Please recommend a long-life lighter

M

MG_Saldivar

Joined
Feb 5, 2005
Messages
857
I don't smoke, and I carry a Boy Scout firesteel on my keychain, but I like to have a source of open flame in my pocket just in case I ever need to start a fire in a hurry (I live in Colorado and often commute on country roads, including during inclement winter weather).

I've carried a Zippo for a few years and it works well enough -- not that I use it much -- but the lighter fluid evaporates after about a week or so. Since I'm not a smoker, my lighter knowledge pretty much begins and ends with Zippos...

Can anyone recommend a relatively inexpensive lighter that doesn't need to be topped off frequently?

Maybe I should give up and carry a shrink-wrapped matchbook... :rolleyes:
 
Get a disposable BIC butane lighter for about $1.00. They last for years.
 
ronsec said:
Get a disposable BIC butane lighter for about $1.00. They last for years.
Click to expand...

What he said :) Honestly the nice things about Bics is reliability and ease of replacement. Plus as cheap as they are you can buy several for backup to store in various locations , also they come in yellow and orange for ease of spotting.
 
Remember to test those BICs regularly.

I regularly have my spares go "dry". A most annoying situation.
 
i stopped carrying my Zippo for the same reason

i have a Windmill Delta now, but i don't know how long it takes to have all the fluid escape, but there is a window to check it
 
I hate to admit it, but after almost 35 years of carrying my Zippo, I've gone to a Bic. Its (the Bic) not worth a tinkers damm in any kind of breeze, but alot lighter in the pocket, dosen't run dry on me at the worst time (when I'm trying to lite my pipe). If I get the light colored Bic, I can see how much fuel is left. Even some of the more opaque colors, if I put my small led light behind them I can see through it to check fuel supply.

The bic is so much more convienent than my zippo.

Exept out on the boat in a wind!
 
Thanks to all for your comments. Since I have a stock of lighter fluid on hand, I ordered one of these (although from a different vendor) because a review I found another EDC-related forum (hint) stated that the tight-fitting cover on these Austrian-made lighters makes them retain their fuel 4x longer than Zippos.

If if doesn't work, I can give it away (it cost $6). I will definitely look for some transparent mini-Bics, though. Thanks again!:thumbup:
 
I kept the Zippo case, but added an inexpensive Z-plus insert by Blazer. The flame is slightly smaller than the good ole PB-207 (I have one of those that's still going strong after 9 years). I've had my Z-plus for about a year now, and it still works flawlessly.

Guy
 
Zippo + Z Plus is great. Cheap to replace if it clogs (WILL happen if you use bad batches of butane)
 
I just received my Austrian lighter yesterday. I'm very impressed!

If you've never handled one - the model I received is made out of sheet aluminum that's been shaped into something that looks like a cylinder about the diameter of a AA battery but about 1/4 inch longer and a long rectangular box about 1/5" square and the same length as the cylinder -- the two pieces are stuck together along their long axis (see image in my earlier post, above).

The cylinder contains the fuel reservoir and wick; it can be removed easily to use as a tiny lamp or 'candle' yet the cylinder is machined in such a way that when it is 'docked' with the rectacgular box, which contains the flint and striker wheel, the cylinder has a tight seal at bottom (where the fuel is added) and the top (where the wick is).

I can easily see the fuel lasting much longer than in a Zippo (the tolerances are that tight), but I'll carry this as I normally carry my Zippo to compare...
 
If you don't use it often you can wrap electrical tape around the seam of the Zippo. So far it has lasted over three months with my lighting it every third day. (Yes, I keep a log) Without tape it goes dry in three weeks.

BTW, does anyone know how to make a post with either a table or with tabs like in a word doc? I would like to post the results but even if I use multiple spaces the forum automatically removes them.
 
Clint Simpson said:
BTW, does anyone know how to make a post with either a table or with tabs like in a word doc? I would like to post the results but even if I use multiple spaces the forum automatically removes them.
Click to expand...

I don't know if you can or not. You might try converting to pdf or jpeg and posting it like you would a photo. Worst comes to worse, you can print it and scan it.
 
There's a "list" button above the box you type your post in but frankly I'm not sure what it does; I've never used it. The easiest way is probably to do it in whatever program you like and take a screen capture and post that.
 
The list function just prompts you to enter items for the list
and then it diplays them like this, for an "ordered list":

  1. abc
  2. def
  3. ghi

and like this for an "unordered list":

  • abc
  • def
  • ghi
 
Well, my Zippo and my Austrian lighter were both topped off with lighter fluid on 9/15. I've set them both on a table in my living room and left them be, except for a 'test light' every few days.

Today, the Zippo was dry as bone, but the Austrian is still able to produce a nice flame! I'll keep the Austrian on the table and see how long it lasts on its current 'charge' of fluid...

AND I'm ordering a second!!
 
UPDATE

Just got my Austrian ligher to light up AGAIN with one click... Haven't refilled it (or carried it) since way back when I received it...

For <$8 including shipping, this is truly a monster deal!!
 
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