I would agree with your reservations about the Windmill. In my usage, the hinged plstic lid is often in the way when lighting tinder.

I still carry my Windmill, but I found a Solo lighter with an extendable tube (it is billed as a candle lighter on their website) that is much easier in normal usage. It cost about twelve bucks at the local sporting goods store. Refillable, definitely not waterproof, but quite reliable in normal circumstances. I suspect that if I were wearing gloves and/or slightly hypothermic, that extending the tube would be a mild hassle.

Is usage, I carry both the Windmill and the Solo, backed up with stormproof matches and at least one disposable Bic, all in a sealable water tight pouch.

This last summer I carried all this gear on a bicycling tour near the Black Hills, and it was so dry and hot that I never lit my stove, not even once.