The Mighty Zippo

Chambers

Chambers

Joined
Jul 11, 2001
Messages
1,137
I was thinking I needed to add a reliable fire maker to my EDC and since I quit smoking recently I haven't had any. I was reading in here about some of the strong points of a classic Zippo and wanted to know if they are reccomended as a reliable fire maker? I read you have an emergency signal mirror with the reflective finish, tinder, and sparker already in one package even if you run out of fuel. Anyone got a Zippo 101 instruction manual they can give me? I've never honestly owned one.
So in brief the question is would you guys be ok with telling a rookie that a zippo would be a fine general purpose fire starter to keep handy? Do you have any tips/tricks with the zippo you'd like to share? Where is the best place to acquire one? and someone mentioned something about stashing stuff in the base of a zippo, what could you possibly stick in there? Thanks guys.
 
I tried carrying a Zippo as an EDC firestarter, but the fuel simply dried up too quickly. If this doesn't bother you, then it would be great to carry for all the reasons you listed.
 
It is true that the Zipoo's fuel will dry out soon, so just placing it somewhere and leaving it is a bad idea. But if you use one often, as I do, then you will be refilling it anyway. The fuel is cheap and easy to replace. But if Murphey has his wasy, the week you didn't refuel it will be the week you need it. Hope this helps.
 
So If, like me, one were to be in a desert climate I could easily expect the Zippo not to light when I needed it if I never use the darn thing but want it as an emergency piece? Any way around that? Perhaps just scrap the idea and buy a life capsule and stick some matches in it? At this point I want easy reliable flamage and I don't like the looks or price of the helios lighters. Suggestions?

C
 
I suggest a fire steel, tinder, and a bic lighter. The bic will work 99% of the time, the firesteel will always work as long as you have some dry tinder.
 
You guys gotta think outside the box a bit more... Take your mighty zippo and remove it from the case as though to fill it. Remove all of the wadding. Drop in about 3 extra flints, then stuff the remaining area with vaseline'd cotton balls. Re-insert into case. You now have a fire starter. The sparks from that flint in the lighter will ignite cotton balls (and you have them in the case as well as spare flints). Try this- it works!
-carl
 
No need to worry about fuel evaporating or leaking with this method!
Take a bike tire inner tube, cut about the lengh of your zippo. Slip this over the zippo like a sheath making sure it is snug over the cap. Then when you want to light it up pull back the rubber to the bottom of the cap, open and light. I have one zippo thats been filled since last year and opened it tonight when I read this thread and sure enough it lighted up. This method works fantastic, and hey if you know your low on fuel light the rubber, that'll burn too! Try it! It works wonders and puts the zippo back where it belongs, back at numero uno! LOL I just like zippos alot ;)
As to the cotton balls in the case, It seems as though you'd run out of fuel pretty quickly, perhaps 7 starts? I'm not sure, never tried it... It seems like if you were going to put cotton balls in the case it'd be the same as the lighter fluid, they both are fuel, and both run out. Me, i'd rather have the lighter fluid due to easy lighting, then when its done with, then i'd worry about lighting things with the sparks. Not saying that that ideas is bad, I just have never tried it and am trying to make sense of it.
 
The only problem with Zippos is that the fuel evaporarates with time. I use and recommend a Windmill Delta stormproof lighter. Never let me down yet after 2 and a half years of use.;)
 
We do tend to work this from a lot of angles, don't we? Back in my younger and stupider days (when I smoked), my Zippo was THE lighter. It always carried a half doxen spare flints under the compressed felt inside the case, and at least one sewing needle diagonally against the inside of the case. But a weekend was about the fuel limit. After I quit sucking on the cancer sticks, I would seal the whole thing with electrician's tape, but Goddard's bike tube cover is miles ahead!!!

I might even take the elderly (22 yrs.) kit out of mothballs. Thanks for the stimulation, guys!:)
 
I used to carry a Zippo all the time, but the fuel always dried out on me or it would leak out and give me a nice chemical burn on my thigh, like a sunburn. Almost every time the lighter turned upside down no matter how little fluid I used it would leak all over my pants. They are not really any good for lighting sideways either. I would suggest buying a torch style lighter or forget the lighters all together and carry a fire steel like the ones listed here-

http://www.wildernesssurvival.com/Flints.htm

One of those plactic coin tubes filled with lifeboat matches would be my second choice. The coin tubes come in dime sizes all the way up to silver dollar size, they're clear plastic and have a screw on top. They're usually sold in packs of 4 and they're pretty inexpensive. I have a nickel size tube in my survival kit filled with lifeboat matches and tinder.
 
Originally posted by Chambers
I was reading in here about some of the strong points of a classic Zippo and wanted to know if they are reccomended as a reliable fire maker?
Click to expand...

Forget about Zippos for survival use. Not enough fuel. Besides they are not reliable enough (they all end up lighting up once every 20 tries). If you soak them in water, they're dead.

For survival use, my first choice is the good, old, cheap Bic. You can swim all day long with a Bic, and light it as soon as the firestone has dried off. They last very long. The are lightweight. You can get them in bright (say orange or yellow) colors so you can find them easily if dropped in vegetation or in darkness... Really, Bics are great. I always have 2-3 with me when I go mess around in the woods: one in my pocket, one in my backpack, and one around my neck, for example.

Regards,

David
 
Years ago, I had a Zippo save my hip from getting a thin steel bar rammed through it-hit the Zippo hard enough to bow the case inward, and it wouldn't hold fluid anymore. Hip was black/purple from broken blood vessels, but it beat getting skewered.
Other than keeping you safe from steel bars that target the change pocket on jeans, I'll take a Bic over a Zippo every day, though.
Can't count how many times I've found one in the washer or dryer. Leaves me with a Bic that works perfectly, and is very clean:D
I carry a couple in my gear when camping, along with a Firesteel, and some trioxane tabs. Never have a problem getting a fire lit...
 
I carry a small bottle of lighter fluid along with the zippo since I'm a tobacco addict. I also carry a blastmatch for those occasions I need a bigger spark.
 
Carl and Goddard! Great ideas! I'll try Goddard's first. If that doesn't work, I'll try Carl's. I don't use my Zippo enought (don't smoke) and if I carried it in my pocket every day, the fuel would gas off in about a week. Maybe the inner tube idea will help.

I usually carry a Mini-Bic wrapped with a few feet of duct tape. The plastic body of a Mini-Bic is as tall as standard width duct tape is wide.
 
i like wax-dipped strike-anywhere matches. i always have a few flame-creating items around when needed, though.
 
Originally posted by PlaceKnives
They are not really any good for lighting sideways either.
Click to expand...

Zippo makes a "pipe" insert for lighting sideways. (Altho you have to buy the whole Pipe lighter.)

Matt in Texas
 
JDMSMBACPA,
make sure you tell us how it works, im curios to see how it works for others. Also with the inner tube on it you don't need to worry wether it gets wet or not,although i wouldn't suggest keeping it in water for several days.
You got me on some key points of bics thou, number one their cheaper, which means you can have more of them on you, like you said one in your pocket one in your pack etc. backup is essential after all. Bright colors are ok I guess;) My bics orange so I guess im a color guy too:)
 
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