I've tried several fancy "survival" lighters, and they were all expensive, bulky and unreliable - utter disappointments.

I've tried piezo-electric disposables, and they were unreliable.

Lighters that use lighter fluid have evaporation and leakage problems, and they smell.

Everyone seems to use BICs, but they are cheap, fragile, and difficult to use with cold hands.

I've been using DJEEPs - higher quality and better ergonomics - but they seem unavailable since BIC bought them out.

Translucent Clippers get some good reviews, but none of the convenience stores I've checked carry them. Before I order some on Ebay, any suggestions?

I had one. It was never reliable. I spent way too many hours of my life sending it back for repair until one day it finally went in the trash where it belonged.

Given unusually high number of negative reviews, that would explain things.  Some reviewers mentioned that reading the Owner's Manual made a difference, but I assume that at least some of the owners did so and still had problems.

Looked unnecessarily bulky to me. I've never owned one, and not likely to do so, given experiences like yours.

You didn't miss out on anything special.  Mine still works just fine.  It works a bit better in windy conditions but it's on the heavy side (for a lighter*) and it's a torch design which doesn't seem to work as well for me unless it's held vertical.  It's not a good lighter for lighting a pipe but works great for cigars (and I'd assume cigarettes).  That said, I'd take two mini Bics over the Helios.  I've got another refillable lighter, an older Firebird that looks kind of like an early version of their current Ascent model.  Problem is the housing is plastic (the Helios is plastic as well but thicker and better quality) and it got slightly deformed while using it in the wind and now it doesn't seal quite right, it's gotten that funky tacky/sticky feel like so many cheap plastic items and it's a torch so again, using it sideways doesn't work well (which is probably how I deformed the flip over cover).  One of those little hookah torches might work well, but most of them are larger.  Most smoke shops have a big variety of lighters you can check out (side note- Raw brand rolling papers work well for rolling your own black powder cartridges).  Sometimes simple, tried and true is just easier.  


*Just messing with the scale- the full Brunton weighs 53.9grams, a new Bic is 18.3g and a new min Bic is 11.2g.  The Firebird is 33.0 and it has fuel in it but the window is fogged from the melty plastic smearing on it so I don't know how much.  My old peanut lighter from Country Comm is 28.0g and I can't find my Zippo at the moment.

I just re-filled my two in-use Clipper refillable lighters today.  One of them showed some internal "bubbling" of the fuel, so I quickly "snapped" the fuel lever open and shut a few times allowing internal spring pressure to close/seat the gas valve, and the "bubbling", which I presume to be fuel leakage, stopped.  Could not smell butane fuel leakage, which is what I presume caused the "bubbles".  Using the Clipper lighter and allowing the thumb-actuated gas valve to "snap" shut under spring tension seems wise.  

Lighter-colored bodies of Clipper lighters more clearly show fuel level and possible valve leakage than do darker-bodied units.   Need very good light to see, nevertheless.

The Clipper lighters hold roughly the same amount of fuel as a comparable "large" Bic lighter.  Both hold far more fuel than the Thunderbird insert for the Zippo case.

Still-in a few months of using Clipper lighters and TB "jet insert within Zippo "Armor" brass case as EDC items.  All of which frequently used.

As an aside, the ability to "adjust" the flame on any gas-fueled and re-fillable lighter seems to me to be very useful. Significant elevation changes, or even significant air pressure changes seem to cause changes in the flame, but perhaps some of that is due to my "throttling-down" the flame/jet to save fuel.  Perhaps such changes in flame might be due to other factors, such as fuel level and temperature of the lighter itself.

I've also noted some "Jet" lighters (like the single jet TB Zippo insert) being not entirely suitable for horizontal use.  Possibly this can be overcome by adjusting the "Jet" output to max, albeit at more fuel usage.  Adjusting flame/jet output of most of these lighters in the field will take good light and something like a toothpick to accomplish, IMHO.  Generally speaking, I adjust the TB insert to use minimal gas for its' intended purpose.

I have an "upscale" metal-bodied Clipper lighter, which I have yet to evaluate.  It has an adjustable flame, unlike the more common/less expensive plastic-bodied Clipper lighters, but otherwise is re-fillable and re-flintable using same components as common Clipper lighters.

As time goes by, I'll bring the metal-bodied/adjustable Clipper lighter into my "test" rotation.  I'll report, but it will take a while.

The fuel level in even the metallic-colored ones is visible if you hold a good flashlight against them.

Yes, but using good natural sunlight, the lighter-bodied units show fuel levels (and possible "bubbling") more clearly than the other, darker-bodied units. No offense, but we are both splitting hairs at this point.

My apologies, and not trying to seem argumentative.  I respect your comments.

I got a few Clipper lighters and have been playing with them for a couple days now. My first impression is that they are sturdy, simple and practical. I like the way the flame size increases when you tip them sideways to light a fire. They have no child-proof features, yet seem unlikely to discharge in a pocket. Some of the colors are bright enough to be easily visible in snow or leaves, yet opaque enough to see fuel levels. I found them online for $1.25 each (it pays to shop around, I also saw them for $5 each) and the friendly stoner company even included complimentary rolling papers.

Sorry but that's complete bullshit. As a person who uses lighters all day, everyday for the last 40+ years, I have literally used hundreds of them as well as pretty much every other option out there and I can tell you there is nothing better than a Bic lighter. I've never had one leak or break or had any issues with the child proof thing, even in the cold but they can be removed if it really bothers you.

The only thing that would make them perfect is if there was a way to use them in "candle mode" like you can do with a Zippo.

If a Zippo is stinking up your clothes try filling it the night before you take it out.

If I overfill a zippo and throw it in my pocket I'll get a chemical burn. I only had to do that once.

If you're a smoker you just need to not overfill it.

Fatwood split down to match stick size, coated in magnesium powder, wrapped in wax paper. Imagine a cigarette filled with magnesium powder and a fatwood match stick core

Make sure to fray the end so it can take a spark easily. That has to be at least 8 seconds of white hot flame and 1 minute of flame

There is simply no way to make a Zippo not stink. Deer will smell it unless it's in an airtight container. And if it's in an airtight container, then it's no longer a lightweight lighter that fits comfortably in a pocket and can be used with one hand.

I'm >>hoping<< that the Thyrm 2.0 might be acceptable solution.  Time will tell.

Doesn't smell any stronger than me after 3+ days in a tent

There's the Ranger Bic, which actually predated the exotac. Also doubles a source of waterproof tinder:

https://gearward.com/collections/frontpage/products/ranger-bic

There are 2 key issues for every refillable torch lighter, and what causes most of the problems is that people don't know them.

1. The lighter has to be fully purged before filling / refilling. That means taking a wooden match stick, and depressing the little fill valve until there is not even a whisper hiss of gas in the tank. Any gas will cause air bubbles to form when refilling, reducing fuel capacity and inducing unreliability.

2. Premium butane is a must. Ronson/Zippo butane has weird oil and impurities inside, as does other cheap gas. This cause the tiny little burner valve in the lighter to clog. And if the precise fuel-air mixture of the torch is even slightly off, the lighter wont light. Newport and Vector are the gasses I've found to work the best. But generally butane made in England or South Korea is gtg.

I own a number of Windmill Lighters, similar to the Brunton Helios (I suspect they were the OEM for Brunton.) Windmills all had similarly poor reviews, almost all caused by people not following rule 1 and 2.

ain't nobody got time fo dat.

i carry a regular petrol zippo and a bic.

I have never ever heard of anyone breaking a bic lighter. as posted rip off the child proof thing if it bothers you and move on with life. why does everything need to be complicated.

I carried a Zippo from age 13-23, and carry a Bic these days.

Only a brief stint of a few years with the Windmill lighters. They're exquisite little jewels, and windproof to 65mph, but a lot more labor intensive.



Unless I'm trying to light a cigarette on a speedboat, or light a molotov while riding in the back of a pickup truck to slow down pursuers, I just don't need that level of wind resistance

I have seen broken bic lighters before. Found one by a trashcan on the ground after a concert. Broken, bottom was busted. Took the fling out of it for a zippo flint. And yes, taking the safety off of them makes them easier to use by a mile. Take it off and you’ll see the difference. It’s like the difference of having a magazine disconnect safety trigger and one without it. World of difference.

I dropped and stepped on one once and it broke. I had another, brand new, with no fuel in it.

Must be a Marine, those damn Neanderthals could break anything

Honestly though, I think the only "failures" I've ever had with a Bic is losing them. I only carry them for burning the ends of 550 cord and if I don't have matches for a cigar once every other week or so.

ROCK6

Just received Thyrm 2.0 lighter case.  Original impressions are that it is well-made of appropriate plastic.  Fits OEM Zippo lighter insert perfectly.  Fits my model of Thunderbird single jet lighter insert perfectly.  Both inserts need to have OEM lid "opening" tabs placed in "closed" position.

I "trimmed" some minor "flashing" or what some might call "ridges" from the plastic case.  Not necessary for most folks except if they have OCD.

Currently filling the Zippo insert (properly and not over filling it) with fluid and will evaluate for fuel leakage.  From prior experience with OEM Zippo lighters, if the Thyrm 2.0-encased lighter lights up after a month of sitting in sunlight (being warm), then the Thyrm case will have proven itself.  Will report.

Thyrm 2.0 allows decent one-handed use in order to open the outer case and allow decent one-handed ignition of either OEM zippo insert or my particular model of Thunderbird single jet insert.

Thyrm 2.0 case is bigger in all dimensions than the original Zippo case.  Your call.

Hinge spring seems quite stout and up to the task.  Latch spring is much smaller.  Suggest a drop of decent oil on both springs, springs being "sensitive" to wear and corrosion.  An Ounce of prevention is worth a Pound of cure.

Thyrm 2.0 has a useful built-in lanyard loop.

As most Zippo users understand, fuel evaporation from the wick and the un-sealed top of the case is the primary "flaw" in normal Zippos.  There are inserts for the bottom of the case which seal it, allow easy refill of fuel and replacement of flint, and which also "trap" a replacement flint.  Useful devices, if only to trap" the spare flint.  These add-on insert "caps" seem to seal the bottom of the Zippo case insert pretty well, but compared to the fual evap from the wick, probably won't help much in preventing fuel evap.  

Hopefully the sealed Thyrm case will eliminate all fuel evap concerns, but that is to be seen.  I'll still install the plastic insert bottom sealing device, since it "traps" the replacement flint and gives easy access to it; much easier access than leaving spare flints in bottom of Zippo case, or placing them inside the bottom felt insert.  YMMV.

We'll see how this item works out in a month or so and will report back.

Disclaimer: No financial interest.

I've bought a 2.0 case as well, waiting for it to arrive.

I had the 1.0 case and it was meh; the latch button ridge was ~0.5mm too short, so it didn't quite squeeze the lid down tight enough against the O-ring. As such it would only extend fuel life to about 3 weeks for me. Still an improvement over the regular Zippos 7-10 days, but not worth the reduction in ergonomics and increase in bulk.

2.0 looks more refined, and I hope it performs better.

I'm sure your personal experiences will prove worthwhile reading.

Carry it in a shirt pocket and there is little chance you will ever have a discharge as long as it's out of the way of a shoulder strap and what not. I've only ever had leaks with them in my pants pocket and me sitting down.

Damn Arfcom costing me money. At least this is one of the cheaper ones.

Of the smokers I meet, most don't really seem to demonstrate the thoughtfulness and critical thinking skills that would be necessary to evaluate the finer points of lighter construction, operation, and longevity. While I'm sure they're out there, the kind of person that will pop into a stop n rob for an overpriced single pack of cigarettes because they're out of smokes doesn't seem like they would be simultaneously a  connoisseur of lighters.  

Maybe you are painting with too broad a brush.  Not all smokers are stupid losers:



Or:

If that's really your experience then IMO that says more about you and the type of people you hang around and places you frequent.

When I was doing "research" on lighters, I found there was a sharp distinction between "best" everyday use lighters and other lighters that were so well-made and nicely finished that they are "collector's" pieces.  Collectors be crazy.

During research, I bought a lot of carefully considered lighters of various types.

One of the more expensive was a replica German lighter, and much more expensive than that was a replica lighter currently made in Japan.  Bought along with all possible spare parts, etc, since some of these lighters do not accept common flints/wicks, and so forth.

Japanese replica lighter was just damn exquisite in workmanship and finish.  I don't regret the price paid at all; nice to hold a work of art.  YMMV.

Lots of very decent "replica" lighters out there, and some well-worth considering.  Mostly from Red China, but the best very best (and by far the most expensive) seem to be made in Japan.

ETA: tried to find my thread, but Search feature here stinks; probably in Archives by now.

ETA2: found it: https://www.ar15.com/forums/Outdoors/I-need-cigarette-lighter-recommendations/18-701956/?page=1

W... T...F...

Did someone read this post and buy up all the ones on eBay?

After I posted, I found out that UST discontinued the Trekker Stormproof lighter (which sucks. They bought over the design/company, and now discontinued it).

The ONLY place I could still find them was on eBay (I think I saw 3 New in Package listings at the time). Was really thinking about picking up a second as a spare, as they've been absolutely reliable in the boonies, but I just went and looked, and they're all gone.

The Bic killed off the refillable lighter for smokers, and that was that.

But prior to the Bic, refillable lighters were serious hard use tools built to demanding performance standards. We're talking about a machine that needed to be able to light 20-40 cigarettes a day, every day, for years to decades. Not only that, but they had to be repairable. They were in the same vein of equipment as a pocket knife, mechanical watch, or pistol.

Ronson used to run dedicated Wind Tests against other lighters as part of their ad copy:







I've got a bunch of these and they either still work decades later, or can have their o-rings changed and restored to working order.

Looks like nearest thing is UST Refillable Floating Lighter with Waterproof, Windproof and Impact Resistant Construction.  One left on amazon. @bluemax_1

The Trekker was originally a design made by Windmill Lighters in Japan; they were originally imported from Japan then I believe they just made a copy in China.

The Windmill models are still available from Japan:

https://www.ebay.com/itm/125156272914

They are also available at this shop in the UK, but not sure if they ship internationally.

https://mysmokingshop.co.uk/windmill-lighters

However if getting a Windmill, I personally suggest the metal bodied JP Windproof. It's the same windproof core as all of their lighters, but in an indestructible metal case rather then plastic body.

Brit vendor linked above will not ship lighters outside the UK.

Ah lame.

Ebay or Rakuten are likely the only options then; Windmill seems to be only in Japan these days.

https://item.rakuten.co.jp/lighter-akiha/awin011/

Found a JP Windproof (brushed aluminum case) for $80 (shipped from Japan) on ebay.  Bulkier than the other Windmill lighters mentioned above, but the all-metal case likely is more durable than the plastic case; have seen negative reviews of plastic case, esp. the hinge.  I'll pay a bit extra for the longer-lasting case/hinge; in any event both types are now priced much higher than original price., so the all-metal case seems relatively more worth the money.

For those who are devoted to the Zippo style of lighter, I may have found a reasonable alternative: Zorro brand lighters.

The case for these lighters is slightly larger and thicker then the Zippo case, has a much stouter hinge, and the lid seals onto an O-ring built into the lower case body.  Replacement O-rings available.  The other Zorro brand item of interest is a Zippo style liquid fuel insert with a flip-open cap for the wick.  Along with the "trap door" in the bottom of the insert which seals the bottom, the flip-open cap should by itself solve fuel evap problems.  Ordered a case, spare O-rings, and an insert.  Will report back.  All of these items foreign made, and no Zippo-style warranty service.

Zorro Lighter Review

Not specifically suggesting any vendors below; just using their pix.  Shop around!

Zorro Insert

Zorro 912 Case

Spare O rings

those are much cheaper if you buy direct on aliexpress.

the zorro insert is subar so i swap for zippo inserts.

the zorro case is better than the zippo case.

Thanks for useful advice!

In what way(s) do you find the Zorro inserts to be "sub-par" compared to comparable liquid fuel Zippo inserts?

@JLPettimoreIII

An interesting article (plus suggestions) on "budget" cigar lighters Here   Be advised that the article is oriented towards cigar smokers, but useful, I think.  They don't like liquid-fueled Zippos, for reasons of " fuel contamination" of the "fine cigar" BTW.  Getting beyond that, still a reasonably useful article.

I have recently heard of "Z-Plus" inserts for Zippo lighters. Some of them have a "soft" flame, as opposed to a "Torch" flame, and are refillable Butane inserts which use a striker wheel and replaceable flint.  Apparently, the flame is adjustable, unlike similar Thunderbird and Zippo inserts.  Investigating.  Most of these inserts seem to be available from UK, with exorbitant shipping prices.  

If anyone has any familiarity with the "Z-Plus" Soft flame Zippo insert, and where to buy it at a reasonable price, please chime in.

Given that some lighter users will need to ignite small stoves, often with wind-protecting baffles installed around the stove, this "extendable nozzle" lighter might prove useful in somewhat "confined" spaces:

Soto Lighter

I have not used this lighter, and just bringing it up as a possibly useful alternative.  Soto seems to make various sorts of outdoor equipment.

Opinions and especially experiences welcome.

Maybe it's time to talk about the best Butane fuel for such lighters.  Here's an article that provides some useful info: Butane Fuels

I have heard good and bad about most all commonly available Butane fuels.  I've been using Ronson Butane in my Thunderbird insert for my Zippo, and it "seems" to work OK.  Have both Vector and Colibri Butane fuels suggested, with cross-comments.

There is a certain "touchiness" to the TB flame adjustment settings, and always a need to lightly touch the ignitor lever to allow gas to escape, then push it down the rest of the way to ignite the gas for first-time ignition.  I have heard that this is common practice with this sort of lighter.

Your comments on high-quality, affordable butane lighter fuel are most welcome.  Understood that buying in bulk is wise.

Might also suggest that (as I posted above) Soto makes an adaptor which will allow most refillable lighters to be re-filled with gas from mostly expended camping stove fuel cannisters which use Iso-Butane gas fuel which is more reliable in lower temps than simple Butane gas fuel.  I have not used the adaptor to re-fuel my cig lighters yet.  OTOH, I have re-filled some 1# propane bottles from a 25# tank, so at least some semi-related experience.  Brass caps with decent seals installed on the re-filled bottles, and no problems yet.

Comments welcome.

The two lighters I mentioned both have fuel in them from probably eight to ten years ago- no lie, I was working outside of the US for several years and I hadn't pulled them out until this thread.  Both still lit on the first click.  

That said, we're getting into collector territory.  I only carried those fancier lighters a couple of times before going back to two inexpensive Bics (one in my pocket and one in a Ziploc along with some storm matches in a case) and a fire steel plus the small flares for certain uses (on the water and cold weather camping).  the ranger band/inner tube thing has been around forever; I know I learned it in Boy Scouts back in the '80s.  Even when in some weird 3rd world county you can find a cheap Chinese lighter that will work.  I fully understand wanting the finer things in life and there is nothing wrong with that, I've owned some nicer watches for example, but a lighter just isn't something that falls in that category for me.  And I found another old Ronson that was my grandfather's and another pipe lighter while looking for the pack of Zippo flints I knew I had stashed somewhere.

Attached File

Getting into personal comments, as opposed to much more desirable objective comments.  All comments have value, but comments made from a very wide and "experience" based level certainly more valuable than individually based and anecdotal comments.  No offense to any poster.

I'm still learning and have spent some significant $ in doing so.  That's necessary.

Some lighters, like the Clipper lighters seem GTG or everyday use, IMHO.  

Other lighters may not be suitable for "survival" usage, which is what this thread is about.  OTOH, some expensive and well-made lighters may be better suited for survival usage than some less expensive lighters.

"Opinions Vary".  Hopefully we can all learn from this thread.

Thanks to all for your opinions!

Seriously?   But yes, I was going to describe a time that we had a BIC lighter explode and it was while I was in the Marine Corps.   One Marine threw a BIC to another and the throw was short.   The BIC hit the concrete, maybe eight inches from his outstretched hand and it exploded, complete with fireball.   Being Marines we did what all Marines must do and we killed a few more BIC's trying to reproduce the results.  We did blow up a second but I think six or eight were rendered garbage without exploding.  

And yes, Marines can break just about anything whether they intend to or not.

Would be very useful if you could give details.

@raf

Thanks! I actually found a site that managed to secure a bunch of them (actually emailed to confirm it wasn't simply an old listing they hadn't revised/taken down, and the owner(?) Emailed back that he actually managed to secure a small batch of them). Ordered one, to have as a spare.

Not particularly cheap at $52 shipped, but as mentioned, the one I have that's 10+ years old is still working great.

They claim that the piezo igniter is supposedly good for 100,000 strikes. If someone smoked 20 cigs/day, that would theoretically last over a decade of use. I wouldn't know. I don't smoke, but when I was a kid, my parents had a refillable piezo BBQ lighter for the old gas stove that was used daily (albeit, not 20x a day), that had seen constant use for a looong time, and the piezoelectric igniter still sparked just fine.