Originally Posted By: billym
Every refillable butane lighter I ever sold at REI SUCKED big time.
I sold $19.99, $49, and $99 lighters and they all worked OK until you need to refill them. Not to mention they do not work at altitude at all IME.
I will stay with Bic; I have used them at +14K ft, found them in a puddle and got them working and most of all used them past the point where I could actually see any fuel inside.
Bill


Important to know how to refill butane lighters.
Purge the remaining fuel/air by depressing the fuel nipple
Fill

As a cigar smoker I've used quite a few butane lighters over the years. I almost always reach for my $3.00 Ronson. I've never had an issue with one and thats after countless refills.

That said, I wouldn't want to rely on any butane lighter in a cold weather survival situation. All the lighters i've used needed to be warmed a bit before using in cold temps. I'll stick to Bics for my preparedness kits.