What kind of lighter?

The Clipper is a much better product compared to Bic.

I also use a Titanlight, but it loses its fuel within a week or so, not as fast as a Zippo (couple days days max, even with a Thyrm case). The Titanlight is probably the best choice for wet weather, but it does not have the fuel retention longevity of a Clipper or a Bic butane lighter.
 
Elgatodeacero said:
The Clipper is a much better product compared to Bic.

I also use a Titanlight, but it loses its fuel within a week or so, not as fast as a Zippo (couple days days max, even with a Thyrm case). The Titanlight is probably the best choice for wet weather, but it does not have the fuel retention longevity of a Clipper or a Bic butane lighter.
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There is obviously something wrong with your Titanlight and it should be sent back to Exotac for repair or replacement.
 
The Titanlight lighter works fine and it’s very nicely made, it just loses fuel to evaporation. Even o-rings can’t stop that.

I also do not love that it will leak fuel on opening if is has not been stored upright. Also just a fact of life with cotton packed liquid fuel lighters.

I would like to hear how long others find fuel remaining in their Titanlight.
 
TWBryan said:
I stored bics once with some lighter wood in a plastic tupperware container. Tried one after several years in storage, and the ferrocerium flint had turned to powder. I'll second the titanlight lighters.
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My guess is the fact it was stored with wood in a container caused the issue.
Even “dry” wood has moisture and can collect moisture in an environment with high humidity.
 
In general, I have Bics hanging around (I smoke, and you go to Hell if you use a Zippo to light a cigar).

For camping I do bring a Zippo along. I know, you actually have to pay attention and fill it before you go, maybe even carry a small bottle of fluid if you're going out for more than a few days or a week (yes, typically, my Zippo goes a week with twice daily use). The other thing I like about the Zippo more than the Bic, is that you can light it, hold it by its top instead of the body, and hold it under your tinder for longer periods of time to light "problem child" tinder.

I admit the titanLIGHT looks intriguing as a possibly better solution.

I used to have a nice piezo-electric torch lighter I used for cigars and camping and it would light tinder in a jiffy. But it died on me and the 6 or so I've bought since then lasted at most a week before dying. No way would I rely on them.
 
I had this Brunton lighter, it was a pretty fancy, unreliable piece of garbage. Bic lighters are tough to beat, although Will Ferrell made a pretty compelling case for Zippo lighters in Land of the Lost.
 
FoxholeAtheist said:
I know this is an older thread, but for those of you buying inexpensive lighters, check out the Clipper. It's not much more than a Bic, and it has two advantages: 1) Refillable 2) the striker pulls out so you can use it directly on tinder. For example:
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I cannot find a local store that sells Clippers. Strange.
 
The thing that I have found with wanting a good lighter is that the only good lighter is the one that works and is on you when you need it. For me that pretty much means accuracy by volume. Bics, extotac lighter covers, cheap peanuts, just keep lots of lighters around so that you always have a couple. I live in a super humid environment and so struggle to keep flints from corroding away. So in some ways they are just a consumable, just like the food stocks. As much as shipping sucks, I'm better off buying a few and more often than trying to have a dragon horde.
The only think I've found about zippos is that during the summer here, they will go from full to empty in about six hours in the pocket if working outside, so I need something with a valve or seal.
 
gadgetgeek said:
The only think I've found about zippos is that during the summer here, they will go from full to empty in about six hours in the pocket if working outside, so I need something with a valve or seal.
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A snack size ziplock bag or even a little plastic wrap would solve this.
 
Bic’s have always been my go-to. Very reliable in my experience, though the child safety nonsense has to go and I miss the adjustable flame greatly. That said, I’ve never had a Bic flint corrode away but I can see how it could happen. Does anyone have any experience with a piezoelectric type lighter? Long term, adverse weather, etc. I wonder how they would hold up.
 
rje58 said:
A snack size ziplock bag or even a little plastic wrap would solve this.
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I hear what you are saying, but when the shade temps are hitting 34 C (93F) and so cracking well hotter in the sun/pocket, that seal does need to be very robust. It could just be me, but I've not found that I can keep a method like that intact while working. If the zippo was the only available option, or it had some vastly superior property then those methods would be where I would start looking and make it work. However, the other options are just as good (if not better depending on the use case) and so for me, I'll take the lower bar of entry.
 
gadgetgeek said:
I hear what you are saying, but when the shade temps are hitting 34 C (93F) and so cracking well hotter in the sun/pocket, that seal does need to be very robust. It could just be me, but I've not found that I can keep a method like that intact while working. If the zippo was the only available option, or it had some vastly superior property then those methods would be where I would start looking and make it work. However, the other options are just as good (if not better depending on the use case) and so for me, I'll take the lower bar of entry.
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Completely understand! I was just hoping to point out a reasonable solution to a problem that someone else brought up. Personally, I use Bics and Zippos, I like to have different options available to use in different conditions. I rarely find myself in hot, dry conditions, but I haven't had any issues keeping small ziplocks intact while carrying them, except for the el cheapo 'dollar store' type. I agree it is not an ideal or particularly convenient solution - but it is a workable one, in my experience.
 
gadgetgeek said:
I hear what you are saying, but when the shade temps are hitting 34 C (93F) and so cracking well hotter in the sun/pocket, that seal does need to be very robust. It could just be me, but I've not found that I can keep a method like that intact while working. If the zippo was the only available option, or it had some vastly superior property then those methods would be where I would start looking and make it work. However, the other options are just as good (if not better depending on the use case) and so for me, I'll take the lower bar of entry.
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When I lived in the south with temperatures like that, I bought a Zippo pouch and wore it on my belt. Using it 3-4 times a day, I could go 5 days minimum without refilling it.
 
B_Cridhe said:
When I lived in the south with temperatures like that, I bought a Zippo pouch and wore it on my belt. Using it 3-4 times a day, I could go 5 days minimum without refilling it.
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Not shocking at all to me that it would work for someone other than me. I figure that in many ways I'm a "worst-case scenario" for a lot of gear.
 
gadgetgeek said:
Not shocking at all to me that it would work for someone other than me. I figure that in many ways I'm a "worst-case scenario" for a lot of gear.
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I think it depends on the particular Zippo. I've had ones that failed within a week (the pin for the striker wheel broke. Some don't fit the insert to case well. I've had them where they'd barely go in and out. You probably got one with a loose fit, so it evaporates faster.
 
Bic is the obvious choice for price, availability and solid dependability but has zero cool/fun factor. Bics and a fero rod have you covered but there is nostalgic magic in the click of the lid and the flame put off by a Zippo. Right till you overfill it and it leaks in your pocket! They were the standard when I grew up and nearly everyone smoked back then. There are so many cool options out there now and the discussions, pictures and thrill of the hunt is all part of the fun. I have 2 Zippo’s sitting on the shelf and have bics scattered about for more serious service needs. Bic in your pocket and one in your fire kit should provide you with a dry one at all times but the gear junkie in me loves to look further.
 
This brings back memories! Once upon a time I wanted the best lighter and just couldn't accept that the best lighter was a cheap mass produced bic. I tried many different ones trying to outdo the bic. convinced myself that zippos were better you just needed to always have spare parts and extra fuel available. Nope. Fancy refillable butane lighters. Seemed that after a few refills they were less than perfectly reliable as well. Nope. In the end the bic lighters won. I have some bics that are verified over 20 years old and still work like new. (I habitually replace them in glove boxes and bags every couple years or so, but never have I found one dead.)

That said, I carry a Prometheus Design Werx Titanium zippo clone in my pocket every day. The Prometheus lighter has a tighter fitting machined lid that has a oring seal, so it doesn't evaparate like a typical zippo. (About $160 when I got it.) But in the get-home bag, backpacks, first aid kits, glove box, etc. it's always a few bics. I don't smoke, but having a knife and fire available at all times appeals to the caveman inside of me.

Grizz
 
Another vote for Bic here. I had a butane lighter, same as wvaltakis and it was robust and lasted for years. I found an old Bic lighter in my duffel bag from the Army, and it still worked on the first flic. This was when they were made in France. I hadn’t been in that bag for over 20 years.
 
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