bic lighter

S

sasha

Joined
Feb 28, 2006
Messages
2,435
As most of you I carry a firesteel. But I question about the bic lighter. For some of you that smoke and use them day in and day out. How long do they last in a sense of lighter fluid?
what I mean how many fires do you think you can start using the lighter. I always seem to carry one on me as a back up. Never had one fail on me yet.
 
I don't think anyone ever cared enough about a bic lighter to keep track of how many cigarettes he lighted with it. Bic states on the package (at least around here) 3000x. I would say that's pretty accurate, but I have not collected data to back that up. I would say alot of bics get lost or stolen long before that. I'd say in your typical 72h survival situation 3000 lights should be plenty, if you light one fire per day. If you plan to stay out for more than 3000 nights, bring a second bic. They're fairly light and inexpensive : )
 
The only thing I don't care for is when they get cold you can barely get one to light.
 
Inside pocket.

I think you'd generally have a component failure in storage before running out of fuel. The only time I ever ran out of fuel in a BIC was when I was a kid and just messed around with them.
 
Hi! Always carry two small ones. I don't smoke but they are my primary tool to start up a fire. A BIC, a Tempo tissue and some shavings followed by a couple of feather-sticks and fire goes. Tried this so many times in all weather conditions and it works almost always. Sure, I carry a fire-steel but it's more for the "cool" factor if I want to show off with the kids. If I want a fire going for real, fast, BIC it's my first tool :):D
 
These holders keep your Bic high and dry.
 

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Many of us here using woodstoves in the winter start it with a propane torch with push button starter .The easy way but bulky for hiking !
For worst conditions a trucker had only wet kindling so he wrapped that around a road flare --worked very fast !

Car starting ? In MN our chemists supplied us with bottles of ether for emergencies . Problem was they gave us real ether rather than petroleum ether ! The real stuff leaked out eventually no matter how tightly you put the top on ! LOL
 
hey If I can start 100 fires from one BIC its more then enough really. I build a small car kit for my niece and for fire I put two BIC lighters 2 paper matches and one box of all weather matches.
I figured that a lighter would be her main back up. I have a few laying around that ran out of gas but other wise still in perfect shape. Those were the ones I found while hiking or out on the street.
Thanks guys
 
We did a community relations Scuba dive to clear a swimming area in MA, right after the ice had melted off the water. Found $5 bill (wife took that), a SAK, and a Bic lighter, all of which had to been there all winter long. Took the Bic, blew on a few times, shook it off, and flicked the wheel a few times and it worked, lite right up. I carry one in my truck, still in its wrapper as part of my emergency kit. John
 
This is third hand internet lore, so that's the disclaimer. But I read somewhere on these forums that some dude went to Africa on a safari and the guide was a native to the country. When they made camp for the night, he produced a baby Bic and lit the fire. The dude asked the guide why he carried the baby Bic and the guide replied in his best broken English, "because it always works". After I read that on the Internet forums, no kidding, I went straight to my local grocery store and purchased a baby Bic. I figured if this guide is out in the absolute wasteland and his only source for life giving fire is a baby Bic, I better damn well get me one. Been carrying one ever since. The undertaker will be taking one out of my pocket on judgement day.
 
I remember a story of a lobsterman in Maine whose boat suddenly sunk. He was able to struggle to a near by metal buoy, one that was large enough to climb up on. He used his belt to strap himself to the buoy. He was wearing rubber boots and a rubber raincoat, a long one. He survived by tearing strips of rubber off the boots and lighting them with a Bic lighter, then holding the burning rubber underneath the raincoat so as to catch the heat. He was found the next morning and they thought his face had frost bite as it was black, but that was from the smoke from the burning rubber. Other then some damage to his butt from sitting on the cold metal he was in remarkable god shape, in part to being able to light the rubber strips with that Bic lighter. John
 
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It'll start enough fires to not worry about that aspect IMO. I use a bic as my main fire starter and have a firesteel as backup. Never needed the firesteel and I've long ago given up on matches.
 
One of the few risks I see with a Bic is if the button somehow gets depressed when stuffed in a pack, pocket or pouch and you lose all your fuel. To prevent that, you can slide an o-ring around the lighter and under the button so it can't move. When it's time to light it, you can simply roll it down out of the way with your thumb, light your fire, and then roll it back up.

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I like the large ones and the only thing I would suggest if you carry a bic lighter for a dependable fire starter, keep a fresh one inside you pack/bag. If you smoke anything, carry a second bic. I would also suggest you keep some matches (dry of course) as a back up.
 
Good topic. Bought 10 large bics after reading this. Can't imagine how many matches that equals! I've got a Zippo as well w lots of spare flints and wicks. And just bought 5 big ferro rods as well. But bics just make too much sense. On a fire prepping kick:))
 
First thing I do when I get a Bic lighter is remove the child safety strip that loops over the striker wheel. Hate that thing. Comes off easily with a needlenose pliers or a multitool. I've pried them off with an SAK, too.

Zieg

[OOH, JUST HIT 1,500 POSTS!]
 
My only problem with the bic is that when it's windy it gets really hard to light, especially if you want the flame for more than the second needed to light a cig, i.e. to get a fire going easily.
 
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