Best "torch" survival lighter

abiggs

abiggs

Joined
Jan 6, 2007
Messages
955
I am looking for a good quality, reasonable cost survival lighter. Can anyone point me in a good direction?
 
abiggs said:
I am looking for a good quality, reasonable cost survival lighter. Can anyone point me in a good direction?
Click to expand...

I got one of these last week. It is adjustable, and can be locked on to use "no hands." It will run for 20 minutes on a filling.

http://www.westlake-electronic.com/store/search/1/detail/1/item_no/MAS-MT-5/index.htm

My other favorite lighter is a Colibri CX Gear:
http://www.lightersdirect.com/Colib....html?osCsid=ba112d422d4baa1cf90a30b396c3f629

For cheap drugstore lighters, I like the larger Cricket piezo electric models. They are long enough to get a good grip on and you can wrap a duct tape supply around one. Add a safety pin with the hinge end out before you wrap the tape on and you will have a lanyard ring built in. Other than that, salt Mini Bics all over the place.
 
I love my Colibri Triplex to light a good cigar. It is a "triple" torch and is well suited to its purpose.
1164882231-997-2.jpg


Personally, I think "torch" style lighters are too finnicky to be relied upon as a survival lighter. For my survival kits I have settled upon this lighter:

158611180-M.jpg


It is tough, reliable and small. It is waterproof and won't leak fuel. Both Countycomm and EDCDepot sell it for about $5. For that price you could have one in your kit, one on your keychain and one attached to the lanyard of your favorite knife.

Of course, fire is so important that it is always a good idea to have a ferro rod/mag bar as a backup.

-- FLIX
 
Im impressed with my permanent match. Bic lighters are the next best thing.

Why even worry about a "refillable" lighter? your more likely to find another disposable lighter laying around than a bottle of fuel anyway.
 
mr.trooper said:
Im impressed with my permanent match. Bic lighters are the next best thing.

Why even worry about a "refillable" lighter? your more likely to find another disposable lighter laying around than a bottle of fuel anyway.
Click to expand...

Small disposables are great for a PSK. They are cheap enough that they should be in you glovebox, a couple in the house, you day hiker gear, etc, etc. Refillables have better ignition systems and good capacity-- and you can see how much fuel is left. A quality lighter has to be refillable.

BTW, your permanent match is a refillable lighter too, as are all the Zippo style lighters. :)
 
The one I use is a simple one from the Jeep company, works really well, metal frame and all.
 
Dale

Have you gotton the first one in your post wet?

I love the jet flame, but i have gone through buying/returning 5 of the type pictured because it would not spark after gettting damp.

I got fedup with that in a big way.

Steve
 
DaleW said:
Small disposables are great for a PSK. They are cheap enough that they should be in you glovebox, a couple in the house, you day hiker gear, etc, etc. Refillables have better ignition systems and good capacity-- and you can see how much fuel is left. A quality lighter has to be refillable.

BTW, your permanent match is a refillable lighter too, as are all the Zippo style lighters. :)
Click to expand...

I know its refillable sure. I still use Zippos and my permanent match for day to day things, but for long-term SHTF survival in a suburban environment i think your just as likely to find new disposable than fuel do to the disposables ubiquitousness.
 
mr.trooper said:
I know its refillable sure. I still use Zippos and my permanent match for day to day things, but for long-term SHTF survival in a suburban environment i think your just as likely to find new disposable than fuel do to the disposables ubiquitousness.
Click to expand...

Makes sense. What I'm after with the mini-blowtorch is a lot of heat in a hurry. 2500F is hot :) It will last longer than the Bic on a refill and I could still use an aquired lighter if it did run out of fuel, although with a 20 minute burn time, I'm going to be making lots of fires before it quits.

I'm always thinking wilderness stuff and the local wildlife shut down their trailside hardware stores, so finding a Bic at 5000' on the west slope of the Cascades is gonna be more difficult now :D You wouldn't believe what the raccoons are charging for a six pack these days!:rolleyes:

A lighter is just one facet of my fire making gear. I have matches and firesteel too.
 
DaleW said:
I'm always thinking wilderness stuff and the local wildlife shut down their trailside hardware stores, so finding a Bic at 5000' on the west slope of the Cascades is gonna be more difficult now :D You wouldn't believe what the raccoons are charging for a six pack these days!:rolleyes:
Click to expand...


I realize this won't apply to you necessarily, but I'd like to caution people about using 'torch' lighters at altitude.
Friend of mine owns a cigar shop, and we went camping in the mtns of AZ. He told me my torch lighter wouldn't work, and I thought he was full of it.

@ 6200' on the Mogollon Rim, the torch lighter would not catch. So I pulled another...same thing. I had 3 with me...all were newish, had plenty of fuel and had been tested prior to leaving Phx, as I do with all of my fire making gear and batteries. Winds speed was nil, and the conditions were dry as a bone. (imagine that, Arizona :) )

Not ONE of the torch lighters would light. :eek: 2 were colibri; one a multi jet, one a single jet, and one was a scuba-tank style torch.

I was amazed that the altitude had such an effect. Needless to say, I prefer naptha and disposable butane flint lighters now.:p
 
2500F ? yes that is hot! that could solder silver solder if i remember correctly!

i don't have any unique suggestions; the ones posted look good.

i once had a disposable version of a torch lighter that had a little LED light built into the butt. it worked well enough, but when i went to refill through the little refill hole on the bottom, i discovered that it was just for looks and i had to throw it away. it was good while it lasted though...
 
I had a Brunton Helios that I thought was great I kept it fueled in my backpack,actually used it maybe three dozen times. Checked it one day before a hike and all the fuel had leaked or evaporated somehow and it will not hold fuel now.
 
All I carry are disposable lighters. My main ignition source is a small BSA Hotspark ferro rod.
 
angle iron said:
I had a Brunton Helios that I thought was great I kept it fueled in my backpack,actually used it maybe three dozen times. Checked it one day before a hike and all the fuel had leaked or evaporated somehow and it will not hold fuel now.
Click to expand...

Angle Iron,

Brunton is pretty obsessive about customer service. If you still have the Helios, you might want to send it back to them with a note explaing its failure. You may end up with a brand new one.

-- FLIX
 
I've tried a few of this type of lighter and found them not very reliable for outdoors. Get them wet, cold or at any altitude and they seem to give up.

I stick with a zippo these days, solidly made in the USA. Like an MSR stove takes petrol which is readily available and sets things on fire. Job done.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top