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They leak and dry up.
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Lighters
- Thread starter razorsdescent
- Start date
They leak and dry up.
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+1
A couple of these are small and light - better to have them in case you need them then not. I like to have a couple of butane lighters & a couple of peanut lighters & a firesteel. Nothing wrong with having options.
If zippo made a zippo that didn't leak, ran off of butane, yet still kept the traditional yellow flame, that would be great.
Also careful with the brunton and windmill stormproof lighters. Depending on where you are with them, the butane feul will not be able to vaporise, and wont be able to be lit by the piezo ignition.
this is just my opinion, but I think your better of buying a few bics, instead of spending 50 bucks on a lighter. Also a plus with bics, is that even if they do get dropped in a creek or left in a bottle of water overnight, just blowing the water out, and leaving it in your pocket for 15 mins will make it work again.
However if you needed that lighter to work without failing, maybe seal it in plastic, that way, no moisture can get inside, and when you absolutley need it, you know that it will work. Unless your in a torrential downpour and have 50 knot winds blasting you, well I don't think even your Brunton Helios "stormproof" lighter will work in that storm.
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Zippos are great if you are using and filling them all the time. If you're looking for back-up fire lighting tools that won't see action until the chips are down, Bics are the way to go. Also, I don't know about you, but I can smell a Zippo from a hundred yards on a windy day. If you are wanting stealth.... Bic it.
Bics are also impervious to water. The only reason why they seem harder to light after being submerdged is because water tends to sit inbetween the little ridges (and carbon build up) on the striker barrel. If you take the little childproof guard of when you get it, you can wipe the barrel with your thumb and instantly cure your lighter of H2O sickness.
Just bring a Bic and keep your Zippo for lighting cigarettes and firecrackers.
I don't disagree with Recondo4u... his Zippo probably worked well for him... but how much maintenence did it require? How long did a fill up last? Did you ever run dry? I have only been using lighters for 23yrs (I'm 38) and can't tell you how many times Zippos have failed me when I needed it the most. Bics have never let me down.
Rick
Rick
Bics are also impervious to water. The only reason why they seem harder to light after being submerdged is because water tends to sit inbetween the little ridges (and carbon build up) on the striker barrel. If you take the little childproof guard of when you get it, you can wipe the barrel with your thumb and instantly cure your lighter of H2O sickness.
Just bring a Bic and keep your Zippo for lighting cigarettes and firecrackers.
I don't disagree with Recondo4u... his Zippo probably worked well for him... but how much maintenence did it require? How long did a fill up last? Did you ever run dry? I have only been using lighters for 23yrs (I'm 38) and can't tell you how many times Zippos have failed me when I needed it the most. Bics have never let me down.
Rick
Rick
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Wow i cant believe all the zippo hate, zippos have beena constant companion to me for about 8 years, and they have never let me down as long as ive maintained them they have preformed. Zippos are the numbe one lighter out where i am and no one i know has had a problem with them.
Ive heard that if you put a ranger band around the opening that itll waterproof it and keep the fuel from leaking, ive never had cause to use it because i use it so often.
That being said bics are good reliable cheap and come in a variety of high vis colors.
If i end up buying a delta lighter ill post a review for it on here and see if its what it is cracked up to be.
Ive heard that if you put a ranger band around the opening that itll waterproof it and keep the fuel from leaking, ive never had cause to use it because i use it so often.
That being said bics are good reliable cheap and come in a variety of high vis colors.
If i end up buying a delta lighter ill post a review for it on here and see if its what it is cracked up to be.
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Don't get me wrong, razorsdescent... If I were to carry a lighter and use it everyday in an urban setting, it would be a zippo. Now, if you put me in a non-populated area, exposed to the elements, where I may have to rely on a lighter to make it through the night, I'd feel safer with the bic. You can leave it in a pack for a decade and it will still perform exactly as it did the day you put it in.
Rick
Rick
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Well for me i use it every day and im not going to be out of the wire for more than a few days at a time so its not really a big deal it can go the better part of a month without refueling. Also if i had to light a fire ( and it can get freezing here) id prefer a zippo the large oily flame just works well for me. Worst case scenario i can always take the bullet out of a round and stuff cloth/t-shirt and fire it into some purrel soaked paper.
I understand what you are saying and i agree. Bics are so much better than the disposable lighters they have over here. The point of my post was to expand upon what i already use. Im not going to rely on just one fire source but it just kind of seemed to me that a high perfformance butane lighter would have advantages over other lighters.
I understand what you are saying and i agree. Bics are so much better than the disposable lighters they have over here. The point of my post was to expand upon what i already use. Im not going to rely on just one fire source but it just kind of seemed to me that a high perfformance butane lighter would have advantages over other lighters.
I recently acquired a Ronson Jet Lite refillable Butane lighter. It's like a miniature blow torch, way easier to igniite things with than the standard Bic type lighter. What I dislike about it is that its useless as a light source. A Bic lighter has provided quick illumination for me on many occasions.
Been a lot of places with my zippo's since my first one in ... umm ...1954?.
Overfill them and put in your pocket you'll get a nice rash so don't do that!
Evaporate pretty fast? Yep especially in hot dry weather (like Yuma, the Mojave or certain parts of the middle east) just refill every day or two and you'll have no problem.
Zippo even makes some little containers now that will hold a couple of refills.
OR, you could do what I do, fill one up, put a 'ranger band' (maybe 3/4 inch cut from bicycle inner tube for those as don't recognize the term) over the top/ body joint.
Last way longer like that, month or better here on on the western slope, even in the summer.
There's a reason Zippo's have been the standard you measure others against since ... ummm the 1930's.
Wilderness, or the empty places, of course cary alternatives, just like knives, one aint enough. I prefer a couple of BIC, Cricket or clones scattered around, and a good firesteel, don't think much of the magnesium bars, but that's just me, some folks like em, probably know something I don't!
FWIW, I've never found the butane lighters to work very well at extreme cold (-20, -30 etc) or at altitude (10,000 and up) either case add a little wind and they don't work well for me.
Well, as always, JMHO, YMMV and that's fine too.
World would be a dull place if we all agreed on everything.
Regards,
...
Overfill them and put in your pocket you'll get a nice rash so don't do that!
Evaporate pretty fast? Yep especially in hot dry weather (like Yuma, the Mojave or certain parts of the middle east) just refill every day or two and you'll have no problem.
Zippo even makes some little containers now that will hold a couple of refills.
OR, you could do what I do, fill one up, put a 'ranger band' (maybe 3/4 inch cut from bicycle inner tube for those as don't recognize the term) over the top/ body joint.
Last way longer like that, month or better here on on the western slope, even in the summer.
There's a reason Zippo's have been the standard you measure others against since ... ummm the 1930's.
Wilderness, or the empty places, of course cary alternatives, just like knives, one aint enough. I prefer a couple of BIC, Cricket or clones scattered around, and a good firesteel, don't think much of the magnesium bars, but that's just me, some folks like em, probably know something I don't!
FWIW, I've never found the butane lighters to work very well at extreme cold (-20, -30 etc) or at altitude (10,000 and up) either case add a little wind and they don't work well for me.
Well, as always, JMHO, YMMV and that's fine too.
World would be a dull place if we all agreed on everything.
Regards,
...
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I think everyone has made good points about the good and bad features of different lighters.
The thing I could contribute further at this point is to not just take a product at face value. If you see a problem, don't write it off. The perfect example being fuel evaporation from a zippo. That doesn't mean they are junk, and to throw them out. As a few have mentioned, the ranger band works great, and there are many other "positive" attributes to just throw it aside. For example it has a simple, refillable, mechanical striking system that is easy to get access to.
Same goes for the bic style. Rick mentioned getting that darn child guard out of the way, which is a must
I think they are as great as everyone has mentioned to, but they too have a downside not mentioned yet. If you just "throw them in the pack and forget them til you need it" you still may be in trouble. If over the course of packing and re-packing and moving and hiking, you could have depressed the red lever, letting all your fuel out. It is not a hard issue to avoid, but they are also not as bombproof and trouble free as being alluded to.
There is also another quick fix to that and that is to put a zip tie under the lever to guard against accidentally depressing it. Of course, those can be tough to get off, keeps you from using the lighter on a "regular" basis and might even beyond your capabilities if you are in a real situation where you are cold and shaking.
I am not disagreeing with anyone in any way. Just saying that EVERYTHING has a trade off. Figure them out, and work to minimize the negatives.
B
The thing I could contribute further at this point is to not just take a product at face value. If you see a problem, don't write it off. The perfect example being fuel evaporation from a zippo. That doesn't mean they are junk, and to throw them out. As a few have mentioned, the ranger band works great, and there are many other "positive" attributes to just throw it aside. For example it has a simple, refillable, mechanical striking system that is easy to get access to.
Same goes for the bic style. Rick mentioned getting that darn child guard out of the way, which is a must
I think they are as great as everyone has mentioned to, but they too have a downside not mentioned yet. If you just "throw them in the pack and forget them til you need it" you still may be in trouble. If over the course of packing and re-packing and moving and hiking, you could have depressed the red lever, letting all your fuel out. It is not a hard issue to avoid, but they are also not as bombproof and trouble free as being alluded to. There is also another quick fix to that and that is to put a zip tie under the lever to guard against accidentally depressing it. Of course, those can be tough to get off, keeps you from using the lighter on a "regular" basis and might even beyond your capabilities if you are in a real situation where you are cold and shaking.
I am not disagreeing with anyone in any way. Just saying that EVERYTHING has a trade off. Figure them out, and work to minimize the negatives.
B
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Nice call on the little red lever, Bri.... I have Kydex caps for mine.
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That sounds cool Rick. Do you have a pic? I can't say that I have not seen a kydex cap button guard. That would rock :thumbup:
B
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Okay....I gotcha 
I have seen those before. When you said "cap" I was thinking you devised some sort of smaller piece that just fits over the silver/red part, and that was it.
B
I have seen those before. When you said "cap" I was thinking you devised some sort of smaller piece that just fits over the silver/red part, and that was it.
B
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This thread is quite timely for this experiment.
Yesterday afternoon I was cleaning up the back yard and found an old bic buried at the bottom of my dirt pile. It had been there a minimum of all winter long (and under snow), possibly even longer.
It was at the bottom, so it was among more than woods. Dirt, sticks and leaves.
Child guard still attached.
After I found it, I set it on my back porch. It rained all evening and then who knows how much last night. It just got done raining again and I figured (mostly because of this thread) it would be a good time to try and fire it up. Knowing it was wet, the guard was going to have to come off.
I tried firing it up without doing anything, and no luck. It was too wet. I could hear gas escaping though, so that was a good sign.
I used Rick's Trick for quickly drying out a bic.
In a matter of a few rolls, it was going.
I have to admit, that was pretty impressive.
I was wondering where that lighter went
B
Yesterday afternoon I was cleaning up the back yard and found an old bic buried at the bottom of my dirt pile. It had been there a minimum of all winter long (and under snow), possibly even longer.
It was at the bottom, so it was among more than woods. Dirt, sticks and leaves.
Child guard still attached.
After I found it, I set it on my back porch. It rained all evening and then who knows how much last night. It just got done raining again and I figured (mostly because of this thread) it would be a good time to try and fire it up. Knowing it was wet, the guard was going to have to come off.
I tried firing it up without doing anything, and no luck. It was too wet. I could hear gas escaping though, so that was a good sign.
I used Rick's Trick for quickly drying out a bic.
In a matter of a few rolls, it was going.
I have to admit, that was pretty impressive.
I was wondering where that lighter went
B
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The video for that link is messed up, Bri. I'll have to shoot another.
Essentially you remove the guard like Brian shows and use a rag/shirt/nail/skin/sock/stick to get the residue off of the striker barrel. The groves and the gunk hold the moisture.
Good stuff Brian!
Rick
Essentially you remove the guard like Brian shows and use a rag/shirt/nail/skin/sock/stick to get the residue off of the striker barrel. The groves and the gunk hold the moisture.
Good stuff Brian!
Rick
Last edited:
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It seems Rick has removed that vid. Can you describe "the trick"?