Well incase you haven't noticed I have been thinking about lighters recently. I almost put this in the Zippo Review thread that I recently started but then decided it goes beyond that and may need its own thread. It was Randjack's infamous "Condemnation of Bics" thread that first got me thinking about the Zippo. I used Zippos off and on for about 15 years when I was a smoker, but had never much considered them for survival purposes due to the lack of waterproofing and the fact that the fluid evaporates in a relatively short time. Sure you can refill it weekly but what if your survival situation occurs unexpectedly on the day before a scheduled refill. I guess you can top it off daily but that is a bit more maintenance then I'm willing to do. About the time that I started the Zippo thread I tossed my mini Bic in the kitchen "junk" drawer and dusted off my old Zippo then went to the store for some new Zippo brand fluid and flints (the only brand they carry at that particular store). The way I see it there are three basic lighters for survival and none of them really are that great. By that I mean that while each have significant qualities, each also have significant flaws as well. For what its worth my test subjects are a standard size Zippo for the Zippo portion, an Essential Gear Stormpoof Lighter and a Colibri Lighter for the "torch" portion, and for the disposables portion, a mini Bic and an adjustable Cricket.
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Zippo Lighters:
Pros:
Durable Casing - most drop resistant of the three.
Nice size flame - makes the best backup light source of the three.
Least effected by altitude or weather of the three.
Operates on different types of fuels.
Relatively windproof - more than a disposable but not as much as a torch.
Can be used as a spark thrower, though not as well as a disposable.
Cons:
Not waterproof.
Fuel will evaporate over a short period of time.
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Stormproof Butane "Torches":
Pros:
The most waterproof of the three - usually doesn't even require drying.
The most windproof of the three.
Fuel does not evaporate.
Cons:
No true flame - can not be used as a backup light source.
Piezo-type igniters are not as drop resistant.
Adversely effected by weather and altitude
Can not be used as a spark thrower at all.
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Disposable Butane Lighters:
Pros:
True flame - can be used as a backup light source (adjustables are even better).
Very waterproof - will work once dried.
Fuel does not evaporate.
The best spark thrower of the three (after removing the guard).
Cons:
Least drop resistant of the three (very fragile after removing the guard to throw sparks).
Adversely effected by weather and altitude.
Least windproof of the three.
My conclusions:
None of these would be my first choice in a survival situation. They all have at least one aspect that makes them undesirable. The lighter that I would want in a survival situation does not seem to exist and with fewer smokers in the world it probably never will. But just incase any lighter inventors with unlimitted budgets are reading this (LOL), what I want is simple. I want a lighter with the following qualities.
A large, true flame.
Windproof.
Waterproof.
Drop resistant.
Altitude Resistant.
Weather Resistant.
Throws great sparks.
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