I've always been torn as to which disposable lighter to leave stashed in various places. The Bics are, in my experience, more reliable, but I don't like their safety, which protects the striker wheel. Scripto lighters have a safety that blocks the gas button, but haven't been as reliable. I decided to try putting zip-ties underneath the gas button of the lighters I keep in my backpacks and Jeep to see how easy they were to cut off in the event I need the lighter.

[img]http://www.hunt101.com/showphoto.php?photo=51171[/img]

I was very pleasantly supprised to find that keeping the tab in front of the lighter (see photo) allowed me to simply pop it off with upward pressure of my thumb. While not an option for smokers or those who would use it several times a day (the zip tie goes flying accross the room about half the time) this allows me to keep the gas from running down in my pocket, but keeps it readily accessable.

Any thoughts?

Chris.

I try to get the Scriptos with the little safety latch so the gas doesn't leak out. They seem to hold up pretty well for me. BIC is a better lighter but the gas is always leaking out in my pocket. I like the Scripto semi-transparent to see how much fluid is left too.

image url should be of the pic itself ( end on jpg or other image fle name. )

nice idea, i use a bike inner tire, slided over the lighter and taped shut at one end to prevent something from pushing down the gas button.

Thanks for all your help on the pics, I really appreciate it. I like the idea of the innertube alot for EDC, but this is going to be in a kit with tinder included, so I wanted something that I could use one handed if necessary. I'm going hiking for a couple days next week so I'll see how it holds up in my pack.

Thanks again.

Chris.

Very ingenious use of the zip tie. I use the electronic versions of either the Cricket (my favorite) or Bic. They are very reliable and their safeties keep the buttons up. They also work better than the flintwheel lighters when wet.

electronics work better when wet but flint-wheel lighters work better than electronics when both are empty. A flint wheel may be dried but it is quite difficult to light anything but the butane with the tiny peizo spark from and electronic lighter and getting the spark out of the head of the lighter is quite difficult. The flint wheel of a bic may be easliy exposed by whacking off the windscreen and it will throw enough spark to light the frayed end of the cotton cord that is wrapped conveniently around the lighter uncer the ranger band that supplies the kindling.