# Survival > Survival Kits & Survival Products >  Lighters- Which sort?

## dandan

I usually carry a Bic lighter.
 Does not matter to me if it is a flint wheel one or an electronic one.

 Anyone done any road tests on the pro and cons of each sort ?
 Dont like the gas(petrol) sort ( Zippo), as it needs refilling to often , and you smell like a gas (fuel)  station.

 I usually get them from the supermarket .
 I have tried Lidl and Aldi lighters , but in my opinion Bic are numero uno!

 May I have your comments please?

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## natertot

I have tried a few here and there. I prefer the Bic brand with the flint wheel. I always have a Bic Mini in my pocket and you can find Minis in most of my bags and kits. I keep the regular sized ones in my car, tool box, and work bench.

As you have mentioned, they can be had at the supermarket. Big stores usually carry them in bulk packs for a discount price.

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## kyratshooter

I have dozens of the things lying around.  Some in the kits, several in each vehicle.  Most are Bic.  3,000 lights is the norm for the brand.  Most will provide spark long after the fuel is gone.

I do have several Zippo lighters and I like them.  I carried a Zippos for years when I smoked.  Most will hold fuel for a week or more, which is enough for most outings, and even after going out of fuel they provide a stronger spark for flint and steel fire starting than most disposables.  They will also work using more fuels than just the Naptha lighter fluid. 

I no longer smoke so none are pocket carried daily.  That task now falls to the tried and true Boy Scout ferro rod.  It never needs refilling, works even when wet and just lives on the key ring until needed.

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## hunter63

Although I like to play with all sorts for fire starting methods, I also carry a BIC for most fire starting tasks.

No longer smoke, but still carry at least one BIC (preferred brand, as well).... in my pocket as part of the EDC.... 
Also....each jacket, coat, hoodie, tool boxes, tackle boxes and any/all of the bags.

On sale you can get pac's 5 for $1 to 2 bucks.......
Cheap insurance.

Several Zippos in a jewelry case.......haven't used them in a long time.

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## alaskabushman

After carrying a Zippo for a couple years, even being diligent to have flints and fluid on hand, it seemed like the Zippo was always out of fuel when I needed it most. I like the form factor and trim package a zippo presents, but if you don't have fire..well...it's just a cool looking fishing weight. 

I've even tried refillable butane lighters with very little luck. Even expensive Windmill lighters never seem to work as well once they've been refilled. 

So I am firmly in the Bic camp. They are cheap, disposable, almost indestructible, and reliable (as long as they are dry). I usually try to buy the ones with patterns or designs so that when I loan my lighter to someone I know which one is mine. 

Something that has caught my attention is rechargeable plasma lighters.   
https://www.amazon.com/Tesla-Coil-Li...plasma+lighter 
I know almost nothing about them, and for a kit I'd stick with a Bic, but for EDC...maybe. Charging my lighter in with my other electronics? Has a ring to it.

As long as its not a match.

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## hunter63

Psssssst....Buy pink Bic's....No one steals pink lighters....

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## M118LR

I find that the rougher the terrian the more I break Bic lighters. Zippo's still function even with dents. Not to mention that all you need is a unit sticker on a Zippo and it becomes a piece of trade bait. That being said, the more varieties of fire making tools the better your chance of having fire. But you may also need to take into consideration that fire is going to let everyone know where you are at. In the American Wilderness that's normally a good thing, if you are in an evasion situation fire making tools are just extra weight.

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## Rick

I had to evade a farmer once after being in his watermelon patch. I even had to evade an irate father once but my evading days are over. What on earth do you do that you smash up a BIC? I've never broken one and have them in my packs and everywhere. I've never so much as cracked one.

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## kyratshooter

I can not imagine what I would do to smash a Bic lighter that would not put me into the hospital or in the ER to have the pieces of plastic removed from my "pocket area".  Hurts just thinking about it!

I carried them off and on for nearly 30 years and never remember breaking one in my pocket.

Some of our members from Alaska might have other opinions about Bic lighters.

Here in the lower 48, or perhas the south of France, they work OK 99% of the time but when the temps hit -30 the butane sometimes refuses to burn.

I think that was part of the reason ferro rods were originally called Swedish fire steels.  The Swedes stressed their use in the ultra cold of the arctic.

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## chiggersngrits

Bic has to be the number one disposable. I have been buying Scripto from the Dollar store for about the last two years and can say I have not had a fail to fire as of yet. . I still have bic in the kits but carry scripto daily. They are cheaper than bic and have adjustable flame. I get a free lighter when I buy smokes at the local convenience store. MK brand , half of them never work the first time.

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## hunter63

Only Bic I ever broke, was running one over with the lawn mower.......saw something yellow (the Bic) the heard a "thump" and had the mower jump about a foot off the ground.....wit fire and smoke....

But have found one in the mud on a logging road....kinda rusty with the adjuster broken....dried it out and it light up just fine.

If I was evading ....I wouldn't light a fire....
But then I always liked Bruce Willis's Zippo ...Yippee Ki Yay, M***** ******

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## randyt

there is no substitute for horsepower, here's the one I use

http://www.bernzomatic.com/product/t...rt-torch-head/

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## natertot

> there is no substitute for horsepower, here's the one I use
> 
> http://www.bernzomatic.com/product/t...rt-torch-head/


In that case, let me go grab the flame thrower......  :Roll Eyes (Sarcastic):

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## hunter63

When something needs to burn....


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## shiftyer1

I've had bics expode in the car.  If i'm that hot the lighter ain't my problem!!!

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## Antonyraison

always have preferred and carried the bic lighter with the flint wheel

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## Rick

> let me go grab the flame thrower.




Randy has two of those and parts for 4 others in the parts box.

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## hunter63

> Randy has two of those and parts for 4 others in the parts box. [/COLOR]


......that he inherited......

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## 1stimestar

I normally use bics with the flint wheel.  As Kyrat said, they can be problematic up here in the cold.  Even in what we considered mild winter temps, they get too cold to work very quickly.  They can also be difficult to light with gloves/mittens on.  But still, they are the most dependable easily accessed fire available.  You learn to keep them in an inner pocket (or bra) to keep them warm enough to light.

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## Seniorman

I've posted this before.  Wrap a piece of bicycle tube around your Zippo and it will be good for weeks without filling.  I carry a small, clean Tobasco bottle with lighter fluid in my pack and if needed, it will keep the Zippo running for a long, long time.  It won't leak and is waterproof, according to various tests I have applied.

Easy to use, and does not require one keep depressing the lever to keep it burning.  Think mini-candle, if you will.

I don't smoke so I don't need to use it 30 or 40 times a day.  (A Bic would be fine for a smoker.) In the woods or mountains, I don't build a fire an half dozen times a day, so once or so does just fine for me.  Do I also carry a Bic?  Yep, but in an emergency when a Bic won't do, my Zippo always comes through.   

I learned many, many years ago that when filling the Zippo, just leave the lid open for five minutes and it won't leak on my thigh when I carry it in my pocket.  

FWIW, the Zippo in the picture that is burning, I won in a barracks poker game on a Sunday afternoon when I was stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia.  Guy had just bought it at the PX and tossed it into the pot for a one dollar bet.  He lost, I won, and it is still working like a champ.  That was in the summer of 1959.  Zippos rock!!    :Thumbup1: 


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S.M.

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## hunter63

> I've posted this before.  Wrap a piece of bicycle tube around your Zippo and it will be good for weeks without filling.  I carry a small, clean Tobasco bottle with lighter fluid in my pack and if needed, it will keep the Zippo running for a long, long time.  It won't leak and is waterproof, according to various tests I have applied.
> 
> Easy to use, and does not require one keep depressing the lever to keep it burning.  Think mini-candle, if you will.
> 
> I don't smoke so I don't need to use it 30 or 40 times a day.  (A Bic would be fine for a smoker.) In the woods or mountains, I don't build a fire an half dozen times a day, so once or so does just fine for me.  Do I also carry a Bic?  Yep, but in an emergency when a Bic won't do, my Zippo always comes through.   
> 
> I learned many, many years ago that when filling the Zippo, just leave the lid open for five minutes and it won't leak on my thigh when I carry it in my pocket.  
> 
> FWIW, the Zippo in the picture that is burning, I won in a barracks poker game on a Sunday afternoon when I was stationed at Fort Gordon, Georgia.  Guy had just bought it at the PX and tossed it into the pot for a one dollar bet.  He lost, I won, and it is still working like a champ.  That was in the summer of 1959.  Zippos rock!!   
> ...


That's the good part of the Zippo's.......Last forever.

Used to use one all the time.....Retired.
Also retired... is MF's, Uncles and friend that as passed....
All retired to the little Snap-on mini Tool box....used for special stuff.

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## M118LR

UDpatch.jpg

Add one of these to your Zippo and see what it brings as trade bait. But there are other military themed Zippo's: https://www.google.com/search?q=mili...He0gBUUQsAQIZw

I might be getting to Old to break many more Bic lighters without personal damage, I doubt if I'll once again be in an area that's way to cold for a Bic to light, evasion is more in reference to the IRS or relatives nowadays, but when I close my eyes in an attempt to sleep somehow my mind still imagines that I'm a teenager. Never count on any one source of ignition, redundancy isn't redundant. 

I think I'd sound like another Star Wars Sequel: A long,long,long,long,long time ago on a Continent far,far away.............................

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## natertot

M118LR, most people who trade military Zippos know that the symbol is not a sticker. They are either engraved, painted, or a metal emblem adhered.

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## M118LR

> M118LR, most people who trade military Zippos know that the symbol is not a sticker. They are either engraved, painted, or a metal emblem adhered.


Oversea's a simple press to attach sticker on a Zippo has proven to be more than sufficient natertot. But as a response to a challenge (good thing by the way) use the entire internet to find a engraved, painted, or metal emblem of any Zippo lighter with a Underwater Demolition emblem affixed to it. Perhaps that is why it was so highly coveted.

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## natertot

> Perhaps that is why it was so highly coveted.


Or highly faked?

https://www.google.com/search?q=unde...-LbYCA#imgrc=_

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## M118LR

> Or highly faked?
> 
> https://www.google.com/search?q=unde...-LbYCA#imgrc=_


natertot, the UDT 21 TEAM emblem can even be found on the "Wall of Fame" at Ann O'Malley's in St. Augustine Fl. 
Please be prepared to backup your cries of impersonation with your certificates of accomplishment, otherwise I think you should request that those that have been there and done that research others claims to fame. JMHO.

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## natertot

Certificate of accomplishment? If you are referring to whether or not I own a UD zippo, then no I do not. But I don't have the certificate of accomplishment of making fakes either. I also don't claim anyone else's accomplishments, not only because of integrity but because I am plenty proud of my own accomplishments. I only made the link because you asked me to search "the entire Internet" for one.

Good luck to you,  sir.

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## M118LR

> Certificate of accomplishment? If you are referring to whether or not I own a UD zippo, then no I do not. But I don't have the certificate of accomplishment of making fakes either. I also don't claim anyone else's accomplishments, not only because of integrity but because I am plenty proud of my own accomplishments. I only made the link because you asked me to search "the entire Internet" for one.
> 
> Good luck to you,  sir.


Yes, I must agree with you. There are more and more fake Zippo's being made these days. 

Luck to you also, Sir.

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## alaskabushman

Yes, Bics do tend to have issues with the cold, but it rarely gets super cold in my part of Alaska. Wet on the other hand...
Bics are pretty much only for my EDC setup, if I wander into the woods or out on the water I WILL have a ferro rod handy. Nothing more reliable than a good ferro rod.

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## Rick

> those that have been there and done that research others claims to fame.




I would think it would be a great thing for anyone to uncover someone that pretends to have served or to have accomplished something they had not. Whether they have "been there and done that" has no bearing on calling out a liar. I wouldn't care if it was a 12 year old kid that figured it out. Posers should be uncovered by whom ever and where ever they are found.

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## natertot

> Posers should be uncovered by whom ever and where ever they are found. [/COLOR]


I agree. I think it would be awesome if posers were punished by having to serve 12mos. Perhaps after a boot camp and a $h!tty job on a stateside base they will come to fully appreciate why stolen valor is not so lightly taken by those that did serve.

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## M118LR

The problem with posers is that they aren't going to straighten up and fly right even after they have been proven to be posing. Notice that you don't see many Bic lighters being collected, so they have a lower trade value than a Zippo. But even collectors get hoodwinked at times: http://www.ebay.com/gds/Fake-Zippo-L...2127414/g.html
Someone that had manufactured Zippo's for 20 or 30 years would have an easier time identifying a fake Zippo.

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## hunter63

I use lighters to light things, the subject of thread........

I don't collect them except the few Zippos that were given to me or inherited.
It's great to collect things that are important to you. 

I do have a rare Bic made by the Chinese Amish........

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## natertot

I hear Bic lighters are increased in value when paired with a Bic pen.....

http://www.dailydot.com/business/red...-ebay-auction/

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## dandan

Thank you all for your tips and advice

 I do NOT live in a cold climate , although it was 2'C (34'F) here this morning !!

I realise that cold does effect a gas lighter , any sort.
I love the tip about using a piece of inner tube from a bike or car , as a fire starter.
Kept with my lighters , they will be just the ticket for survival and emergency use , Ditto when you need a fire out in the woods, and no dry tinder available.

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## Seniorman

> *I would think it would be a great thing for anyone to uncover someone that pretends to have served or to have accomplished something they had not.* Whether they have "been there and done that" has no bearing on calling out a liar. I wouldn't care if it was a 12 year old kid that figured it out. Posers should be uncovered by whom ever and where ever they are found. [/COLOR]


Here is a man who does just that.  Don Shipley, retired U.S. Navy SEAL.  He outs the myriad fake SEALs around the country.  It is truly amazing how many fake SEALs, Rangers, Special Forces, USMC Force Recon, USAF Combat Control and Parajumpers there are running their scams in our country.  




S.M.

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## crashdive123

I love Don Shipley.

It's been my experience that most people that served and have "been there, done that" don't continually reference their service.  Those that do, ad nauseum....... well it may create doubts in the minds of others.

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## hunter63

> I love Don Shipley.
> 
> It's been my experience that most people that served and have "been there, done that" don't continually reference their service.  Those that do, ad nauseum....... well it may create doubts in the minds of others.


Yeah.....Noticed that...

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## M118LR

> I love Don Shipley.
> 
> It's been my experience that most people that served and have "been there, done that" don't continually reference their service.  Those that do, ad nauseum....... well it may create doubts in the minds of others.


Damn, I never experienced Don Shipley being one of the reserves that we would call to the forefront if things went bad when the boys I guided into trouble needed a helping hand. But Y'all poke the Old Frog as much as Ya like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F73TrMcdaCk

Removed the rant, will shift poser/stolen valor to Inky Darkness so we leave the lighter thread a little less derailed.

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## natertot

So.... lighters.... yeah.....

http://www.todayifoundout.com/index....ore-the-match/

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## crashdive123

> Damn, I never experienced Don Shipley being one of the reserves that we would call to the forefront if things went bad when the boys I guided into trouble needed a helping hand. But Y'all poke the Old Frog as much as Ya like. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F73TrMcdaCk
> 
> My gosh, name dropping and all Y'all know. So let's try hand picked by Marcinko for the Black Squadron, and never a member of a SEAL TEAM or even qualified as a NEC 5326. So since you haven't, but yet you think your qualified to judge, now how many of Y'all  "Know it All's" have an invitation to the next Naval Special Warfare Association gathering? 
> 
> So I'd like to hear more of Y'all's experiences, but I'd rather hear from those of Y'all that "Have Been There and Done That, wearing the Tee Shirt" than from those of Y'all that never even dared to attempt the experience and would blindly cast dispersion's on those that didn't ring the bell. Rant Over, we can pass class numbers on a more secure network if I ruffled your feathers.


My comments were about Don Shipley, not you.  Contrary to how you may feel, not every comment about the military is about you.  There - now my rant is over.

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## Rick

Man. Talk about getting feathers ruffled. Perhaps a nice hot bath and some cocoa would help. Group hug?

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## M118LR

Perhaps it is best to move the stolen valor poser conversation/debate to a different thread. I started Inky Darkness, so that's perhaps a better spot.

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## Wildthang

Zippo with a BIC backup! The Zippo works a lot better in the wind!!

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## Seniorman

> Zippo with a BIC backup! The Zippo works a lot better in the wind!!


That's precisely the way I look at it and have practiced for many, many years.  That is why I posted the picture of how I "run" my Zippo.  

As they say, "Lot's of ways to skin a cat."  The Zippo and Bic are my ways.   :Wink: 

S.M.

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## natertot

> As they say, "Lot's of ways to skin a cat."  The Zippo and Bic are my ways.  
> 
> S.M.


Yeah, but that burnt hair smell is atrocious!

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## Orbean

> Zippo with a BIC backup! The Zippo works a lot better in the wind!!


My choice also. Stay away from the peanut lighter, tiny and cute but worthless outside, will not work with the mildest breeze.

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## Wildthang

> Yeah, but that burnt hair smell is atrocious!


Then quit blowing on your BIC, and your hair wont get burnt!  :Smartass:

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## Faiaoga

One brand of lighter I have heard of is a French brand called Djeep.  It has good reviews but I have not seen any locally.  Do people know about these?

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## Pennsylvania Mike

> One brand of lighter I have heard of is a French brand called Djeep.  It has good reviews but I have not seen any locally.  Do people know about these?


Yes I do, I had one and it was the best lighter I ever owned, but like everything else, you buy one use it for a while and then they are gone forever, well for a while, then I did a search on them and found them at Amazon but for the priced they are asking you can buy a whole lot of Bic lighters at Walmart and who knows the new Djeep may be Chinese copies.

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