ZIPPO

MAURICE

MAURICE

Joined
Jul 14, 2000
Messages
3,278
so,what do you guys think about these things?its probably been discussed before,but i guess im slow or something.would you recommend them for short hikes/camoing trips?
TIA
MAURICE
 
Hi Maurice,

It has been discussed before just do a search.

But a Zippo for use when going over the water or perhaps even under
wink.gif
then take care that you don't flood it with water because then you have a problem.

The modern flameless lighters with a waterproof lid and piezzo electric "ignition" are probably better for your use but also pack some waterproof matches (you can do it yourself by dipping the head in hot wax) in a watertight container.
Even pack a firesteel to be on the safe side.

On the other side, a Zippo is .... well just a lighter to have and to use and one of the finest examples of simplicity, sturdiness and backed by a garantuee that I think no other company in the world gives you "If it's broken we'll fix it no matter how old" and the 300+ miljon lighters that Zippo sold in the past 60+ years shows you that people use them.

Best Scouting wishes from Holland,

Bagheera

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I used to have a Zippo I carried with me all the time. It had a swing'n skull and crossbones design, though the pin-up ones are cool too.

I don't smoke, but I'm a fire enthusiast. Zippos are really good if you need an emergency candle, to just plain ol' light something on fire, or to even use as a micro-stove. This is why they're used by junkies. You can hold the lit lighter for quite a while before it gets hot. Not that I'm a junkie.

They're next to useless in the field, unless you religiously protect them. Not that they're fragile, it's just the fuel dries up fast and that means you gotta cary a bottle of volatile fluid in your bag. You know what shampoo'll do to you, now imagine if it was flamable too.

Not to mention that if they get wet, it's all over. For some reason, I've even had a hard time ressurecting wetted-then-dried sllab nottoc.
 
I have used one on several backpacking trips and they have worked fine for me.Just fill em up before you go.

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Ray
 
I am kind of a gadget fan and Zippo lighters are among my favorite, rugged, simple, enjoyable. Unfortunately, they are not designed for the uses of camping and backpacking for they run out of fuel too quickly, go through fuel too quickly, and do not like to get wet. Hunting, they smell too much ... even when not in use. Butane lighters, waterproof matches and a firesteel, thank you very much. But I still like my Zippos and try to find excuses to use them whenever I can.

[This message has been edited by Nimrod (edited 09-24-2000).]
 
Gads, I don't know what some of you are planning, but I sure don't want to be there when it happens.

I've been carring the same Zippo for over 40 years with little or no trouble. Some maintainance though. Is it a good lighter topack away gassed up and ready to go for an "if when...." no it isn't. Is it good for scuba work? no it's not. But then it works at -30 degrees F. Just try and get one of those butane jubs to do that and with cold hands too boot.
If you have a reasonable sort of existance then it will work just fine for a weekend without refueling. So check your flint before you leave, you won't even need to carry the extra weight of that extra flint
wink.gif

I carried that lighter through the 'Nam and that was plenty wet, with no problems.
Dan
 
I always carry a zippo camping. Once or twice I've found I forgot to refuel it, and once I've soaked it. But, it's survived, and functioned after, many a rainstorm that would have killed a bix of matches, and has lit things for me at temperatures so cold that using matches would have been difficult, and a butane lighter impossible.

I wouldn't call it my survival lighter, or my sole fire starter, but it is the first one I reach for, and with few exceptions, the last.


Stryver
 
i carry mine every once in a while.i dont smoke,i just like to be prepared, (ex-scout)
it sometimes come in handy.i used it once for a camping trip,but it was a short one and i was close to home,i was just wondering about longer hike/camping.ive used those torch lighters too,very handy,work good,lite every time.on and on and on.what kind do you guys recommend.(are the ones you see at the gas station any good,or should it be an investment? is what im trying to say i guess)

thanks for the responses guys.
~maurice
 
I used to carry a Zippo but the thing just keeps drying up on me. That's why I now carry cheap disposable Bic lighters and a NATO fire starting steel. Is there something I'm doing wrong? I fill it up just like the instructions say but after a week or so of barely any use, the fuel is dried up.
 
I've carried a Zippo for years, no problem. Take extra fuel, carry an extra flint or two under the pads inside. Butane lighters are pretty reliable, but they also carry the explosive potential of a stick of dynamite, in your pocket. There have been some nasty accidents when a pressurized lighter leaked fuel inside a person's clothes, and then got touched off by a spark.
 
Overall I would not recommend the zippo for outdoors use. Yes it's simple and sturdy. However, it doesn't do well in windy conditions. As previously noted, the fuel has a tendency to dry up. No lighter is as simple or foolproof as matches or firestarting steels, hence the fact that most outdoorsmen still carry matches. That said, if you are carrying a lighter you are carrying it for convenience sake. There is nothing convenient about trying to light a fire out in the field and finding out that you forgot to fuel your lighter before leaving home. The "flameless" butane lighters generally work well for the field. However, they are more complex than zippos. Don't spend too much on one because, despite appearances, there is little difference in performance and longevity from the cheapest to the most expensive. Remember, any lighter is primarily a device of convenience. Just my 0.02

[This message has been edited by hat (edited 10-04-2000).]
 
I regularly carry a zippo and have noticed that they dry up fast, but as for the flint issue I've found that you can store multiple flints inside the outer casing and just place the lighter insert over them, one flint will last quite a ways though.

Poniard
 
Just a suggestion having read this thread... I once knew a special forces guy who loved his zippo. He filled it with kerosene, not lighter fluid. Kerosene doesn't evaporate as fast as lighter fluid and lasts longer in use too (more minutes of burn). Drawback was a smokey flame, but still something to experiment with...
 
Matt,
Kerosene works OK, except at -30F and below it doesn't wick up well unless kept in an inside pocket.
Dan
 
No doubt, Zippo has its appeal. Still, I replaced it in my core kit for the above mentioned reasons (fluid vaporates/leaks out, water leaks in, plus heavy). However, a relatively simple solution could take care of the leak-out-leak-in problem: a gasketed outer shell. Similar locked gasketed caps are installed on all better waterproof butane torches already. Their purpose is to keep water out. But whatever seals water out keeps lighter fluid in- double feature... Less elegant solution is to wrap around the gap between the cap and the body with electric tape.

HM
 
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