And if you hope to have a fire-starter at your side, youll want something that isnt going to shatter the first time you drop it. Usually composed of naphtha, this fuel is poured directly into the lighters fuel tank where it is dispensed via a wick and often lit with a flint striker wheel. Some lighter fuels are more accessible than others, but their functionality limits their usefulnessThe final thing youll want to consider when it comes to survival lighters is the type of fuel the lighter uses. DIY methods include cutting a piece of bike inner tube or rubber glove to slide over the Zippo as a sort of exterior gas cap: A plasma lighter which is powered by electricity and thus rechargeable is a nice upgrade for daily use, camping, and backpacking. Dimensions 4.12 x 1.8 x 1.25 weighs 3.4 oz The Zippo is as classic as it is iconic and after all these decades it still finds its way into the kits of more than a few of us outdoors men and women. Like the Exotac Firesleeve, this is not a stand-alone lighter. Some lighter fuels are more accessible than others, but their functionality limits their usefulness. But plasma lighters are not good enough to be your primary prep. I really like that this lighter floats and is orange which is what I want in a dire emergency. Another reason it makes the overall pick for EDC lighter is that it is slim enough to go virtually noticed in the pocket. If you are looking for a reliable plasma lighter then you cant go wrong with our top pick of the Tough Tesla. Not only does it allow you to get warm, dry, purify water, and cook food but it provides a source of comfort and an ancient method of keeping the boogeyman away. Our best guess is that the market for these refillable survival lighters is very small, and Maratac is the only company committed to it for the long haul. Hands down, the BIC Maxi ($1.80 each, $9 for the five pack) is the best survival lighter for most people. And thats exactly why weve put together the following list of 12 of our favorite survival lighters of all types. Rather than relying on matchsticks, however, you can invest in a lighter. The piezoelectric ignition is rated for 30,000 uses even when wet so there is little risk of this lighter running out of spark. Fuel Type: Lighter Fluid Aside from that it is an all around decent refillable butane lighter that operates just as you would expect. A lighter is only one of the things youll need in a worst-case scenario. There are also even more durable metal ones. The Maratac stainless steel peanut is discontinued now and they brought back the originally recommended anodized aluminum. There are a handful of decent competitors to the Peanut. Customer reviews are overwhelmingly positive with the only complaints being around battery life or quality control issues. Its made of sturdy stainless, and adds a bit of functionality and durability to your BIC without adding much bulk. O-rings give out over the long run, especially when exposed to the kinds of chemicals used to fill lighters, so each one is a point of failure for leakage. The Maxi lighters are good for 3,000 lights defined as a strike of the flint that produces a flame of one second in duration about twice what a normal BIC is good for. This factor will not only determine the viability of using the device in a survival situation, but also the availability of refueling it, as well as the overall cost to you. But we dont like the design when compared to the Peanuts capsule. As such, youll want to look for a fire-starter that can be used multiple times. Fuel Type: Lighter Fluid Finally, more tied-into the material construction is overall durability. When youre desperate to survive, every ounce counts. Resistances: Impact-Resistant, Windproof This little pill is small enough to fit on your keychain and even comes with an attachment if youd refer to strap it to a bag. Additionally, SurvivalCache.com participates in various other affiliate programs, and we may get a commission through purchases made through our links. Vice versa, you can light upside down with a plasma torch without the flame rising and burning your fingers. This UCO lighter took the runner up spot only because it is not advertised to float and does not appear to be engineered to work up to 8000ft like the UST Floating lighter. Reusability: Uses Disposable Lighters. Technology is advancing rapidly enough that most people will have the ability to charge small devices (via solar, wind, crank, or batteries) through a micro-USB cable as part of their emergency bags. Read more, We bought and tested over 20 popular paracords, performing load, abrasion, and damp tests to pick the best survival cordage. Its not so much the butane that gives the trouble but the style of lighter. Make sure to check out the more detailed review here. Even though your lighter may be windproof what youre lighting is not so keep that in mind when building your fire in the wind. Overall it is a good choice especially when out on the water. The higher up in altitude you travel the more difficult butane lighters are to get going so they are not the best option for the mountain tops. More: To round out your emergency fire supplies, check out the best matches and best fire steels. While a survival lighter is great on its own, one that has a few other handy built-in tools is even better. . Fuel Type: Butane Its a little bit on the wasteful size, as far as fuel types go, but the overall convenience trumps that in most situations. This is important for any situations that you may encounter where you may find yourself soaking wet in the midst of a storm looking to get a fire going. For those situations where space is at a premium this lighter is a good all around choice being a cylinder this lighter will fit in a lot of spaces that the others on this list will not. Wide variety of colours and finishes to choose from This is the only lighter on our list that doesnt rely on any of the five most common types of fuel. Dimensions 2.25 x 1.5 x 0.5 weight 2.0 oz Resistances: Impact-Resistant, Waterproof, Buoyant, Windproof Dimensions 3.7 x 1.4 x 1.1 weighs 2.4 oz Read more. Its not waterproof or wind-resistant, sure but the low price and easy of use make this a far better option than even the famous BIC disposables. This lighter also runs on butane and is piezoelectric ignition as well. Fuel Type: Lighter Fluid Though it might seem like splitting hairs, different materials have different weights, as well. Even though the Zippo is just as effective in the bush or in a SHTF situation its tendency to run itself dry in the pocket make me place it in the EDC column. A streamlined & sustainable take on an everyday carry-focused crossbody pack. Personally, we keep some of these on hand for their convenience, coolness, and as a backup to the primary BICs and refillable variants in our emergency supplies. Built-in flashlight, rechargeable with USB, and lanyard. You might be thinking to yourself, cant any lighter be considered a survival lighter? One of the best things to look for in a survival lighter is whether or not it can survive a dip in a pool, pond, puddle, or ocean. Capitalism and the strenuous demands of chain smokers have created an easy to use, compact, lightweight, durable, reliable, and effective product that lasts decades on the shelf. Charging is done via a micro-USB port and usually takes about 2 hours. SurvivalCache is here to educate. Resistances: Windproof, Impact-Resistant The blaze orange body makes it easy to find, especially when digging through an emergency kit at night or without power. Resistances: Impact-Resistant, Waterproof, Buoyant Being able to get a fire going quickly is essential, and to do that you need a dependable survival lighter that will light your tinder no matter what the conditions. One of the best refillable lighters is the $35 Maratac Peanut (not the Zippo or butane cigar lighters). Read more, Medical experts with 180 years of experience organize this 37-item list for your portable first aid kit. Butane Normally this fuel is contained within a pressurized cylinder that is dispensed into the lighter through a fuel port. An Ans-Voxnaes-designed EDC folder offered with a variety of handle & blade materials. Whether you refuel it with lighter fluid, plug it in, or pop in a new disposable, a survival lighter isnt going to be of much use if you can only fill the reservoir once. Plasma lighters are great because they do not rely on fuel to generate the heat that the fire triangle requires. Fuel Type: Plasma Reviews are pretty positive with some negativity around quality control and the difficulty in disassembling the unit to refuel it. Tesla Survival Lighter Review: Hands-On Review, Lighters vs Matches? Windproof. Not only can fire provide warmth, but it can cook food, sanitize wounds, scare off wild animals, and more. Even the most basic survival lighter should have a bit of impact resistance. This copyrighted material may not be republished without express permission. . Well dig deeper into the pros and cons in the beginners guide to batteries, but Li-Ions dont do well when stored unused for long periods of time and have a limited number of charge/discharge cycles. If this lighter is to be intended for a survival situation then it must stand up to abuse so it is there ready to go when your life depends on fire. Find out what other gear you should stash away for emergencies on our list of survival essentials. The ability to use a wide range of fuels in Zippo-style lighters, however, still beats these electric versions for long-term preps. There is not a lot of info on this particular lighter and this one seems to be the same as others sold under different branding. Reusability: Refillable Waxed Tinder Sticks. The Zippo is a good EDC lighter if you are going to use it often, and remember to fill it regularly. The polymers, however, are lighter. This is the primary reason I chose it to be best for a day pack or bug out bag. I would not trust this as a primary fire starting tool but as a backup to a back up I think it would do just fine. The best refillable lighter is the $35 Anodized Aluminum Maratac Peanut. Or, if you prefer, theres one with a bottle opener built into the base. Why does butane not work well at altitude? Compact, durable, leak-proof, cheap, and lightweight. For instance, you can choose one that has emergency duct tape wrapped around it. I would be remiss if I did not give a mention to the classic Zippo in this verdict. The $16 LighterBro is a very popular little multi-tool-like lighter attachment that features a knife, scissors, tiny screwdriver, bottle opener, and keyring. Numyth Tohil: If it were still on the market, wed consider the Numyth a decent alternative to the Maratac. It is claimed to be waterproof and because of that should not run dry as fast a Zippo does. A simple BIC lighter ignites the butane into an orange flame with the trade off being that it is far from windproof. Otherwise, check out the lighter below: This is one of those inexpensive Chinese plasma lighters that does the job of forming plasma arcs just fine. These lighters burn extremely hot and since they do not rely on a flame they are truly windproof lighters. Its small size of course means that it will not have much of a run time. Plus, it looks pretty cool. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. Read more, Our 40 favorites after reviewing hundreds of packs. Resistances: Waterproof, Windproof, Impact-Resistant Theyre wind and splashpoof, as they do not rely on a flame, but they do need to be recharged a lot and if you dont have access to power plugs or a portable solar panel this can become an issue. Even the most basic survival lighter should have a bit of impact resistance.Arguably more important than the material out of which a lighter is made are its resistances though you could argue that one determines the other, to a point. Resistances: Impact-Resistant, Waterproof Rather, you can recharge it by plugging it in. Despite all these drawbacks, some preppers like that these lighters can hang onto their fuel for a long time in storage. The original Peanut design has only a single O-ring to wear out or fail. How reusable you want your lighter will, however, be balanced by the availability of the fuel used to ignite it. Weve noticed the Everstryke is commonly given away for free as an incentive to get people to give away personal information online or fill out scammy forms. Customer sentiment is a bit mixed on this one with almost an even split between the most positive and most negative reviews. Rather than a traditional combustion flame, this lighter creates an arc of electricity across its contact points that can ignite tinder, tobacco in a pipe, or whatever else you need to light. My only gripe with lighters like this is that I fundamentally do not trust anything that runs on batteries. This is probably the most critical of your choices. 2022 HICONSUMPTION LLC. I personally own one and have lost more than I care to admit. This style of lighter is white labeled by many different brands. This model comes encased in ABS plastic and has several other survival features in addition to the dual plasma arcs. Michael is a survivalist, traditional bowhunter, student of traditional and primitive skills, as well as a veteran of the Canadian Armed Forces. Read more, Quick tips for finding in-stock and cheap ammo. And you may have noticed the lack of ads and other junk. If you plan to visit or live somewhere thats especially rainy, you should be looking for waterproofing in a survival lighter. If you have a refillable lighter, keep some proper fuel in your home supplies and possibly in your go-bags. Many LighterBro users consider the clip a must-have add-on. The $17 Zippo butane torch insert goes inside a Zippo case, turning it into a butane torch of the kind we do not recommend for prepping. This attachment clip is a great combo with the LighterBro. Lighter Fluid: By far the most easily accessible combustion fuel type, you can find tins of lighter fuel in just about any grocery, convenience, or outdoor store. Obviously you dont get nearly the number of lights as you do with the Maxi, but this is a capable backup option that can get you out of a bind. The Prepared is supported by readers, and when you buy something we recommend, we may get an affiliate commission but it never affects your price or what we pick. The negative reviews are usually in regards to getting faulty product or having the lighter fail soon after purchase. The only downside I see is the reliance on a battery but since most of us only go into the bush with multiple methods of fire lighting, that shouldnt be an issue. Now that you know the kinds of things to look for in a lighter and youve had a bit of time to consider the types of things you need out of one, only one thing remains: choosing your ideal survival lighter. Resistances: IPX8 Waterproof, Impact-Resistant Majority of customers are happy with their purchase the exceptions to this seem to revolve around the usual quality control issues. HiConsumption is reader-supported. If youre looking for the most functionality out of your survival or everyday carry gear, this one is probably the best value proposition. Light a lighter straight out of Star Wars, this battery-powered plasma lighter has no fuel reservoir to speak of. As with the other butane lighters it will have trouble at altitude. Keep your lighter dry or strap it to your gear with this rugged, waterproof, floating case. We like Survival Frog for their great customer service, but you can sometimes find the same-with-a-different-name Tactical Gear Plasma Lighter for a few dollars cheaper. Weve personally seen Peanuts stored for a year without use light up on the first try. For anyone who is not as old school as myself or likes to run several backup ignition sources a plasma lighter like this is a good choice for your fire lighting needs. Reusability: Refillable. Granted, this isnt a lighter itself it has to be loaded with a disposable. Although it is in liquid state the off gassing is what ends up being the source of fuel for the flame. But that case isnt water tight and doesnt completely solve the evaporation problem. Its all-metal construction is far more durable than the BIC, and its also sturdier than most specially designed survival lighters. Instead, this emergency lighter comes loaded with a series of wax-coated tinder sticks. Fuel Type: Electric/Arc He is also a husband and father and makes his home in British Columbia, Canada. The Maxi version lasts twice as long as a normal BIC. Reusability: Refillable, Replaceable Wick & Flint. Same quality as a normal/Maxi BIC in a ~30% smaller package, just with fewer strikes. Creating fire is obviously important for survival. Butane: Another combustible fuel type, butane can be found in the bulk of lighters labeled as windproof. It burns hot and fast and is slightly less accessible than regular lighter fluid, but its not so difficult to get your hands on that you should look elsewhere. Namely, they are water, food, shelter, and access to fire. When you are cold and numb operating a lighter can be a challenge or downright impossible. If you click on a link and make a purchase, we may earn a commission at no additional cost to you. butane torch lighters) that are popular for camping and backpacking scenarios, but almost all of these have shortcomings that disqualify them as your primary fire prep. The popular survival lighters that we investigated all had very mixed reviews, and the strictly cigar-oriented lighters just arent made for harsh outdoor conditions, often failing in the field. Resistances: Windproof, Splashproof, Impact-Resistant Unfortunately, matches even weatherproof ones have a finite limit to their usefulness. This lighter is both waterproof and windproof and comes in bright orange so it is very visible. This lighter runs off regular lighter fluid and is very tiny. Which is Better in a Survival, Best Plasma Lighter: Tough Tesla Lighter 2.0 Review, Best Survival Lighter for EDC Zippo Matte Pocket Lighters, True Utility FireStash Lighter Multi-Tool, Best Waterproof Survival Lighter: UST Refillable Floating Lighter, Honorable Mention UST Trekker Stormproof Lighter, Dimensions 2.25 x 1.5 x 0.5 weight 2.0 oz, Wide variety of colours and finishes to choose from, Can use multiple types of fuels in true survival or SHTF situations, Dimensions 2.6 x 1.6 x 0.6 Weighs less than 1 oz with fuel, Above 8000ft the lighter will not preform as well, Dimensions 4.12 x 1.8 x 1.25 weighs 3.4 oz, Dimensions 3.7 x 1.4 x 1.1 weighs 2.4 oz. Refillable lighters make sense, provided they can use a wide range of fuels you may scavenge and can hold that fuel for a long time without leaking. But many users have found that these torches dont resist the wind as well as advertised, so the pros dont outweigh the cons. This lighter is not only water and windproof but also floats and is orange for high visibility. This is a good lighter and the addition of a flashlight and whistle are nice bonuses. And thats exactly what you get out of the MecArmy X7S. A survival lighter isnt going to be of much use if you can only fill the reservoir once. The problem with using lighter fluid is that the lighter fluid will often evaporate when the lighter is not in use, unless it is in a sealed case. This is a very similar lighter to the other UST lighter on this list but is not designed to float but maintains the ability to operate optimally up to 8000ft. First up is the $18 Exotac fireSLEEVE Ruggedized Waterproof Lighter Case that keeps your lighter safe and dry. And that can be bad news depending upon how long you need to keep a fire going. We own and use the $60 Maratac Peanut XL in titanium, and it is awesome. Resistances: Windproof, Waterproof, Impact-Resistant Customers reviews are very positive with the complaints centring around being sent counterfeit goods buy some unscrupulous sellers. Weighing in at only 2.9 oz youll hardly notice this little lighter in your pocket. Read more, Learn what medical supplies expert preppers keep stocked in their homes. This lighter is the runner up because of the negative customer reviews and that it is not as lightweight or as well thought out as the UST Floating Lighter. Its also very easy to replace the wick and flint, should they need be. There are aftermarket products to address this problem, such as the $30 Thyrm PyroVault Lighter Armor case that takes Zippo lighter inserts. When you need a survival lighter to work, your motor skills are probably going to have gone to hell in a hand basket. So, if you want to smoke a cigar, but you dont have any butane handy, this one should still work.
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