Bic Lighters

I just carried a regular bic in my gear, I remember when the child proof lighters came out and I loved em, sucks to pull a brand new lighter out of your gear and find out during all the jumping around stuff shifted and held the button down on the bic and let all your fuel out.
 
I carry a generic, adjustable flame, disposable lighter or 2 in each of my packs as part of my fire starting gear. I take a small plastic wire tie or piece of tape and wrap it under the fuel opener tab. This prevents it from being accidentally depress while in my pack. If done right the wire tie can be slipped on and off so you don't have to cut it off and it becomes reusable. Wire wraps like what come on bread works as well.
Old Salt
 
Dreaded double-post, sorry.

GeoThorn

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Government Secrecy is inversely proportional to Government Accountability
 
oldsalt said:
I carry a generic, adjustable flame, disposable lighter or 2 in each of my packs as part of my fire starting gear.
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Which "generic" butane lighter do you carry, oldsalt? Any particular brand?

There are some that are better than others out there. The DJEEP disposable lighters supposedly hold a good supply of butane, about 4000 lights' worth. And Scripto still makes a pretty good disposable lighter.

oldsalt said:
I take a small plastic wire tie or piece of tape and wrap it under the fuel opener tab. This prevents it from being accidentally depress while in my pack. If done right the wire tie can be slipped on and off so you don't have to cut it off and it becomes reusable. Wire wraps like what come on bread works as well.
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That's a great tip! I knew that I'd held onto a few of those twist ties, for some reason! ;)

GeoThorn

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Government Secrecy is inversely proportional to Government Accountability
 
I use the large Maxi size Bic as my main lighter, and carry a Mini as a back-up (and a firesteel as back-up to my back-up!)

 
Geothorn wrote:
Which "generic" butane lighter do you carry, oldsalt? Any particular brand?

I just checked and they are Scripto.
Oldsalt
 
oldsalt said:
Geothorn wrote:
Which "generic" butane lighter do you carry, oldsalt? Any particular brand?

I just checked and they are Scripto.
Oldsalt
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Thanks, oldsalt! I didn't think that you'd choose a "generic" disposable lighter that would cause you any problems.

Some disposable lighters seem too cheap to rely on for simply lighting a cigarette, let alone in a true survival situation. The only thing is, you can only discover if a certain brand of "generic" butane lighter is too cheap and badly made to use if you've used it. They all look good and capable when they are in their packaging, before you buy them, and before you use them.

I've been lucky to find "Buy Five Get Two Free" Scripto-Tokai lighter packages, as well as 'Buy Five Get One Free' BIC lighter packages, though those specials are seeming more difficult to find, these days.

GeoThorn

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Government Secrecy is inversely proportional to Government Accountability
 
Agreed Geothorn. Guess I should have been calling it a Scripto all along, but until I looked real close the label escaped these old eyes. Anyway, they work for me. I also do not like the garish lighters that are shaped like a Nascar or an airplane or any number of other weird and ugly things. Whether they work well or not, I just feel they have no class, no Shibumi. That is why I like my old Brass Zippo or the no frills just business Scriptos.
Oldsalt
 
oldsalt said:
Agreed Geothorn. Guess I should have been calling it a Scripto all along, but until I looked real close the label escaped these old eyes. Anyway, they work for me. I also do not like the garish lighters that are shaped like a Nascar or an airplane or any number of other weird and ugly things. Whether they work well or not, I just feel they have no class, no Shibumi. That is why I like my old Brass Zippo or the no frills just business Scriptos.
Oldsalt
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I know what you're saying, about "old eyes." I think that you don't need to know what "name brand" your lighters are, as long as they work, and don't let you down...if they were crappy disposable lighters, you're probably more likely to discover their name, so that you won't waste your money, buying any more of them. ;)

I usually try to avoid buying Chinese stuff...but that, too, is getting tougher to do....

GeoThorn

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Government Secrecy is inversely proportional to Government Accountability
 
For some reason, in the survival community, lighters are about as highly discussed as knives. :)

I have a variety of lighters, spread about different kits. My faves, though, are the childproof D'Jeeps (unlike the Bics, the childproof feature on the D'Jeep keeps the fuel from escaping, not keeping the spareker from working; much better); with the D'Jeeps all you have to do is depress the little lever under the gas button and you're good to go. Easy as pie. I've also got a couple of Scriptos that have the same feature, but I've never been able to fnd that type again. So the 2 I have (unused) in kits is ALL I have. I do have Bics, both the large and mini, but prefer the D'Jeep and Scripto; especialy the D'Jeep. Not only does it hold more fuel, and have a better childproof lock than the Bic, but the D'Jeep is also realy easy to hold onto. Especialy if you add a few inner tube bands around the body of the lighter.

The last lighter I use in my kits is the same as the British clipper. Over here it's made by Ronson and is refillable as well as having the flints repalceable. No lock to prevent gas release, but it holds a fair amount of fuel and refillability makes it handy.

I do have 1 o2 Zippos lying around, leftovers from my Army days, but I haven't used them or even fueled them in years. I suppose I ought to break them out and buy some fuel; I still have plenty of flints on hand. I never throw out ANYTHING. :D
 
first off, NO Doubt to all the responders about "fixing" the child proof stuff, also this thread reminds me of when i was 15 or 16 and talkin about this stuff as if it really mattered,.......u like adjustable flame huh? that's lame, u just don't need it...................but besides that make mine balls out, fully up, blow torch, as high as u can get it!!!!!!!!besides that, seriously, just light a stick or somethin and the zippo? knew all the tricks to light them summabitches had a black mirror polished one in 92' which made me about 16 and knowin everything, late from a drunk 29 year old( drunk but still oh never mind
 
Its funny to read all the keyboard commando talk:jerkit: . I have a Zippo I take with me to the bar and whatnot to smoke because I like using a Zippo. When I go camping or canoeing I usually take Bic lighters and matches. I never put more than 2 seconds thought into it:jerkit:
Hell, when I was a Boyscout I actually had to start the proverbial fire with only two sticks! It was a challenge event and we all emptied our pocket lint, gathered dry tinder and then made a bow with a limber stick and a shoestring. It was the longest most pain in the ass thing ever, but now I know that if the SHTF I can start a fire with two sticks.
 
Edge,

If your point is that too much is being made of the diferences in lighters -- and it's not certain that such is your point -- you are entitled to that opinion.

Fire, fitting so many catergories of survival tasks, is surely worthy of some consideration. Some lighters work better than others. Some lighters will not work at all under certain conditions.

Two "sticks" are an uncertain solution for most. The SH'gTF may include a broken arm or frozen hands; in which case, a tool other than sticks may improve the odds on survival.

And, Edge, name-calling does not seem to facilitate communication or add to the weight given to arguments.
 
Point taken Tom. I don't mean to name call, I just think that the emphasis is on the wrong point. I just visualize people who put such emphasis on "tactical" gear and put all their faith into it. The most important thing in a survival sitution is between your ears. The fanciest lighter in the world is useless unless you know how to build an effective fire. I wonder how many people put all this time into lighter selection that don't even know how to properly consruct a fire, it's not just stackin' some logs up and busting out the marshmellows. When I went minilmist camping growing up lighters were discourage as the easy way out; so if I am ever in a situation, even the 99cent Bic will be a true luxury.
 
No need for an adjustable flame you say! Poppycock says I, imaging lighting your pipe with this!




day_flame-thumb.gif
 
Edge,

Your point that knowledge and experience are your best survival resources has been made many times here -- many, but it's important enough that it can't be made too often.

And folks surely ought to practice fire-building BEFORE it's absolutely necessary to make a fire.

I don't know what a "tactical" lighter would look like. Black, I suppose. Maybe with a G-10 cover.

The man who taught me how to use a fire bow and fire plow also said he was "suspicious" of anyone who went into the woods without matches. He could make a fire with a bow in about fifteen seconds time after time. (He was also "suspicious" of flat roofs and new boots.)

It would be good if everyone could get by with primitive tools. Most simply are not at that ability level and will not learn otherwise. For the rest, and for situations where one's abilities are degraded by injury, thirst, cold, hunger, or fear, it's a matter of what works most reliably in case life is on the line.

(The butane lighters I carry are all bright yellow so's I can find 'em. Typically, they go "dry" before they get used empty)
 
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