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I'm looking for a good butane lighter to throw in my pack, waterproof, windproof, floating...what should I look at?

I have a Zippo already, looking for butane for this one.

Made in USA is a huge plus, made in somewhere other than China/Taiwan is another plus.
 
I haven't used an overrated Zippo in 40 years and even as a kid would never have considered them a Survival tool. (albeit the three finger flip and light was rather cool back then)
I carry a theoretically wind proof in my travel / possible bag. Its a go to tool most of the time.
Bear in mind, high elevation and low temperatures can make them less than reliable in a life changing pinch. Back up water proofed wood matches along with flint magnesium stick also reside near it taking little space. I'd rather overkill than freeze :)
Use to be, you could find a three dollar throw away Butane that was refillable, adjustable flame, replaceable flint (Which I preferred over PIZO). But now?
I've had this 3 or 4 dollar refillable one for a couple years now and has started my camp stove many times. it is a pipe lighter and really saves your fingers.
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I think I bought it where I get my beer @ Tobacco town On Barber near Twilliger
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As an ex cigar smoker, I bought and thrown away many spendy, fancy lighters! Most lasting less than a year.
Personally, I go for simple and low cost for convenience cause... I got back up in a pinch.
 
Used to do a LOT of backpacking (several month long treks), and even more of self supported cycle touring (month long trips & a yearlong trip, which included crossing Xiangjiang & Tibet).

Best lighter? Cheapo butane. Always worked. Even above 10000' and in subzero temperatures.

Tip is to pack it such that the valve won't get depressed is all. During foul weather & heat (to mitigate problems from sweat), I wrapped both my open cigarette pack and the lighter in a ziplock baggie.

Tried a new fangled wind proof lighter on my yearlong cycle tour for a while, it failed where the cheapo ones worked fine.

Edit, adding: currently my go to lighters are mini-bics. Have them in all the bags, in the truck & SUV, as well as stock up on them in the 5 pack when we do a Walmart shop (as well as stock up on the full-size 5 pack Bics). We just put them "up" in the original packaging, along with other stores, for rainy days...
 
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I have used a xicar lighter in some very different environments. I wouldn't classify it as a survival lighter though. They can eat through butane fast and they do NOT perform well when it is very very cold. If its in a pocket close to the skin it should be ok. In your pack, not so much...
 
Used to do a LOT of backpacking (several month long treks), and even more of self supported cycle touring (month long trips & a yearlong trip, which included crossing Xiangjiang & Tibet).

Best lighter? Cheapo butane. Always worked. Even above 10000' and in subzero temperatures.

Tip is to pack it such that the valve won't get depressed is all. During foul weather & heat (to mitigate problems from sweat), I wrapped both my open cigarette pack and the lighter in a ziplock baggie.

Tried a new fangled wind proof lighter on my yearlong cycle tour for a while, it failed where the cheapo ones worked fine.

Edit, adding: currently my go to lighters are mini-bics. Have them in all the bags, in the truck & SUV, as well as stock up on them in the 5 pack when we do a Walmart shop (as well as stock up on the full-size 5 pack Bics). We just put them "up" in the original packaging, along with other stores, for rainy days...


I keep a couple Bics in waterproof match canisters. They're definitely not windproof, but they've always worked for me and I've taken them to some almighty unfriendly places.
 
Sorry Redneck, no butane help here, mine, which I had high hopes for, just failed!
I carry an IMCO lighter, made in Austria. They were the lighters designed in WW1 for use in the trenches and they are tough! I googled them to see what they cost and found out that the plant had closed in 2012, and their big collectors items now. You even have to watch for Chinese copy's and the prices are ridiculous!
I got mine from Amazon in 2010 for $17.99! :)

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+1 on BIC butane lighters.

Really the only good thing about the Zippo, is that if it has fuel in it, and it's not full of water, it should light. It's much less sensitive to cold/altitude than butane lighters are. The problem with them is in hot weather they're pretty much out of gas in about 3-5 days. I used to carry a zippo, I've since switched over pretty much totally to BiC lighters, the only downside with them is that it's hard to determine how much fuel is in them without a bright flashlight. But they're cheap and sold just about everywhere. I think a 5-pack at walmart is $3?

I haven't had too many problems with Piezo lighters, I remember when we were kids we would buy them and tear the piezo element out to shock each other with, eventually they would go bad after a few days. I don't know if this is still the standard, I rarely use them. I had a butane torch type lighter I carried for a while that someone gave me, it worked ok and was fairly reliable. I think for survival use I would stick with a Bic.
 
If you really want something reliable I would get a firesteel along with some cotton balls soaked in Vaseline that's what I carry in my Search And Rescue pack. Lighter wise I would always throw in a cheap bic lighter that I get in bulk. They aren't as reliable but they're nice to have.
 
I just have Bic lighters but they're in Exotac covers to seal them: fireSLEEVE™

I like that idea - I'll have to try and get a couple someday:cool:.
It solves the issue with Bics I have in that you have to hold the button down the whole time and they get hot fast in windy conditions.

On bic's I also take off the child safety guards because they are much easier to use without the guard. (I carry several, pretty much one in every 'kit' in my bags). I use the larger ones because I have large hands.



On butane lighters - high quality butane must be used. It's my understanding that they stop working from the impurities in basic butane (from an old cigar smoking guy behind the counter of a nice cigar shop when I asked why the $50 lighters I was buying every 4-6 months kept dying on me for some unknown reason).

I've always found butane lighters go thru fuel fast so you would have to carry a decent sized bottle of premium fuel for it to be a long term item you relied on on a trip.




On Zippos, as long as they are maintained and mostly topped off, that's what I always keep in my pocket while out in the sticks.
I light mine behind something (or In a small pit with a wind break - rock or medium sized sticks) and set it down to light fire starters.
Easy enough to get the waterproof aluminum capsules and keep spare fluid or one of the small bottles in a ziplock if you plan to be out for a very long time.

I have to fill mine once a week, never got into the flipping tricks and like it because it is easy to use with cold wet hands and for me has been very reliable.

I also carry a char cloth tin filled with pre cooked cotton patches.
The flint from a dead zippo will light one of those almost every time the first time you try, very similar to a fero rod.



Yea, I also have the fero rod in both plain and with the magnesium glued to it (have been using the same one since Boy Scouts 26 years ago).

Just my 2¢ - your mileage may vary...
 
If you really want something reliable I would get a firesteel along with some cotton balls soaked in Vaseline that's what I carry in my Search And Rescue pack. Lighter wise I would always throw in a cheap bic lighter that I get in bulk. They aren't as reliable but they're nice to have.

+1 on having a steel/flint available. Allways do, but have never HAD to resort to it.

...have fired up my pocket rocket stove on a few ovcassions to light a cigarette due to wind & futzin with a bic too long. Bic would have worked eventually, but I wanted a smoke right then!
 
+1 on having a steel/flint available. Allways do, but have never HAD to resort to it.

...have fired up my pocket rocket stove on a few ovcassions to light a cigarette due to wind & futzin with a bic too long. Bic would have worked eventually, but I wanted a smoke right then!
I usually reach for the firesteel before anything else when starting a fire out in the woods.
 
In this day and age when a lot of things are cheap and easily available (....ahem, I won't go there) there's really no reason not to have multiple options for fire starting. I picked up a bunch of military magnesium blocks on eBay. I have them in all my gear and vehicles with various other lighters and fire strike sticks. To rely on just one type is needless.
 
When I wrote about my liquid fuel lighter I should have mentioned that I have a bunch of BIC's and fireplace lighters everywhere! I like easy above serious, but I have gear for every fire related problem. :cool:
 
That's the truth. My grandchildren can start fires with most devices. This coming summer I'll teach a couple of ways to start them with what's available around them!
They've made fishing spears and this year they are going to make boar spears. My grandson will really like that! :D
 

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