I was thinking about buying myself one of the inexpensive brushed chrome Zippo lighters I see advertised on the Web. This would replace the disposable lighter I normally carry.<br><br>Has anyone ever had trouble with Zippos failing to light in high altitudes or after being dunked? Any reason I should not get one?<br><br>Craig<br><br>

One of the benefits of a Zippo is that it is refillable. You can replace worn flints and replace used fuel. The drawback is the fuel typically only lasts about 30 days before it evaporates.<br><br>So they are not very good for long term storage. For daily use they provide reliable lights. For longer term storage, I would recommend a disposable butane lighter and some strike anywhere matches in a waterproof container with a piece of striker thrown in. I would also suggest the small artifical flint sticks. About $2 from the Boy Scouts. About the size of a house key.<br><br>

Backups need backups. Having multiple means to make fire is good common sense. I myself carry a Zippo once its lit it stays lit unlike a disposable lighter. And you can use it to dry a wet piece of tinder and they are fairly good in the wind. I bought one from zippo in bright orange so as not to loose it, good camo jobs unfortunately do their job and you can't find them when dropped and murphy says that will happen in the dark. The bonus of disposable lighter is that when it gets soak blow out the flint area and keep using the roller until it dries its self and sparks a flame. I had a fishing friend with a nasty habit of smoking, who reinforced my faith in the disposable lighter by dropping his at least once a trip when fishing the shoreline. And flint and steel is never affected by getting wet and in my opinion always be one of the most reliable means to start fire.<br><br>

I just modified my Zippo. I drilled a hole in the lid and mounted a lanyard loop. I also lifted the first layer of wadding and dumped extra flints inside. I then replaced the wadding and put the lighter back together.The lighter will be in my pocket with a lanyard attached to my belt. Hopefully I won't lose it this way. I also wrapped the lighter with electrical tape so it won't freeze to my hand. Barry<br><br>The older I get, The better I was.

A disposable lighter can ignite if it comes close to an open flame.I saw,and know of several injuries when they were left in a shirt pocket while cooking over a campfire.Besides, with zippos you can select the various unit insignias and tell lies.<br><br>

Ahh, yes. We must'nt forget the all important survival of the ego. "Of course I served in Caesar Augustus' Third Legion! Would I lie to you?" (Sorry, but I just couldn't resist the temptation.)<br><br>a prodigal scout, just trying to be prepared.

;-)<br>I have the disgusting habit too.<br>For reliability, I'd go with a disposable Bic any day.<br>The Bic also gives you many more "lights" than one filling in a Zippo.<br><br>Sorry for the lousy english.<br><br>Guillermo<br><br>

while I have always been a dedicated Zippo user, I agree with Resqman. The zippo has a relatively short storage life, if you are carying one everyday, all well and good. The odds are that it will be full when you need it.<br><br>However, even as a dedicated user of the zippo if i go into the woods, i carry at least three other means of fire starting as well as the zippo. Better safe than sorry<br><br>

Zippo's are the most reliable of all lighters, under all conditions IN WHICH A LIGHTER WILL FUNCTION. Just ask any lighter repair/tobacconist. BUT: fuel evaporates over time, and you have to check this! Store extra flints under the wadding, but be sure they are Zippo flints. Other flints (e.g. for butane lighters) may break down over time when bathed in lighter fluid.<br>Butane lighters (relative to Zippo) are much more prone to failure at altitude or in severe cold. Lighters should be only one part of your(redundant) fire starting systems.<br><br>I polish my Zippo to a very high mirror finish. .. as in signaling mirror. I also loop 2 or 3 "rubber bands" cut from a bicycle inner tube over the base of the lighter.... great wet/dry kindling.<br><br>

The disposable butane lighter is the way to go with the following caveat: Get one of the "electronic" models. This is the type that replaces the flint wheel with something called a piezeoelectric ignition device (no battery involved). The problem with flintwheel lighters (Zippo and most disposables) is once wet, they are very difficult to get to spark. Impossible in a wet survival situation with wet hands and wet clothes. The electronic lighter will light relatively easily after immersion once shaken out a few times. The newest offer a childproof feature that guarantees that the gas will not be accidentally released in storage by pressure on the button. <br><br>Lighters in general are much more convenient to use than matches or other methods and provide more than a thousand lights in a tiny package. They are the clear choice for me as a primary method. Carry in an inner pocket and your body heat will keep it in it's operating temperature range in any weather. A cold lighter can be rewarmed in an inner pocket in just a few minutes. Of course I also carry a back-up method, but with this, I probably won't ever need it.<br><br>I prefer the ones sold under the Cricket brand name. They are the thinnest and fit very neatly into a pocket or personal survival kit. Especially the shorter "pocket electronic" model. Crickets are a bit harder to find than the more popular Bic (also excellent, but not as tiny), but try looking at Wal-Mart. Stay away from Scripto and others. They are cheap, so get several and drop one in the pocket of each of your coats and your day pack and don't forget one for your car. <br><br>The only possible weakness is that they are not "windproof." However, they work well in normal lightly breezy outdoor conditions, and creating wind shelter with your hand or body is usually a simple matter. More elaborate wind sheltering could be devised in really windy conditions. All in all, it provides unmatched utility for the size, weight and price.<br><br>