Butane lighter, windproof

SOG_CDR

SOG_CDR

Joined
Jun 30, 2010
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Are not all butane lighters windproof?

Which one do you recommend that is durable, reliable and works very well under most conditions? I don't smoke. I just want one, in case I need one.

I'm also going to carry a Bic and Some waterproof matches to have all of my bases covered.

Maker and model, please?
 
butane lighters are not wind proof - you need a zippo or an imco super triplex - they have wicks and run on fluid -
 
Instead of a butane lighter, almost all suck, why not carry tinder instead? What I have is a mini bic, a firesteel, and some petroleum soaked cotton balls stuffed inside of drinking straws with the ends sealed. A fire steel and tinder is a much better fire starting system then the fancy butane lighters.

Edit to add: That's my hiking setup. I carry burts bees chapstick and q-tips for my edc. Same as the fire straws only has the dual purpose of keeping my lips from chafing.
 
I picked up one of the Delta Windmill Shockproof Stormproof lighters. Supposed to work in wind up to 80mph. If it works at half that I'm happy. Kind of chunky. Not very ergonomic. Should work fine paired with a Bic, etc. If the Piezo-Electric ignition breaks you can always touch it off with the Bic. ;)

They say you need to use top of the line Butane with it or it'll plug up after awhile. The flame is ~2,000 degrees Fahrenheit. I'd say that's probably true because the metal mechanism sure heats up fast.

Not an overly positive review, but it should do what you're looking for.

After I got the Windmill, I came across the Brunton version which looks like a good bug out bag lighter. A bit large but an interesting design. After seeing the little plastic hinges on the Delta Windmill cap, I liked the screw on caps on the Brunton. Here's a decent youtube review of it. Unfortunately it looks like the Brunton was discontinued by the mfg.

[video=youtube;nK-cbHKRzCM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK-cbHKRzCM[/video]
 
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Zippo case with Thunderbird butane insert = the superior lighter you are thinking about. All the advantages of a Zippo (indestructible construction and great windproofing) and none of the disadvantages (lighter fluid!!!). All the advantages of butane (doesn't evaporate, doesn't stink high to hell) and none of the disadvantages (poor performance in wind, generally crappy construction of the lighters).

That said, butane of all sorts doesn't perform well in extreme cold and the Thunderbird insert is not quite as wind-resistant as the Zippo lighter-fluid insert (you can't spin it in the air and catch it and it will still be lit like a real Zippo insert). But it will put up with quite a bit of wind. It's a trade-off that is totally worth it, in the final analysis.

Try it. If you don't agree that it is the best lighter on the planet, I'll eat any shoe of your choice... that's how confident I am. And I do smoke. And I have been using every type of lighter imaginable for years. You can get a Zippo case for $10 (basic model) and the Thunderbird butane insert for $15. The best $25 you ever spent, I promise.
 
I got the Z-lite butane insert for my Zippo and it seems to work fine.--KV
 
Primus Powerlighter. The noozle and ergonomics makes it easy to light the tinder. I have one and ive been very happy with it. You can buy an adapter for it, which allows you to refill it from regular camping gas-canisters.

IMG_2310.jpg


Primus%20Power%20Lighter%20Outdoor%20High-Tech%20Feuerzeug-1.jpg


Pics found on Google.
 
I'll make one comment since the OP said, "I just want one, in case I need one."

In that case, I would not go with a torch lighter or a lighter that uses an electrical spark to ignite. Don't get me wrong, they are great lighters. But they have high rate of failure over time. Since you want a lighter, "in case," you want a lighter that you know is going to ignite and give flame EVERY time you want it to.

In that case, go with a real Zippo, but be prepared to deal with lighter fluid. I also stand by my suggestion of the Thunderbird insert. It is a yellow flame butane lighter (not the blue torch type), so it's much more robust/reliable... and it uses the same flint mechanism as the original Zippo insert. Those flints can be replaced easily and cheaply, and they spark a flame EVERY time, giving you 100% confidence. That makes it much, much more reliable than torch/electric lighters for "in case" moments. Just my 2 pesos.
 
I bought one of those z-lite butane inserts for my zippo and less than a month later it's dead.
I smoke, but only about a pack a week, so it's not like I overused the thing.
 
I smoke a fair amount of cigars, and have used the Ronson Jet Lite lighter for two - three years now on almost a daily basis. It certainly isn't wind proof, but it is very wind resistant. When I bought mine, they were cheap at Wal****, at $3. I see them all over the place at $6, so when they had them the last time I bought a few.

They are all metal, very sturdy, very reliable, and will start wet tinder with NO problem.

Robert
 
Windmill brand of torch lighters make a very high quality lighter for use in outdoors. They are supposedly "windproof" which means that they are as about as windproof as a Zippo. Still very useful for concentrating heat to make a fire when it's cold and dark and wet outside.

One warning about torch lighters, I found that they don't work in very high altitudes like above the timber line on mountains. Cheap Bic lighters still functioned though.
 
My personal favorites:

ppt-comparisson.jpg


I EDC the IMCO streamline, and the only "torch" lighter I suggest is the Blazer Pocket torch, either the original PB 207, or the newer "Little Buddy." Both feature 4 gram fuel tanks (must jets hold 1 gram) and have lock on fuel levers so they can be used for 20 minutes continuously. In an emergency they're the lighter I would want.

ppt-fire.jpg


Here's a review:
http://www.good-kit.com/?p=106
 
shunsui said:
After I got the Windmill, I came across the Brunton version which looks like a good bug out bag lighter. A bit large but an interesting design. After seeing the little plastic hinges on the Delta Windmill cap, I liked the screw on caps on the Brunton. Here's a decent youtube review of it. Unfortunately it looks like the Brunton was discontinued by the mfg.

[video=youtube;nK-cbHKRzCM]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nK-cbHKRzCM[/video]
Click to expand...

The Brunton Firestorm is the one I got. Also not a smoker, nor an arsonist -- Ken C. would kill me! :D
 
Even in the most windy conditions if you turn your back 180 degrees to the wind and face your back to it ( face leeward). You will find there will be a spot around the center of your chest just below your chin where there is an pocket of air with no wind where you can light a match, lighter etc.
Zippos dry up, butane torches are temperamental.
Ferro rod, Bic and decent matches with good tinder waiting will work a lot more reliably.
 
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