I have to admit that they are every bit as good as the original Pocket Bellows. The manufacturing is quite precise. I can find no faults with the knock-offs. So, you decide whether you want to buy from China or buy the original made in the USA. Most knock-offs are typically like the Version 2 Pocket Bellow — about 6″ long when collapsed, so they are a bit longer than the new V3 Pocket Bellow.
