Read more. As cool as it is to light a fire using old-school camping skills, soldiers, experienced survivalists, and celebrity bushcrafters the world over all tend to use a cigarette lighter as their primary go-to. . Choosing the right survival lighter has a lot to do with personal preferences. Its made of sturdy stainless, and adds a bit of functionality and durability to your BIC without adding much bulk. The problem is an abundance of O-rings theres one at the top where the wick is, one at the bottom where you fill the lighter, and (according to this video review) one thats inaccessible on the inside of the lighter. Resistances: Windproof, Splashproof There are a handful of decent competitors to the Peanut. Reliable, inexpensive, and throws a flame that can stand up to nasty weather. Butane Normally this fuel is contained within a pressurized cylinder that is dispensed into the lighter through a fuel port. This survival lighter features a super tough and water-resistant case, but also comes with a viewing window so you can see exactly how much fuel is in the reservoir. A simple BIC lighter ignites the butane into an orange flame with the trade off being that it is far from windproof. Resistances: Impact-Resistant, Waterproof, Buoyant, Windproof Unfortunately, matches even weatherproof ones have a finite limit to their usefulness. It is claimed to be waterproof and because of that should not run dry as fast a Zippo does. 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. How reusable you want your lighter will, however, be balanced by the availability of the fuel used to ignite it. A survival lighter isnt going to be of much use if you can only fill the reservoir once. Fuel Type: Lighter Fluid Zippo does however now offer a range of inserts to upgrade your lighter to a more advanced offering. The Maxi version lasts twice as long as a normal BIC. Keep your lighter dry or strap it to your gear with this rugged, waterproof, floating case. These lighters are advertised as wind proof but should be considered to be more along the lines of wind resistant. Dimensions 2.6 x 1.6 x 0.6 Weighs less than 1 oz with fuel When you need a survival lighter to work, your motor skills are probably going to have gone to hell in a hand basket. Updated prices. 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.
You may not commercially benefit from our hard work without permission. HiConsumption is reader-supported. But a smart man realizes the scales of life dont work that way. Resistances: Impact-Resistant, Waterproof . Or, if you prefer, theres one with a bottle opener built into the base. Unfortunately, even armed with the knowledge of what to look for, this can be a bummer of a task. But, when youve put a disposable lighter inside of it, youll end up with a torch that turns that disposable lighter into a fire-starter that gets up to 2,300-degrees Fahrenheit, lasts for 60% longer, creates a windproof flame, and will burn for up to 20 minutes straight. Dimensions 2.25 x 1.5 x 0.5 weight 2.0 oz When you buy through links on our site, we may earn an affiliate commission. This attachment clip is a great combo with the LighterBro. Read more, Medical experts with 180 years of experience organize this 37-item list for your portable first aid kit. The ease of use and the waterproof and windproof attributes make this one perfect for when life depends on you getting that fire going. But you might still find one for sale on eBay or flea markets. This is the only lighter on our list that doesnt rely on any of the five most common types of fuel. A great EDC lighter which also serves as the best windproof lighter and best electric lighter is the $35 Survival Frog Micro-USB Rechargeable Tesla. Reusability: Uses Disposable Lighters. Although not necessary, there are a few solid lighter accessories that upgrade your BIC for survival and everyday carry. Overall it seems that a majority of customers are happy with their lighters. Fuel Type: Butane Read more, A cheap but core item for your go-bag. The plasma lighters are a good option for ease of use because they run off a simple button. Exotac titanLIGHT: A nice-looking lighter introduced in late 2017 from a quality brand. Being able to quickly and easily locate my lighter when hypothermia is setting in and time is of the essence is a huge win. Reusability: Refillable. 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. Dimensions 3.7 x 1.4 x 1.1 weighs 2.4 oz 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. But many preppers buy stone-age fire products while skipping over the lowly fueled lighter. Fuel Type: Lighter Fluid This style of lighter is white labeled by many different brands. How many $2 products can you say that about? 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. Reusability: Refillable. Your stash of BICs will eventually run out in a long-term grid-down scenario. Instead, this emergency lighter comes loaded with a series of wax-coated tinder sticks. 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. Another example of a super-tough survival lighter with a viewing window, this lighter creates a spark which can be used to ignite fuel even if the reservoir is empty. This model comes encased in ABS plastic and has several other survival features in addition to the dual plasma arcs. So, there are a few things youre going to want to consider when picking up a worthwhile survival lighter.
Fuel Type: Butane, Piezoelectric Ignition System
The only real downside is the tendency of butane to not work well at high altitudes. The Prepared is more like a curated wiki than a blog. This requires an optimal mix of oxygen and fuel to light and the reduced oxygen at altitude can give problems lighting where a regular BIC lighter or a Zippo will have no issues. We own and use the $60 Maratac Peanut XL in titanium, and it is awesome. Alternatively, the UST TekFire Pro is a popular competitor. Customer reviews are generally positive with the negative ones centring around quality control and the occasional faulty battery. Micro-USB rechargeable. Electric/Arc: Requiring no combustible fuel whatsoever, these types of lighters run on battery power. All material on The Prepared is copyrighted. This goes double if you live or travel near large bodies of water. Fuel Type: Lighter Fluid Adds functionality with minimal bulk. You might be thinking to yourself, cant any lighter be considered a survival lighter? Another reason it makes the overall pick for EDC lighter is that it is slim enough to go virtually noticed in the pocket. The negative reviews are usually in regards to getting faulty product or having the lighter fail soon after purchase. 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. The one thing the LighterBro is missing is a clip, but theres a $7 add-on LighterBro clip attachment that lets you easily secure it in a pocket on a belt. 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. And even though their classic flip top lighters arent the most rugged fire starters available, theyre still pretty formidable for their solid metal cases, reliability, American-made craftsmanship, and availability of fuel. Waterproof and windproof, the micro-USB-rechargeable $35 Survival Frog Outdoor Tesla Lighter uses a small arc of plasma to ignite whatever material youre trying to light. 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. This lighter also runs on butane and is piezoelectric ignition as well. Granted, this isnt a lighter itself it has to be loaded with a disposable. The main issue with plasma/electric lighters is the Lithium-Ion battery. Fire is one of the top priorities in a survival situation. 2022 HICONSUMPTION LLC. Victorinox's 13th Damast Edition gets upgraded scales & a Baldur-pattern Damascus blade. Fuel Type: Electric/Arc A charge lasts for 1.5-2 hours of Tesla-plasma-awesomeness. Its a little bit on the wasteful size, as far as fuel types go, but the overall convenience trumps that in most situations. Reusability: Refillable Waxed Tinder Sticks. And thats exactly why weve put together the following list of 12 of our favorite survival lighters of all types. Zippo has been the gold standard for lighters for nearly a century at this point. Lighter Fluid This is the traditional fluid found in most wick style lighters such as the iconic Zippo. Weighing in at only 2.9 oz youll hardly notice this little lighter in your pocket. 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. . 
Even though your lighter may be windproof what youre lighting is not so keep that in mind when building your fire in the wind. Reusability: Refillable. There are aftermarket products to address this problem, such as the $30 Thyrm PyroVault Lighter Armor case that takes Zippo lighter inserts. Why does butane not work well at altitude?
Fuel Type: Plasma All rights reserved, Independently published in Los Angeles, CA, Carry The Fire: 12 Best Survival Lighters. As an Amazon associate, I earn from qualifying purchases. While it lacks the features and quality of the Tough Tesla it is still a decent choice as a pocket lighter as long as you have a few backup ignition methods.