Lighter for the outdoors.

I have a brunton helios lighter, expensive off the top, but so far very dependable. adjustable for altitude. I also carry bics and such. if I carry a zippo, I fuel it before I leave and put it back on the shelf when I get home.
 
I usually have a couple Bics on me in the woods. I typically have one that lives in a coat pocket, one in the pack in side my dry bag, and one in my pants pocket. Bics keep keep the KISS principle in effect (ie no extra fuel, flints, wicks, etc).
 
I carry mainly Bics, but for the past year I have a Windmill Trekker in my pack. This is a big lighter with a large resovoir. They are expensive, but with persistence can be picked up from the bay for a good price.
 
Joben said:
I've got a Chinese peanut lighter clone from Deal Extreme on my keychain.
Quality isn't as good as the real deal, but it works and is less than 1/3 the price.
I haven't had it long enough to see if it holds fuel forever like the real deal, but as long as the o-ring doesn't degrade theres no reason it shouldn't. :)
Click to expand...

I have a bunch of these including one that I EDC. I have left one that I filled with Zippo lighter fluid somewhere handy but didn't use it - after a couple of months I tested it and it lit up just fine. I don't know if they hold fuel forever, but they do last for a reasonably long time.

I bought a bunch of lighters from Deal Extreme and tested them - they have some good butane lighters. In almost every case the 'Honest' brand ones are better than the others - still a Chinese brand but they seem to be a 'cut above' all the cheap junk.

This one: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.11868 has proven to be a great lighter (mine ones didn't come in that colour) and I have used one quite a bit (refilled it a few times) - MUCH better than a Bic, decent sized fuel reservoir and you can see the butane level (handy when filling so you know it IS filling and handy in use so you can see how much is left). As long as I pack it so no pressure goes on the button (actually it comes with a little plastic piece that acts as a trigger lock, if you don't lose that then you can use it) then it is great to take camping - being wind resistant is a huge benefit at times. I also like not needing to worry about a flint wearing out. It would be a good lighter at several times the price!

For me if I have the lighter mentioned about and my peanut lighter: http://www.dealextreme.com/details.dx/sku.3734 then I am pretty confident that I am well equipped. But considering how cheap & small & light those peanut lighters are I always take more than one - just in case. Actually I'll often take a couple of those butane lighters as well - even if it means that I am carrying over $10 worth of lighters!!!!!!
 
Excelent, great to hear the peanut lighter clones hold fuel.
I ordered a few more to go on fire kits for friends.

I'll check out that brand of butane lighters too.
 
I got a couple peanut lighters from country comm for Christmas in 2008, and filled them up that evening. To this day I have never refilled them and I check them every three or four months and everytime they light on the first or second try. I'm sure they will make the two year mark in working order.


I did have a cheap light, not a Bic, go up in my hand a few years ago. The ball of flame was about 8'' across. Scared the crap out of me. Now, Bics and only Bics for me.
 
Everyone I know who smokes uses Bic lighters and the only advantage I know about them is that if they fail, they are super easy to replace. Does anyone know if unused, how long they will hold their fluid?

I've looked around for information on the Peanut Lighter and it seems like no one has tested it for how it does at lasting long storage. The best I could find is "months". It seems like it would be easy to test. Store it for a month and see how much fluid it loses, use it 20 times and see how much fluid it loses, then use some math and estimate how useful it is.

Also, with the Peanut Lighter, what happens if it gets flipped upside down?

MrPan, thank you for your post, this is the most useful information I've seen on the Peanut Lighter. Based on your information alone, I will probably buy one.
 
Doughnut said:
I've looked around for information on the Peanut Lighter and it seems like no one has tested it for how it does at lasting long storage. The best I could find is "months". It seems like it would be easy to test. Store it for a month and see how much fluid it loses, use it 20 times and see how much fluid it loses, then use some math and estimate how useful it is.

Also, with the Peanut Lighter, what happens if it gets flipped upside down?
Click to expand...

I think mine is up past 6 months. I tested it a week or two back and it lit. I don't have any data on the actual rate of loss, if any.

Nothing happens if it gets flipped upside down. Mine's been bopping around in a pocket for most of those months and it's fine.
Just like a zippo the fuel is held in cotton balls, so no leaks.
 
I have BICs and ferro rods/tinder or Doans tools stashed in all my packs and bags, and always have a peanut lighter in my pocket when I'm outdoors. The peanut shares a spot on one of County Com's wire keychains with an aluminum capsule full of PCBs and a Fenix EO1.

Years ago, I bought one of those electronic ignition, refillable, O-ring sealed butane outdoor lighters on clearance somewhere for about twenty bucks. It's been used so much the paint is almost all worn off it, but it still works great. Problem is, I have a hard time trusting something that becomes nothing but dead weight if the fuel leaks out (hence the ferro rods in all packs and bags).

I have a lot of faith in the good 'ol BIC. Even if you fall in the lake, you can usually dry out the rotary striker enough to get it lit. I don't believe I've ever had one leak.... (knocking on wood).

Stay sharp,
desmobob
 
I've had problems with the peanut lighter, too. Sparks great, but my wick has a really hard time taking a spark. If I trim the wick to expose fresh, non-charred material, it works...until I try to light it again.

Not worth the hassle. I'll stick with the mini bic.
 
I carried a zippo for years, same with a bic. I have never seen or used a peanut lighter, but I am intrigued. For me those "blowtorch" lighters never seem to run for very long. I want to post what I see as pros and cons for zippos and bics. Feel free to disagree, agree or just ignore.

Wet weather/submerged in water:
Bics can stay submerged indefitely and if dried out will work
Zippos if submerged too long will not work until disassembled, cleaned and fueled

Cold weather:
Bics will give no flame or small flame when cold, may crack when left below freezing too long, it can be warmed up and will function fine
Zippo doesn't care how cold it is, if fueled, it will work

Hot weather:
Bic will render a high flame and burn out of fuel quickly, seal may leak if left in direct sunlight for extended time
Zippo will render same flame, but liquid fuel will evaporate quickly

Wildcards:
Bics can show you how much fuel is left in it, will give in excess of 3000 flames, if the button is depressed while being stored/carried it will discharge. Bics require no external fuel source, bright colors that can be seen easily if dropped or lost, has a HUGE flint and be used to start tender if empty of fuel, cheap and can be found almost anywhere

Zippos are metal and can be polished to act a mirror, is refuelable both flint and fuel, has a built in wind break, connot be rotated sideways and maintain a flame, free repair if damaged no matter how, tension breaker/something to fiddle with, spare flints can be stored in the base, must carry external resivoir of fuel for prolonged use

There are more, I am sure, these are just things that popped in my head. "Flame On". Sorry, bad pun........ Moose
 
Doughnut said:
Everyone I know who smokes uses Bic lighters and the only advantage I know about them is that if they fail, they are super easy to replace. Does anyone know if unused, how long they will hold their fluid?
Click to expand...

Bics generally work, at least if it isn't too windy. They can be bought from just about any supermarket or corner store and are cheap.

How long will they hold their fluid?
I'm not sure, but it would be several years.
 
My only problem with the peanut lighter is that it unscrews and falls off now and then. Just lost one because that happened. Very frustrating.
 
Fire! FIRE!

i have gone BACK to a zippo, and will not leave. I EDC the zippo, as well as ferro rods in various locations. I practice various primitive methods as well. I am a fire nut, as it has come in very handy over the years. I do not think anyone will argue.

Bic lost me when the eliminated the adjustable flame. It does save fuel..and you can light a fire with it...but when i NEED a fire, or some heat to thaw something, the zippo is better.

Djeeps deserve an honorable mention, IME. I actually LIKE the childproof feature on it, as it keeps it from leaking out in pocket (bic, non CP Djeeps have done this to me) and is easily used with one hand..and it has an adjustable flame. made in france, if that is an issue.

The Zippo- i do not smoke, BTW and never have- when carried daily, and has little fuel thrown at it every 2 weeks or so is reliable as hell. LISTEN to the man who mentioned the inner tube on the zippo, for he is WISE. I cut the band so it nearly covers the whole lighter. It is easily rolled down to light, and can be burned as tinder as well. keep a shitload of flints in the butt...after the lighter is dry, you still have a sparking unit full of cotton tinder that is probably pretty dry.

as for waterproof? I have tested this several times, and am working on it all the time. i went swimming with both a Djeep and the zippo in pocket. Both were as i carry them, nothing special done beforehand.

after a few hours in the river, i went back to the room- vacation, you know- and began trying to get a light.

I took the rubber off the zippo, and dumped out the water- some got in, but not alot, the wide band helped- and blew it out. It lit after a few flicks.

the Djeep was more exposed, and required more work, but also lit within a few minutes.

I had filled the zippo before leaving for vacation, and i think that being soaked in fluid helped it to repel water. The djeep was sealed, yet was exposed, so it got more water in the nooks and crannies, thus requiring more drying/blowing/shaking time. I'll try this again, but in my mind, combined with its easy -but required-maintenance, plus its versatility with fuel and flints, the zippo is the long term winner.

Use the band. Fuel the damn thing. carry it. Use it. Pull that wick up a little and get yourself a 2-3" flame, and you can use that sucker for SHTF fire starting for a while. this gives you some time to perfect the hand drill.

ETA: and you will find Zippo's customer service to be second to none, BTW!!
 
This is what I carry. It was expensive when I first bought it, but it has lasted me many years and it always lights, regardless of wind.

brunton-helios-stormproof-lighter.jpg


This is a new Brunton model that looks really cool. I want one.

1.40235_e.jpg
 
Gadgetaholic said:
Bics generally work, at least if it isn't too windy. They can be bought from just about any supermarket or corner store and are cheap.

How long will they hold their fluid?
I'm not sure, but it would be several years.
Click to expand...

I have several old BIC´s and a few of them are more than 10 years old. They still have gas and they still work like a new one.

I used BIC in quite cold conditions (-30°C) and they are working fine as long as you keep them in a warm place close to your body. Reinhold Messner and Arved Fuchs used disposible lighters on their trip to the South Pole, but I don´t know the brand.

Furthermore, you can take a BIC lighter with you in the cabin during a flight which ensures, that you might have fire in an emergency situation.

Having said this, I always have other fire starters with me on a trip (matches, BCB stormproof and waterproof matches, DOAN Magnesium Fire starter and a ferrorod). I don´t like to stay cold!:cool:
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top