Long term Bic storage.

J

jackknife

Joined
Oct 2, 2004
Messages
17,489
How long will a BIc lighter hold its fluid in a PSK?

I had an answer to this just this morning.

I'm a pipe smoker. Now lets leave all smoking comments out of this, as I've been smoking now for about 50 years, and being a social security retirie I'll most likely quit when they nail the lid down. But to the point.

For many years I've used a Zippo lighter. Then a few years ago we went on vacation and I left the Zippo home because I didn't want to lug along a can of fluid to keep it filled. And maybe I was getting a little tired of the famous Zippo thing. Yeah, It broke the hinge a few times, and I sent it back, and they fixed it and sent it back to me. But it ran out of fuel at the wrong times with no warnings. When I'm out someplace and I want to light my pipe, I WANT TO LIGHT MY PIPE. Then there's the Zippo 'brand', when you fill it up and drop it in your pocket and it leaves a nice red burn on your leg.

So I used the Bic on vacation. It was wonderful. Light weight in the pocket, reliable, and the thing lasted for a couple of months till it ran out. And since it was white, I could see easy how much fuel was in it, and I knew when it was about done so I had a new one on standby.

But the jist of all this was, I put one in my PSK I keep stashed behind the seat of my Toyota Tacoma. Put it there about 3 years ago, and forgot about it.

Well this morning I run dry, and I toss the empty Bic, and I'd forgot to get a new one at the store. Then I remember the one in the truck. I get the canvas emergency bag out of the truck and get the Bic. It's been in there for years, like I said, still in the cellophane wrapper. Tear open the plastic wraper and it lights right up. Appears to have a full load of fuel in it, no leakage. Danged thing sat there for years with no effects on it's use.

It's been a few years now I have used the Bic, and I doubt I'll ever go back to a Zippo. If it's windy, I hold my pipe in my jacket or shield it with my hat to light. For the once in a while I have a little bother in wind, it's worth it for the other 99% of the time I get great reliability from a small light package.

Now I understand when the better half and I took the 5 day rain forrest trip in Costa Rica a few years back, why the guides had a nylon pouch on thier belt with two items in it. A sak, and a Bic lighter. Some things just work.
 
Opposite way round here. I've a Zippo on my desk that I've been a bit slack about sending back for repair. It has sat there for a week irritating me. I'm surrounded by gas lighters – Bics, Clippers, Bellams, Ronsons, and some little rubbish thing I've been using today called a Cricket. It's been windy and raining here for the past couple of days [look up Cockermouth – the place not the sport – to get an idea of the flooding here this week], each time I have to take one of those bits of rubbish out I curse my procrastination with the Zippo.
 
Here in Colorado, the Bic is the only way to go. At altitude, there are only 3 lighters that work, a Bic, a $150 butane torch designed for high altitude, and a Zippo (which burd fuel 5x faster up here) The Bic is the king of all lighters, but is un-lightable when wet (can be done with a firesteel though)
 
I've been using Bic lighters for many years now. From what I've experienced, these are the best butane lighters. They don't seem to leak when stored for long time, don't seem to blow up when inside the car in very hot conditions, and seem to work perfectly fine even if a little wet.
I always have some Bic lighters scattered around. I keep one in my car, my outdoor pack, working bag, coat and room.
I also prefer the white ones, since you can see how much fluid you've got left.
By the way, it takes forever for the Bic to run out. Even if used frequently. Mine is being used very frequently.
 
The bic is the best disposable I have used (out of about every variety I have been able to get my hands on). I cut down a fencing staple and tape it in the groove on the bottom of the gas button. This prevents the button from being compressed in your pocket or pack and discharging the fuel. I have stored them for many years with no ill effects. I just used the last one out of a batch I bought in 1999. I recently had a bizarre experience with a Bic that had been in my pack for only a few months. Their seemed to be some type of corrosive interaction between the flint and spring. The lighter had never even been wet. The lighter was rendered completely inop. I also lived in CO and used both zippos and bics well over 10,000 ft without a problem. My house was 6,500 ft elevation. When I use bics around wood fires with sparks and flying embers I keep the lighter well away from the fire and out of my front pockets. They will explode from an ember landing on them and burning thru the plastic as I witnessed this at a friends house in 1981. It had been left by a fireplace after being used to start a fire. Nobody was within 30 feet, luckily, so no injuries. It just about had the poop squirt out of several of us. It went off like a bomb.
 
I found a Bic that has been in many packs over the years the other day. As best as I can tell, it has been at least 7 years. It has never had anything to keep the button from being depressed or the fuel in it. On sparking it, it made a tiny little flame, though it was pretty cold too. Anyway, not bad for something that has been in 100F+ and -30F and everything in between, on many trips, and in 3-4 different packs. At that, it was still making a flame, it was just small.
 
I love bics for their simplicity. Of course, I love my Zippos as well, but if I needed a lighter, the Bic is the more trusted of them.
 
Bics are great. Carried them about 12 years, and haven't found anything better. Even tried the Zippo's and piezo-electric torches, but always came back. Very solid, efficient, reliable, inexpensive and commonly available. I get about a season of use out of one, but if I have a bag with me, I have more than one available. No problems getting them to light in the cold, wet, or wind; quick enough to dry off the flint or warm up with body heat, and even at sea with strong winds and little protection I've been able to get my smoke lit with some persistence (not that I'm an experienced sea-man, just that it was the most work I've had to do getting it to work, ha). I also use the bottom for opening bottles preferable to other openers (it does chew up the plastic, but grips and leverages well), and one time pulled a loose finish nail from a dresser with the metal lip, to be reset/tapped with the plastic bottom, while helping someone move. Shining a flashlight into the base of a colored lighter should provide enough illumination to check fuel level on all but the black, far as I remember; lighter colored ones can simply be held with a lightsource behind, but it's not as clear as the directed flashlight or as easy on the eyes. By now, I sort'a feel how full they are (I know, crazy, considering it's a difference of a few grams; just feels less solid somehow; most likely just a vague idea of how old it is), and observe the change in flame pattern (they're non-adjustable, at least the ones available here in the States). Even 'empty', they still don't just give up the ghost immediately, and can be coaxed to eek out a flame from seemingly just gas vapors. The only time I can remember them failing their purpose is by someone accidentally pocketing them (common item), using up all the fuel (inevitable and foreseeable), or by some goon wanting to smash a lighter on a rock to see it pop (thankfully rare, and never mine, but grating to see!). All in all, noticeably better than other disposable lighters; if they were refillable, I'd liken them to Mora's! They do what you ask, and ya don't need to spend a lot for good effect. Sorry, didn't realize I'd go on such a rant. Bet you can tell my bias for them ;)
 
Bics are great, and reliable, I keep one in every psk, and car.

But, I love my zippo, although I hated having to refuel it all the time, and it running out when I need it. I smoke a pipe as well, but just ocassionally, maybe once a week, or it may go a month between smokes, so when I do want a smoke the Zippo was always dry.

UNTIL NOW! I've heard that a piece of bicycle innertube will keep the Zippo from losing it's fuel so fast, but I didn't realize it would work so well! If you haven't tried it, get yourself different sizes of innertubes from the bike shop, they'll just give them to you for free, the ones with holes. Find a size that is difficult to get over the lighter, wipe all the powder out of it, and you are in business.

Do yourself a favor, and try the innertube, you may just start using that zippo again.
 
Love my Zippo, but BiCs are reliable and can be stored for years. Great back-ups. Been lighting my pipes with a Zippo for, oh, 40+ years...
 
stingray4540 said:
Bics are great, and reliable, I keep one in every psk, and car.

But, I love my zippo, although I hated having to refuel it all the time, and it running out when I need it. I smoke a pipe as well, but just ocassionally, maybe once a week, or it may go a month between smokes, so when I do want a smoke the Zippo was always dry.

UNTIL NOW! I've heard that a piece of bicycle innertube will keep the Zippo from losing it's fuel so fast, but I didn't realize it would work so well! If you haven't tried it, get yourself different sizes of innertubes from the bike shop, they'll just give them to you for free, the ones with holes. Find a size that is difficult to get over the lighter, wipe all the powder out of it, and you are in business.

Do yourself a favor, and try the innertube, you may just start using that zippo again.
Click to expand...

+1 :thumbup::thumbup:
 
I usually rotate my bics every year or so. I've had several that I found empty after about 5 years, and they were just sitting, no danger of the plunger being depressed. So, yes, I keep them in all my gear, but don't trust them completely either. They are very handle, but certainly not as cool as Zippos. ;)
 
Like several other people here, I've been using Bics for a long, long time. Day to day I use some cheapo lighters that I was given by a friend. Only about 30 percent of them actually work, but, hey, they were free. I wouldn't take them to the woods though: you can't trust them. A Bic, though, you can always trust. I have never had a Bic fail me.
 
I got tired of the Zippo fuel burn so I converted my Zippo to butane. I bought an insert that fits the Zippo, its made by ZPLUS. Slides right in works great, uses regular butane fuel. I've only had it for a few months so I can't say how it will hold up. I 've used it to light a cigar in the car moving with the window down. I think that they also make one for lighting pipes.
 
Been using BICS for a long time - the only problem I have ever had with them was either they were wet or out of fuel

Time does not seem to affect them either, unless they are kept in a wet, and damp environment

BIC + Ziplock = :thumbup:
 
When they get wet why don't they work?

Just water on the flint/striker? Gotta be a way to dry it quickly enough.
 
Munky88 said:
When they get wet why don't they work?

Just water on the flint/striker? Gotta be a way to dry it quickly enough.
Click to expand...

When it gets wet, I just push the striker wheel against a dry portion of my trousers and run it down my leg to spin the wheel. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries, but it usually works.
 
dawsonbob said:
When it gets wet, I just push the striker wheel against a dry portion of my trousers and run it down my leg to spin the wheel. Sometimes it takes a couple of tries, but it usually works.
Click to expand...

Or a little lung power

Give me a Bic and a couple or pieces of magnesium strip in a baggie, and I'm good :thumbup:
 
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