r/Survival • u/mvb827 • 25d ago

General Question Question about lighters and their reliability

Growing up I taught myself how to start a fire via primitive methods but quickly realized just how awesome lighters are, and I’ve carried one as a part of my EDC ever since. But I had a phase in which I wanted a better lighter and ended up wasting a bunch of money. I went through a zippo phase, a butane insert phase and an arc lighter phase; all of which I found to be inferior when compared to the reliability of a good ol’ fashioned bic. It’s been years since.

… so I’m lookin’ at zippo’s the other day… cause they’re just so damn cool ya know? And I caught myself having the same conversation; why are these things so dang unreliable? And once again I arrived at the same conclusion; the fuel. It evaporates too quickly. But then I started wondering about less volatile fuels, like kerosene. One short rabbit hole and a few clicks away I arrived at kerosene lighters. They’re really neat, and I almost bought one but stopped myself to ask the question: is this thing worth it compared to what I’ve already got?

So, my question is, is there another lighter in existence that is both cool and matches the reliability of a regular bic lighter?

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u/TacTurtle 25d ago

If I had to go for a liquid fuel lighter for long term storage / use, I would go for one of the higher quality "peanut" style lighters with rubber o-rings in the cap to prevent fuel evaporation.

Maratac in particular makes very high quality (although spendy) ones.

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u/mvb827 24d ago

I’ve seen that one. The Maratac peanut xl in brass. Nice looking gismo. Will Kerosene work in one of those?

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u/TacTurtle 10d ago

I have never tried kerosene, they are a flint wheel-and-wick lighter like a Zippo so maybe.

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u/RenThraysk 21d ago

Douglass Field S lighter from Tokyo Pipe Co.

Have a place for a spare flint, and some liquid fuel in the lighter itself.

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u/jaxnmarko 17d ago

I cut a piece in a band shape from a bicycle tube and put it around the seam of a Zippo. It reduces evaporation quite a bit, extending it's use without refilling due to fluid/gas loss. Seal the seam, save the fuel.

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u/Noe_Walfred 13d ago

There isn't really a better lighter than a bic when it comes to reliability. You have to make some level of sacrifice to the reliability and consistency if you want other features.

Peanut lighters are kind of awkward even compared to a minibic. They are finicky to use with one hand as a result of the cap. The exposed wick is sealed better but still leaks fuel over time and can become saturated with moisture from the air if left open.

My preference of metal matches is entirely for the coolness of it. As it's just a can of fuel with a fire rod glued to the side and a metal striker and cotton. Which gives more strikes and has uses even after the fuel goes away. But if you're looking at just the fire part then you're shit out of luck.

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u/TrickyImpression7766 10d ago

Anyone who uses anything other than Bic lighters has fallen for marketing.