My only problem with Bic lighters is I never know how much fuel is left in them. I can't seem to find a bic with a transparent case. Taking the little "child-proof" wheels off of the cheap lighters seems to improve their function. Does anybody know of a good quality lighter with a radiant flame (not a butane torch) that has a fuel indicator?

Thanks!

~L

Hold a flashlight behind it. Even the darkest opaque Bics (except perhaps black) become transparent with a strong light behind them.

If you hold a Bic up to a light and look at it the fuel usually shows a shadow line.
If you are not sure the line you see is fuel give it a little shake and you should see the fuel jiggle.

Edit: I missed Jaywalker's post before I posted this, oops.

Yeah, honestly, the lighter choice was not about profit margin. I originally chose Bic lighters because of the quality, but I went with Cody Lundin's suggestion to use these instead, because the flame is adjustable and you can easily see the fuel level. You can even modify them to make a torch. BTW, these are King brand lighters. I think they are the best among cheap lighters. I used to smoke, too, and I rarely ever had a problem with a King lighter. And as reliable as Bics are, I've had some with very low flames - and there's nothing you can do about it. Also, I do test these individually before packing them in a kit.

Thanks for the feedback.

Just have it as an upgrade. ME seems to have already gotten the hang of it.

my $.02:

I would prefer the Bic. If I understand correctly this is an emergency kit, right? So don't use the lighter unless you need it, and if you do then replace it after the emergency is over. The not being able to see how much fuel is left seems to be a moot point if it is considered in this way. Lighters are cheap, and for an emergency kit it doesn't make sense, to me, to sacrifice quality for the ability to see how much fuel is left in it.

ME you bring up a good point about testing the lighters before you put it in the kit, I think you should make the fact that you inspect the gear going in to each kit more apparent on your website. I know for me it makes me feel a lot better about ME as a company. If you inspect each lighter, then throwing out the bics that have a low flame should be an option for you.

Standard Disclaimer:
I don't know everything, and the above is just my imperfect opinion.

Just went to ME site, quite impressive never used a "King" lighter never smoked, all in all looks like a good kit for the money.

just my .02

Mike

Rodion, and in case anybody else is interested, I just updated the product page for the Inova Microlight on our site, to describe exactly why it is my favorite microlight. I have a Photon Freedom, also, and yeah, it is very cool, but I still prefer my Inovas because:

http://www.mothereagle.com/Inova-Microlight-p/inovamicro.htm

I like the Innovas, but have lost both of the two I had on my keyring. They rested there with Photon Freedoms. Only the Freedoms are left on both mine and MS Yeti's keyrings. The main issue? The clip has a tendency to pop off the main ring. Perhaps it was because it was rigid and too long to conform to the ever-changing shape of a keyring in use, thrown into bags, and worn on the side. Don't get me wrong, I liked the Innovas, they just disappeared while the Photons didn't. YMMV...


BTW, for non-keyring use, I still have an Innova left that I like and use.