I write to condemn BIC (sometimes) Lighters.

I smoke. I love smoking. I love everything about it. I am very unpopular in some circles. I don't give a good rat's ass. I share the sentiments of the good Russian General, who upon hearing that Stalin had condemned tobacco use among his men, said 'F him, tobaccaco has been friend, food and fire to me when nothing and nobody else was." I have lit cigarettes, cigars, and pipes with everything from campfire embers to acetylene torches. (The former is more pleasurable; the latter more efficicient if your watch your eyelashes and burn up your smoke on the first drag) Hence, I think I am somewhat of an authority on starting fires -- after all, I do so some 40 times a day for sustenance, plus others for business and recreation.

I have been sitting here reading post after post on this and many other outdoor/survival forums that always seem to have in their lists "BIC lighter."

BICs suck. They have no adjustable flame. They are unreliable on the best of days. They can't take water at all, at all. They are made in France (or at least by a French company, if any of you red necks care, or anybody else is being xenophobic). The barrels are made so it is hard to tell if they are out of fluid. When they do run out (always at the most inoportune of times, as in when you are frezzing to death) if you take the little metal shield off in order to use the thing as a good old fahioned sparker a la Spark Lite, the whole damn thing falls apart (actually, just the little, bitty, tiny, INDISPENSIBLE pin that holds in the wheel falls out and drops into your left sock, or the snow, whichever is applicable). They are not childproof; if childproof, then cold hands proof. They have no chracter -- every 17 year old you see in the bar is using one.

Get a Zippo. They are worse, but by god they have character.

It is 102 degrees today. I have been without AC for 3 days. There is no end in sight. So, to put off going home and bing hot(er), I post these sentiments.

Best wishes to all, but I mean it: get something for your kit that works better than a BIC.

Thanks for listening.