The difference between Lighters

[WiseOwl]

So today I checked my EDCBOBGMHFP just to make sure everything was good. Its starting to get a little bit warmer and I wanted to make sure everything was good in the fanny pack that I keep in my truck.

I keep a BIC lighter and one of those .99 cent gas station neon greens in there.

Well the BIC was flicked and made flame.

The cheapo....not so much.

It seemed that the fluid evaporated out of it. The bag didnt smell like fluid though.



So if any of you are hitting those "deals" on these cheap lighters, remember that the heat and humidity will literally suck the life out of them. So keep those cheapos stored indoors in a cool place.

Luckily I also keep a Mag Striker in there as well. I started to think the long list of What Ifs.....

I have some matches in there as well, but those are last resort worst case.



Stay thirsty my friends....:p

[Grantmeliberty]

The liquid in those lighters is butane, which is one step heavier and less volatile than propane. Butane is a 4 carbon fuel while propane is a 3 carbon fuel. Methane is 1 carbon, ethane is 2 carbon and a mix of methane and ethane is what we call natural gas. The fewer carbons, the lighter, and it takes more pressure to condense them into a liquid. Butane is at the threshold where it will vaporize at normal temps and pressures but is easier to control than the more volatile propane.
I have a small refillable Bernzomatic torch in my enhanced fanny pack, which burns much hotter and is more resistant to wind than a standard lighter. It also has a fitting to convert it into a small soldering iron. It has stayed filled for many years without any problem.

[EX121]

I've found that sometimes a small piece of lint or dirt will get lodged in the valvue of the lighters and let all of the gas out. They are also pressurized to work best at sea level so may not work well at altitude. If they break you have a very small flint & steel :).

[Triple-sod]

I swear by clippers

Considering the price (

[SeldomSeenSlim]

The best way to be sure to have fire is to hang out with a smoker. Even without a ready source of flame, that person WILL find a way to make fire after a while. :)

I smoke so I always have several ways to make fire on my person at any given time. Bic lighters do tend to make fire for a longer period of time than a cheap brand. One of the reasons, in my opinion, is that Bics don't allow for adjusting the flame. I'm not picky though and buy more cheap lighters than Bics just because they're cheap.

My solution for fire starting is an "all of the above" approach. I carry a zippo, usually a couple disposable lighters and some matches tucked in my hat band for when times get hard. If it has a pocket, there's typically a knife and some kind of fire tool in it. All geared up for a ride I'd guess I probably have a dozen or more fire tools on my person/horse and more in the truck and more in the trailer. There really isn't any reason not to. Lighters, matches, magnesium tools are all small, light and inexpensive. For a $100 bill a person can buy an obscene amount of fire starting tools. If you have several lighters and a pile of matches, one of them is bound to work just for the fact of sheer numbers.

I've always wondered when hearing about "survival experts" showing how to split a match in half or some other trick for fire starting. I can pick materials to make a bow and drill and start a fire with it. Something I decided to learn just because, but if I'm down to depending on that, then something has gone horribly wrong and I'd spend that whole time cursing myself for doing whatever stupid thing I did to land me in that situation.

[scoob]

ive had those "cheapie" lighters blow up more than once. i been lucky not to have it happen right in my hand. one didnt go out and stayed lit so i threw it away, and about 5 feet from my hand it popped, coulda been painful or worse. so be extremely careful with those lighters. from personal experience i know for a fact they will splode. just my 2c . good luck and be safe.