This is where minimalists and I part ways. I can understand going solely with friction or a ferro rod (or a couple of the right rocks) as primary with a lighter as back-up. As you state...
... I carry a Bic in temperatures far below freezing and never have been unable to make fire with one. ...
...which tells me that a Bic would make a great back-up, in case the conditions were not favorable to fire-by-friction or spark; or maybe you are down to one hand ...
My primary method for lighting a fire is a Bic and it wouldn’t bother me a bit to carry a second Bic as back-up. It’s really about tinder and fuel.
I found a
Bic lighter on the park lawn while walking the dog on a frosty morning; it was cold and damp when I picked it up and then warmed a bit in my pocket and at home. It lit the first time I tried.