over the years i have purchased a number of butane lighters, and i have noticed that if i leave them for a couple months (say, over the winter) they lose all their butane, and don't work.

has anyone else had this experience, or am i just doing something wrong? if this is normal, these lighters are obviously not the thing for an emergency kit. of course there are already issues with the ignition, which cannot handle getting wet and is not helpful if the fluid is gone..

does anyone have a suggestion for the best lighter to keep in a survival kit? i apologize if this has been discussed on this forum before, i tried to search and did not find anything relevant. i was wondering if anyone has tried the small torches, which seem to be sealed much better.

thanks for any info,

doug

I live just outside of Chicago. With the weather we've recently had, sub freezing, I've noticed that butane lighters left outside will not work. Like canister stoves, when the temp drops into the extreme ranges, pressurized gas devices will not work!

Make sure your PSK and BOB contain spark lighting systems, ie cotton balls and pj or 0000 steel wool.

We have discussed this before on this forum. My cold weather kit contains a zippo, lighter fluid, flints, and the old style hand warmers which run on lighter fluid.

M

KISS, the 7 P's, and multiple redundancy prove Darwin right.

I would recommend this little guy, mine is still going strong over a month and still lights without adding fuel. It's worth every penny for this little guy. Take a small heart medicine capsule at cvs and put extra lighter fluid in it and your set. I have backups of course both flint, magnesium and a zippo as backups. But this hasn't failed yet and has been the best for the buck. I still haven't found a reliable place to get one cheaper yet but I have 3 of them. One on my edc, 2 in my bob. Do a search for airtight flint on e-bay and I'm telling you, you'll love this thing. It's awsome, I just wish I could find a place cheaper.


Airtight flint

I have had lighters for years and the volume only changes when I use the lighter.
cheers

I have carried Mini Bics in my pockets for in excess of a year without any apparent loss of fuel. However, I live in Florida and it would be rare for the lighter to be subjected to less than room temperature.

Craig.

Buy name brand lighters. I made the mistake to stock some off-brand lighters in our store. They were slow movers. Apparently my customers were smarter than I was. After six months I notices that 100% of them has lost 30% of their fuel. None of the well known brands have leaked.

do you think that the lighters are getting depressed and leaking fuel that way?

search "Protect a Lighter" for a quick fix for that...

Regarding butane leakage:
I have not had this problem with butane lighters, even after many years in storage. Case in point: when child-proof lighters became mandatory, I bought a whole box of loose lighters on clearance the day before they had to be thrown out. It's been 7-8 years, and I'm still pulling lighters from this stash. They're always full.

I mostly use Bics, which have proven themselves highly reliable in my experience, though sometimes I use Crickets for the adjustable flame. I wouldn't trust some of the "generic" brands for life-saving use -- this is not the place to go cheap.

In use, however, I have noticed that the mini Bics I constantly carry in my pants pocket do run down to 1/3 to 1/4 after a year or so. Part of that is from occasional use, of course, but I strongly suspect the valve gets tapped by other "pocket junk" on occasion. The warmth factor may also be a big contributor by increasing the internal pressure, meaning that you lose more fuel when the valve is tapped, and any micro-leak out the valve is made worse.

Regarding freezing temperatures:
I have been relying on Bics and Crickets for subzero work for 20 years. Keep them warm with body heat and they'll light at -25 C. I carry a Mini in an inside pants pocket at all times, and usually have a full-size spare in every jacket, pack, and glove box. They're so cheap and lightweight that there's no excuse not to have multiple redundancies. A minute or two of warming inside a mitt (or against your skin inside your belt -- yikes, that's cold) will bring a frozen Bic back to life.

Cheers,
Another Doug

You was right! Just got one on e-bay for only $18 shipped. It is truly amazing little gadget! 3 years shelf life with fuel. Strong enough sparks to light tinder even without fuel. And it is really small.
Thank you a lot for the information!

Alex, I'm glad you like it, if you ever need to do any mods to it, I made a PDF file how to do it or go here:
Basically if you want a big flame you can change out the wick and flint with zippo wicks and rosen flints. If you need to change the flint out, buy standard rosen flints, take some sandpaper or leatherman or sak file and sand down the edges just a little and it will fit right in there with no problem. People seem to think you have to buy special flint and wicks etc.. with this and you don't. You can get everything you need at walgreens and walmart.

http://www.bladeforums.com/forums/showthread.php?t=465505
Another topic here too:
http://edcforums.com/index.php?topic=7879.0

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