bic lighter

sasha said:
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.
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More than plenty. They last a long time. I've used them for ages and very little problems but they are not completely foolproof. The action on one froze up on me one time and nothing could fix it, beating it on a piece of wood or rock, nothing. But I've also used some for years with no problem. I take some backup now just in case but always use the Bic.

Blue Sky said:
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.
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I keep mine in an old bicycle repair kit box with a BSA Hotspark for backup. I like to take some ultralight UCO matches too. But again always use the Bic. It is just too convenient.

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Blue Sky said:
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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This is a smart one. Thanks for the tip :):thumbup:.

My set-up today :)

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There is a lot of love for those bics. Happy to know I'm not the only one. I'm surprised I don't see them on naked and afraid show. Start two fires each day and you still have more then enough.
I also like to carry one of those hot glue sticks. Works great with the lighter anywhere from fixing a shoe to some gear while backpacking.
Found a sale on the lighters and picked up a 6 for $3. Figured I cant go wrong with that.
The idea with the O-ring is great will do that on all of them.
 
I'm not a smoker and I don't think I've ever completely emptied a disposable lighter, I lose them faster than that.

I stash bic lighters everywhere (truck, pack, tackle box, etc) and carry one in my watch pocket when I go outdoors. I live in Central California so it doesn't get cold here like the way it gets cold in other parts of the country, but they have always been pretty reliable for me. I carry a firesteel as a backup, but honestly a BIC brand cigarette lighter is by far the best fire starter I've ever used. Even if you have to buy a few every season that's still nothing compared to the convenience. Save the old ones for home use or car camping and take new ones when you go into the wilderness.

I use twisted/rolled up paper as firestarter. My uncle showed me this when I was a kid, he called them "paper logs". Fray the end you're going to light and if it's windy then hold it in your mouth and light it in your hand or coat just like a cigarette, except don't puff! :p Hold it vertical with the lit end on the bottom, let the flame climb up it a bit then put it on the fire!
 
Bics are great. Only issue I evere had, ( except for losing them), was with one that was sitting in a fire kit for a couple years. When I tried it, the flint turned to dust. Weird.
 
d762nato said:
The only thing I don't care for is when they get cold you can barely get one to light.
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Put it in your pocket for a few minutes.

Or rub it vigorously on your pants -- the friction will heat up the contents. Do that also when you think the last of the fuel is gone. Heating/expanding the fluid it will get the lighter to light until the last of the fluid is really gone.
 
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tek77 said:
Bics are great. Only issue I evere had, ( except for losing them), was with one that was sitting in a fire kit for a couple years. When I tried it, the flint turned to dust. Weird.
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If it's wet for a long time it'll corrode. Even humidity can do it over a couple years.
 
Here they can go pretty quick, but days at 80% will put corrosion on nearly anything, and mold on everything else.
 
Was walking the dogs on the beach yesterday and found one next to a party pit. Fired right up so it's in my ESEE kit now.

I do kind of struggle with that new safety catch.
 
I prefer button lighters, easier to use with numb fingers or cold hands IME, and I prefer to be able to see how much gas is left through the plastic

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Also, keep'em packed and safe!

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I smoked for about 30 years and during that time I have had many, many BIC lighters fail. If you spend enough time outdoors in very cold temperatures you'll learn that you can get cold enough that no mater what you do with the lighter it will not have enough pressure to light. You'll also learn if you over turn your boat or fall in the creak you won't be able to get the lighter to work. You simply won't have anything to dry it off with and the harder you try the wetter the flint becomes. You'll even have a few times that you spin the wheel and the flint goes flying out from under the wheel. You'll learn to never carry small baby BIC in the winter. You'll learn the more times you use the lighter the higher the chance that it will not work on the really cold days. I've had days they worked when I first sat out side and by the end of a long day hunting there was nothing I could do to make the lighter work. You'll learn the wind is a big issue some days when trying to start a fire.You'll even learn the jet will get plugged up from time to time. You'll learn to always carry matches as a back up!

The large BIC would last me about 3 months before I started having issues or ran out of gas.
 
When the bic fails Super size it with a large Coleman propane tank with a Bernzomatic starter . Here that's often used for starting the wood stove !!
 
The other style disposable lighters that are common around here are roughly the same size as a bic but flat-ish and come in variety of colors of transparent plastic. Very handy for checking how much fuel is left. Why don't they offer Bics made of transparent plastic? Or do they and i just haven't encountered one? Anybody know for sure?
 
For those who like BIC ligthers.... I suggest you try the CLIPPER lighters... They have an almost cilindrical profile which is easier to get a hold onto. Also, you can get some of them in ruberized coatings, which are not slippery, even when wet. To top it off, they are refillable and you can also replace the flint. The cost is pretty much the same. We have them here in Spain, so I bet The Peacent knows what I am talking about.
 
When I smoked I did about a pack a day and a full sized Bic lasted me a bit under 6 months (I'm better at holding onto lighters than most ;) ). So I'd say the 3000 estimate is fairly accurate. And while there are definitely circumstances that will render a Bic inoperable, the only reason I wouldn't carry one when outdoors is if I knew I was going to be at altitudes where conventional lighters wouldn't work. Great little tool that's ubiquitous, easy to operate, inexpensive and easy to carry.
 
tholiver said:
The other style disposable lighters that are common around here are roughly the same size as a bic but flat-ish and come in variety of colors of transparent plastic. Very handy for checking how much fuel is left. Why don't they offer Bics made of transparent plastic? Or do they and i just haven't encountered one? Anybody know for sure?
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As a huge fan of Bic lighters, this is why I always pick white or as light a color as I can get. Hold them up to a light source and you can check how much fluid is left. Or I just hold my little Fenix E01 against the far side and you can really see easy how much fuel is left. And the white is way easier to see if dropped in the woods than a transparent.
 
I have a better photo posting regimen, so I will repost the picture of the Exotac waterproof Bic caddy. It should help prevent flint corrosion and keep your wheel dry.
 
I am a genius. I butt dialed the post button before I uploaded the pic.IMG_2145.jpg
 
BoozeFighter said:
They also have a slick little "thumb saver" flap to keep the button depressed, great for cold days.
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Thanks, I didn't know that, how interesting. Way prefer lighters in serious cold, although they can act up a bit also. Interesting thread all the way through.
 
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