Given how the term "Biced" talks about somebody "stealing" your lighter most people have more than one. Also knowing how often I forget a light, yeah a multi-pack is just sensible
I never have less than two Bics on my person at any given moment, so... :) As far as them "self-emptying", it *CAN* happen, and HAS happened to me - ONCE - but generally, you have to have "other stuff" in your pocket with it, and be applying pressure somehow - Perhaps long-term squatting, or crazy-tight pants. Butane goes from liquid to vapor around -20C, so it's not going to work if it's at -20 or below, but realistically speaking, if you're in a situation where that's actually the case (the lighter, AND the butane in it, are at -20C or below), you're already dead - you just haven't noticed and fallen over yet. As noted, if it's in your pocket, unless you're also at -20C (in which case, guess what? You don't care - again, you're already dead) you're going to be able to "flame on" with a Bic.
@@Ferd414-20c or -4f isn't crazy cold for northern US climates or Canadian climates. If it's -10f and a bit windy it could definitely be as cold as -4f in exterior pockets, even pants pockets, and it could definitely get that cold in your backpack. That being said, a bic is still by far the best option. You just have to keep it in an interior pocket if it's that cold and you want instant use.
Same here. I probably have 20 different items specifically for building fires And I feel like I'd never to use any of them because I always have a big the Bic. There's 14 the advertising department. Bic!.. So Reliable it's slightly irritating
I'm 78 years old, but I'm not stuck in the past...I like BIC (and other) lighters. Kinda wonder if people who prefer praying for lightning, rubbing sticks together, bow drills, flint and steel, carrying live ember in a container, and other antique fire starting methods are also using ox carts for transportation???
Yep I hinestly think its the "Real deal" syndrome where people a told if they are not doing something the hard way its not the real deal. its just stupid. I have seen hundrends of stoves and fires started with lighters and matches by Professional Soldiers in all weathers and terrains. from Arctic to Jungle to Mountain. the phrase " Keep it simple stupid " fits here.
A lot of the guys that use flint and steel--are so into Bushcraft gear that if they took half of it with them into the woods, they'd need a couple of pack mules to carry it.
As always great down to earth advice from a real woodsman yeah i can by the way you present things Id add wrap some bright duct tape around the lighter as well its more impervious to water tougher than electric tape ,can use to patch gear your reflective blankets etc and a great fire starter clip a piece off light with your bic and itll burn good ,also always have a piece of fatwood or several ,i make other fire starters out of jute or sisal string or rope soaked in a combo of wax and petroleum gell just a smidge off the end will burn long enough to ignite a prepared tinder is cheap and you can make enough to last for many many outings in minutes .
Oh and if you really needed a flint and steel the back of your knife will work if its carbon but even a used up bic if it still sparks will work in a worse case senario
I'm glad you brought up temperature, because the only time I've been bit by relying on a butane lighter is when it was in my pack (not my pocket) below 40 degrees F. Even in the worst case, it would work again if I just held it in my hand for 30 seconds.
There are other disposable lighters, but the BIC, specifically, is a standout as thoroughly perfected engineering. It's an underappreciated masterpiece of industrial design.
I also carry a small ziplock bag of segments of bicycle tyre inner tube. They will light under any circumstances (even when wet) and burn hot and slow.
I once asked a BIC lighter to marry me, and it didn't even show up at the ceremony. found it at home sitting on the coffee table. didn't even care. what a jerk.
Keeping several mini bic lighters sealed in a bit of bicycle inner tube has got to be the best option in my view. Even if your only lighter gets wet it can dry in minutes and be usable again.
My "fire kit" for the last few decades has been a bic lighter and a candle. A candle will give you a flame for long enough to get some twigs lit unde almost any conditions. As for altitude, I live in Colorado and bic lighters work to at least 12,000 feet above sea lecval
Great, common sense comments (which are so scarce nowadays). I always used to carry strike anywhere matches, dipped in candlewax for resisting water. However , where I am, in the UK, you can no longer obtain them. One of the precursor chemicals was banned (not the actual matches) for being hazardous to humans. Nowadays I carry two Clipper (Bic are not so common in the UK) lighters on me and another in my cooking kit. I have a small ferrocerium rod on a lanyard along side my Swiss Army knife. In the winter months I plus-up my fire lighting resources by adding a jet flame lighter to my kit. I've gifted many lighters to folk I've met on the trail,or in bothies, who have run out of matches or lost/broken/forgotten their lighters, or whose automatic stove ignition systems have packed in. I like your humour and patter, have subscribed.
Careful of the clippers, I had one that worked just fine and great it was refillable. No problem until I was in the back country in Tasmania. The flint/striker assembly broke and failed. Did manage to just get a spark to light my gas stove. Bought a bic ($2) at the first shop/service station. That's the second time I've been sold on bic. They are worth getting hold of, in my opinion.
Bunch of people that like complaining like keyboard warriors is all thats complaining about a bic lighter. Ive always carried a bic and an edc knife like a leatherman. Bic lighter always works even when cold just hold it in your hand under a mjnute and will light every time. Another awesome video keep em coming.
I was a Life Scout. I did everything but the Eagle project, which I handed over to one of my buddies so he could get his Eagle rank and go on to an ROTC college and become an officer. I've been lighting fires with all sorts of stuff since before my teen years, and I have made fire with actual flint and steel, not ferro rods, ferro rods, matches, lighters, anc I've even burned some stuff with magnifying glasses. I never made a bow drill work completely, admittedly, always a lot of smoke but never a damn ember. Anyway, back in those days all the cool kids had zippos, some nerdy kids might carry ferro rods, but for those of us who had already gone though all the different methods of fire making and just wanted something that would work without any hassle, we carried ferro-striker Bics. I have actually seen piezoelectric ones break down, but the ferro-striker Bics will work 100% of the time. If they're too cold, stick them down your pants if they're wet, dry them out with cloth and breath, and if it's windy you're either going to shield your fire in it's early stages with your body or you aren't getting one going anyway. The Bic is the king of lighters: cheap, plentiful, unassuming, and absolutely reliable.
There is a lighter manufacturer that is better know in Europe and the UK caller Clipper. They make lighters that look like disposables but are refillable. Some of the variants use piezo igniters, but the ones with “flints” and spark wheels can also have their “flints” and spark wheels replaced. As long as you remember to refill them you can have a full or nearly full lighter.
@@aaftiyoDkcdicurakThey’re definitely comparable. I have both and the clipper tends to use fuel slightly faster. Clippers supposedly last more than the Bic’s 3000 but I tend to use the fuel more than the striker so a Bic lasts longer but the clipper is refillable and has a bigger flame. When I go camping I usually have a mini Bic in my pocket and a clipper and a Bic in my pack. It’s just preference but sometimes the Bic’s compact, precise flame is what I’d rather use and the full size Bic feels slightly better than the clipper and way better than the mini in the hand. The clipper striker feels better though, and I don’t have to remove the safety whenever I buy one lol
@@oliververnon8120 If you like a precise flame, try a windproof one (it's like a mini blow-torch). There are disposable and disposable-refillable as well.
I was camped out on the Continental Divide at about 10,000 feet for a week and not once did I have any issues with my Bic lighting fires or cigarettes. Yes I was a smoker back then 👎🏻
I usually use a ferro rod in the woods and a Bic at the beach. I realized too that I was carrying matches, but I was just assuming I could get a fire with matches and had never really used them. I started a few fires just using matches to get a good feel for them. I use the ferro rod more for my own enjoyment, putting together the right materials to achieve fire then showering a spark at it is just good fun. The Bic is always there ready to save the day if needed.
I love my BIC-lighters! I make modifications to enhance its usability. Firstly I take some thin aluminium sheet, tape a pencil to the small side of the lighter and wrap these two with the aluminium sheet, cut to size to fit the full lenght and the ends meet at the back. Then I shove it upwards some 3/4" and make a cut-out at the back to get access to the sparking wheel in this raised position. This makes it windproof (of course remove the pencil first to create a vent). Flipping the cover around makes it impossible to accidentally push the release valve. Lastly I tape a small piece of cordage to the body and hang it from my neck, so I keep it close and warm. Due to 'Two is one, one is none' I carry a backup, sealed in a DIY custom plastic roll-top bag together with some fire-plugs (DIY waxed jute-cord) and a cover from innertube (ranger-band). Never worried about fire.
I fully agree !! Thank you so much for taking your time and answer to those ridiculous or stupid comments!! (Top of the gun: 'it won't light damp wood' - lmao) Most RUclipsrs want to sell you expensive gear - stay away from those ! Sure, it takes some time and effort to forge a high carbon steel for Flint-and-steel fire-lighting, but the sparks are poor and you need char-cloth or tinder-fungus to get an ember. One thing you got wrong: a BIC-lighter has no flint, it has a micro ferrorod. To be exact, the predecessor of a ferrorod, called AUER-metal, invented in 1903. It's quite hard, but lasts a long way. It evolved over the years and modern lighters use AUER-metal IV. It's mainly made of iron and rare-earth-metals like Cerium, Lanthan, Neodym etc. Mixing in Magnesium makes it softer, but spark stronger and hotter, not suitable for the tiny 'flints' in lighters any more, they would wear down too quick. So they started making them bigger and got ferro-cerium-rods. Cerium gives the best sparks, but separating it from the other rare-earth-metals made them expensive. Then they found out, iron mixed with unseparated rare-earth metals gives pretty good sparks too and now sell them as 'Misch-Metall' (=mixed-metals) or simply 'Firesteel' for cheap. Long story short, a BIC-lighter is a ferrorod and a striker and fuel, all in one tool, whereas a firesteel with a striker or sharp knife is a BIC-lighter without butane. Whoever is worried about loosing it can put a lanyard on it with some duct-tape, and whoever worries about it getting wet can put it in a waterproof container, a ziploc-bag or something. My No.1 survival-tool without a doubt is a BIC-lighter !!! BTW: if you can't hear the butane moving in the lighter, it means it's either empty or full. I never had an empty lighter that I could use for hundreds of more fires.
You can fix the handle with a rubber band, if your spare BIC is thrown anywhere in your bag. The boiling point of butane is 30.2 °F or -1 °C. This can indeed influence the usability of a gas lighter, but only, if it is stored e.g. in the backpack, away from body heat. Moutaineers therefore use mixes witzh or even pure propane, but only for their gas stoves. The height above sea level does not affect the heat of a flame. It just drops the boilng point. Hence, the butane is even the more volatile the higher up one is. And the gases released from wood, which make it burn are released at lower temperatures. A sailor's tip for windy days: With one hand, form a 'chimney', and with the other hand light the lighter within. That way, it is very easy to light a cigarette, and also possible to light any tinder held in your mouth, e.g. on a stick.
60+ old fart here. I can start a fire using matches, flint and steel, ferro rods, and even a friction bow and I DO like using all of the "old ways" for fun and nostalgia. However, if I'm in an actual survival situation, pressed for time, in terrible weather, or just being lazy, I'll pull out the Bic, grab some some birch bark and get it done. I actually have always carried two Bic lighters; one full sized and one mini. Even if they get wet, they can be dried out. If it's really cold, I stick it one in my shirt pocket inside my coat and leave it there until its needed . Works every time. The "old ways" are cool and fun, but not for real survival.
One thing I have found useful and easy to carry for fire starting, is a guitar pick. I am not sure what they are made of, but they burn really well for long enough to get damp tinder or small kindling going. You can cut them up to make multiple fire starters. And they are super small. I keep one in my wallet next to a credit card sized fresnel lens. The best part is they are super cheap. I tend to just find them laying on the ground once or twice a year for free, but you can get them at any music store as well. I still carry a lighter.
Recently I've forgot to check pockets before doing laundry and bic lighter made some noises inside the washing machine at low RPM, but as I put it out it lighted on the first or second attempt It always surprises me, how reliable those cheap little things are
I’ve been running around the Adirondack mountains since I was a young teen. Those days we just carried matches and zippo lighters. I believe the bic lighters came out when I was about 14 years old maybe. Never looked back always have a bic lighter laying around. I’ve played around with Farrell rods for fun. I think these old ways are just people that do reenactments and think it’s cool the recent Bush crafting crowd of the last 10 or 12 years. New subscriber here I like common sense. By the way, I’m 67 years old lol
The Bic lighter still relies on flint and steel to provide a spark. So if it runs out of fuel you can still use it with the right kindling in an emergency.
Funny, completely agree with this video. I am an avid hiker camper and bring 3 ways to start a fire at all times. Waterproof matches ferro rod and a Bic lighter. Bic never let me down. Even if it gets wet, just reverse strike on your jeans a few times and it’s good. I actually carry a full size Bic and tuck a mini in my backpack. Have not needed anything more ever although I keep backup
I really like Flint and steel and it's probably the method I use the most but just because I like it! I use an old file as a striker. I always have a lighter and emergency matches with me as well and if I'm in a hurry I'll just use the lighter
I agree with everything you said. I choose to use a feral rod, I think it's fun. I've never been in a situation so dire when I'm intentionally going out camping that a lighter wouldn't have been just fine.
I love it when someone tells me they use a ferro rod in case they are so cold they lose their dexterity. Um, hello, if you lost dexterity, odds are you can't process the fine tinder to throw sparks on. Sure ferro rods and stuff are cool and fun to use. But I always carry a lighter with me. I've smoked for 20+ years and have never actually used all the fluid in a bic. I usually lose them before I fully use them.
First, great video, I enjoyed your content. That being said, my personal experiences, my primary source for lighting a fire is always going to be my lighter. Easy, quick and boom, done! Who wants to mess around when you’re cold? Unless of course it gets soaked in your pocket from being out in the pouring rain (true story, been there done that). Then my second source is my ferro rod and striker. Which I had to rely on when I got caught out in a storm and my lighter was soaked, it didn’t work and it was getting very cold because I was soaked also. No matter what anyone says, hypothermia does happen in the summer too, at least here in the North East it does and we’ve lost hikers to it in summer months, weather changes instantly. I always have a cotton round in a baggie as a quick ignite, I make my own waxed cotton flammable tinder, easy to put in my pocket and use when needed. I just make sure I have some dry twigs, birds nested jute, and birch bark in my backpack, just enough to use if needed to get a sustainable flame after I’ve collected larger twigs and kindling, then it’s easier to dry damp branches or logs also. I wouldn’t say all this if it hasn’t already happened to me. FYI, if you turn your back to the wind and block it, you can get a fire going. Fire needs oxygen, so once you get the initial flame going and you can see it’s going to burn, the oxygen will feed it as well. Unless you’re in a monsoon… then what the hell are you doing out there in the first place? 😂 I enjoyed your video, you bring up many good points that I’ve often asked myself when watching other videos on the subject. Yes, people on here will push a ridiculous product because they’re either getting it for free in exchange for their reviews or they get a kick back on it. A 3” ferro rod and a 5” ferro rod are going to get the job done if you didn’t have your lighter on you… it’s knowing how to use the ferro rod. Mine was a very small keychain ferro rod, for the time I really needed it. It’s all about resources and skills. Your best source of survival is knowledge.
Ive been a student of the outdoors for over 40 years. I carry a bic, i also carry a ferro rod, and sometimes i take the flint and steel (made myself). I also occasionally use friction fire methods, why? Because i enjoy it, its interesting and its nice to keep old traditions going. ❤
For primitive 'practice' we use bow/friction in class - also flint/steel. However, that's simply to KNOW how to use those - for practical reasons; always a bic lighter with safety mod, strike anywhere matches in a ziplock and maybe a ferro rod. After getting a 15 minute to 30 minutes of calorie burn setting up a bow and notch board just to get a spark - it'll make one wish the had bic (even an empty one).
camping at 12000ft my "jet" lighter stopped working but the backup mini-BIC I keep in my first aid kit worked flawlessly all the way up to 14000ft on numerous occasions and multiple BIC lighters.
6:36 I'm 56, carried a Bic all my life, NEVER had one emptied in pocket. Have been entertaining ways to secure the paddle to "prevent" such leaks because of youtube survival Karens, but I see it as a possible solution to a problem that doesn't even exist. So it's a mental exercise for a non problem. What fun...
I've had them empty while riding horses and motorcycles before, but there were also other things in my pockets that worked around and managed to press the little plunger 😜
Literally put one though the washer at the laundry mat and it dried out and worked fine within 20 minutes. Bic is awesome for the price. If you need fire its a flick away, just remember to keep it in your inner jacket pocket if its very cold outside. ❤
As I am listening to this video and agree with wholeheartedly. I carry a lighter with me wherever I go. But what I realized was if I'm about backpacking and I'm just desperate to try to get a fire going, I have a first aid kit! And in my first aid kit is a prep pad. So I just let one on fire and boy did it go up it took me a little while to try to get the thing go out almost burned my kitchen down!
I usually carry 2 lighters, a ferro rod, and storm/hurricane matchs, & a freznel lens. For emergencies i carry a Orien "Pit flare". Its a 6"x1" flare for lighting fire pits. I also always carry at least two forms of tinder. A little overkill i know but, i have circulatory issues, and get cold easier than most
Two things i always have on me- a knife, and at least one bic lighter. Both have served to save my life. Usually i have one or maybe two lighters in my pockets, one in my fishing vest, and one in my belly boat. Never without them.
I have had multiple seized spark wheels on Bic Lighters. The flint is a ferrocerium derivative and can oxidize and deteriorate. I still use them, but continually test them.
BIC lighters are great. There is also the old standby, the Zippo. The nice thing with them is you can hold away from the flame when your tinder doesn't want to light. If you are worried about needing a flammable tinder, make char cloth.
Flint and steel is great for recreational purposes and practice. It makes you appreciate and discover good tinder. As a reliable backup, I like a ferrocerium rod, scraper and some fatwood. I built a custom set, so I can use it in wind and with cold hands. Mine are also shorter while offering longer striking area and better positions. Bic lighters are among the most convenient, but not good in the cold. People who say the stuff about pockets being warm talk pure fantasy. When you really need a fire, your hands are cold and your pockets too. Even if it's not extreme cold, the flame is smaller when you need it most. Just have a backup that works in the cold. Matches are also nice for a lot of stuff. They work in dry cold. I carry some in my cooking kit. But as everything, they are not perfect. Test your gear and skills before you need it. I don't overburden myself with ways of making fire anymore. I did that when I figured out what works and matches my skills. Now it's a lighter for everyday purposes, like getting a burner going, melting some paracord ends, lighting a candle and anything where one handed fire making is desirable. Second is my ferrocerium rod, scraper and tinder bundle, as a reliable and convenient backup. Third is my normal tools, like knife, saw and paracord, which allow me to improvise with natural resources. Or I could stab my phone battery if there no no reception anyway. (improvise) Least desirable is only skills and natural resources.
I agree. It's fun to practice making a friction fire--and satisfying to get good at it. Something to do in camp. I like the little bic lighter with the short stalk on it. It's only about an inch and a half stalk but it's nice to have that reach. It's what I use to light my wood stove. I also use those little firelighter blocks to light my stove. I get a box of them from the wood stove section of the hardware store. It enables me to fully load the stove as I light it. Newspaper crushes flat under the load and goes out. The little firelighter blocks are made from sawdust and wax. I take two or three camping. I use a whole one to light my stove. To light a campfire, you can slice them smaller with your knife. There is always birch bark in the Maine woods. You don't need expensive 'survival' firelighters. PS--I'm old enough to remember when the flint on a bic lighter was not waterproof--if it got damp and you spun the wheel once--that was it. The flint turned to mush. That does NOT happen nowadays. I do have a ferro rod. You don't need a large ferro rod--neither do you need a large knife.
My standard methods and in order of priority: (I carry the first 4 and multiples of the first 3) Bic (cheap, reliable, and you can keep a bunch of them) Matches (a good backup to the backup Bic lighters) Ferrocerium and magnesium rods (try to light a fire in _extremely_ humid, wet, or windy conditions and you’ll know why it’s wise to keep magnesium rods) Flint & steel and charcloth (it’s nice to know how to use it successfully. Just another skill for redundancy) Fire drill pump (way more efficient than the standard spindle method) Electricity (batteries and foils, etc) Chemistry (chemical reactions)
Hiked for 4 months on the Appalachian trail. From Georgia to Massachusetts with a 2 bic mini lighters and a small ferro rod. Lit my stove 3 times a day plus occasional campfires. Never used the 2nd bic or the ferro. 😂
My number one choice is the Bic Reach. So handy for lighting candles. Plus it uses a push button instead of a spark wheel which is easier to use when your hands are cold. Well worth the extra money.
This type of piezoelectric igniter can fail, though for some reason I have never seen one on a lighter fail. It's always those built into gas stoves. So yeah, a bit less reliable than the old flint and wheel, won't create sparks when out of fuel, but I think realistically speaking, especially if you have a backup, the best way to light a fire is the most convenient one.
I have a big ferro rod. And being a smoker, I carry at least two Bics as EDC. I tried carrying the ferro rod, but they're a real pain to light a cigarette with.
+1 for multiple levels of redundancy. I favor a ferro rod, but I've always got a bic or two as a backup. Further, I can find a piece of flint or chert and use it on the spine of my knife or silky saw if I really want to make things hard on myself. I'm all for learning new ways and practicing those ways, however in that same vein, the more you know the less you need to carry
I used to have a paper route in an area that dropped to between -30F and -40F every winter. I had to bring something to keep my handwarmers lit. I used matches because butane lighters really are very close to useless at these temps even when you keep them in an inner pocket, the freezing is just too fast. If you are not in these conditions no worries - but have backup as lighters are hard to get working after they get soaked, and a soaking rain is one of the times you need a fire the most. There is no argueing the convenience of a lighter, that alone is reason enough to have one.
Jeez, I wouldn't put a dog out in those temperatures, let alone a paperboy (of whatever age or sex!) At various times in my teens & 20's I either had paper rounds, or sold papers at traffic lights or street corners, and as far as I can remember, I used to get 10% of the cover price per paper sold or delivered (this is back in the late '80's and early '90's, fwiw.) The way my hands are in the cold, though, to do the job if the mercury was gonna be anywhere near the 0° mark for lengthy periods, the commission I'd be looking for just wouldn't be economic for the newsvendors to pay me... at the kind of temperatures _you're_ talking about, you'd have to pay me more than the cover price of the paper for me to even _think_ about doing it; as a matter of fact, I'd have to be starving - _no,_ my _wife and kids_ would have to be starving, to do the job if the mercury was gonna be that low! I mean, there's _got_ to be an easier living... male prostitution, maybe?! Of course, a lot of it, I suppose, just depends what you're used to -- I'm in the British Isles, but I can imagine, in places like Russia, the Northern US, and Canada it'd be a bit like, "Oh hey, morning John! Cold one again, what?" "Yeah, gettin' on for 40 below today is what I'm hearing, Lisa!" "Yeah, me too - definitely the weather for a sweater, _and_ a jacket!"
Spent 20 years living in the wild. I carries a ferro rod and used it occasionally, but most of the time used lighters. Much more convenient and easier to use in all conditions. Flint and steel is only good for if you have no other choice.
I've used BIC lighters that I've left outside to smoke in -35C weather. Genuinely just hold them in your gloved hand and shake the bejeezus out of them and you'll get enough fuel flowing to get a light going. Holding the BIC upside down helps too.
I don't go into the woods much, but I always carry a way to make fire. Recently, I started carrying a Scripto lighter in a homemade leather pocket organizer. It was held vertically, with the striker wheel and button exposed. It seemed fine, but sure enough, after a couple weeks, I went to light a candle and it was empty. I only used it three times before I found it dry. I assume I managed to get the button held down somehow. The next day, I replaced it with another out of the six pack, and now I'm carrying it head down (button down in the leather pocket). Another two weeks on, so far so good.
You can always get a transparent BIC lighter, so you can keep track of the fluid level. And if a plastic BIC lighter is not fancy enough, get a Zippo and make sure to fill it up before going out on a "survival trip".
Or if you are worried about your lighter running out of fuel unexpectedly, get one of the clear ones where you can see the fuel level. Or one where only the bottom is clear so you can see the level.
I melt candle wax and brush it on below the match head and let it harden up to give you extra fuel .don't get it on the match head because it makes it harder to light but that little bit of extra wax helps
Dad ProTip: Even better than a pocket lighter is the point-and-click fireplace lighter. Safer for camp stoves, safer for fireworks, easier for children to be trusted with for either of those tasks… and you can still have a bic in your pocket to light a pre roll when the kids aren’t lookin.
Butane lighters frequently don't work when it's cold. But if I don't have a way to quickly warm one up that means I'm a frozen corpse and I don't need a fire anymore anyway. There is NOTHING better than a simple Bic lighter, it's perfect. Just like the Bic pen it is a tool that has been perfected to such a degree that no one has figured out a better way to quickly light fires in 50 years.
As someone who lights a bic on average about 20 times per day and works as a field mechanic outdoors in northern Alberta in temperatures ranging from +30c to -54c I can assure you that the problems with Bic lighters are extremely over stated… I’ve never had a bad Bic lighter, I’ve had some really bad dollar store or discount lighters especially the ones with the adjustable flame.
I was so into the " 2 is one, 1 is none, have 3 means to make fire. Then one day a seasoned survivalist said. Yeah, I just make sure to have 2 box lighters and it totally blew my mind, like, duh, it's so simple, so compact. Have tinder in addition of course. Anyway, thanks for the good words. Paul
they have lighters beside the cash registers at dollar stores, I pick up one or two everytime I go and keep one in every jacket I own because my trips arent always planned. havent ever had one fail. also have matches for backup. I feel that is sufficient.
"Does not work above 10000 feet" Well, maybe for few exceptions, in most cases you would have quite a problem to find anything to burn at 10000 feet elevation, there are usually no woods that high, unless you carry the fuel with you. And if you carry fuels like propane or so, it usually comes with a gear that already includes the ability to light it up...
I always wondered why someone would want something that only makes sparks instead of a normal lighter. Even if it's empty, you can scrape the plastic off and use it as tinder (as long as the flint is still okay). Every argument against the lighters also applies to the other things, except the burning fingers or exploding. And if you need to keep the lighter on for so long, that it burns you, flint and steel wood be useless too.
I just had to throw out another full lighter because the flint was not throwing sparks. Maybe it broke or something. I would always take a lighter, but I would not bet my life on one.
I smoke and it gets to minus 40 degrees where I live and I do have issues lighting my cigarette with a bic lighter sometimes in the extreme cold. I have to go back inside my workplace and let the lighter warm up before lighting it. The first smoke usually works but after standing outside for several minutes then trying to light a second one is a problem in extreme cold
I don't smoke but that's my experience too. On the other hand you can always just stick it against your skin for a minute (armpit, waistband, bra or somewhere warm) and they work just fine for 30 seconds or so until they get cold again. Unless you're already dead you can always warm it up and make it work.
All I know is I quit smoking about 7 years ago, and I was going through some of my things the other day and came across one of my old Bic lighters... lit first strike.
I live in Colorado and I've never had a problem lighting a bic lighter at 12,000 ft. Timberline is 11,000 ft and the more you get above that the less there is to light a bic lighter and a sturdy pocket knife are the two most useful things you can have in the outdoors be it fun or survival.
Big question for me is if modern piezzo lighters are as reliable as old school lighters with steel wheel an ferrocerium stick. My opinion is that in case of getting wet piezzo lighter can be shorted unable to make spark, but old lighters seems ok for outdoor use.
I find piezzo lighters rest robust. In ideal conditions (i.e. indoors) they last a long time - but out in the elements I'd rather trust the old school ferro rod & steel wheel of conventional lighters.
I keep bic lighters in my car and in any bags/packs so I've experienced them being too cold to work because they weren't in my pocket. I bring this up because it takes literally seconds to get a bic working again by simply rubbing it between my hands, if it's extremely cold I'll do it a bit longer with pauses between to squeeze the lighter to transfer the heat from my hands from the friction into the lighter. I also keep other things around to start a fire and I even find it enjoyable but you won't ever find me without at least one bic lighter on me.
I will say i have had a lighter partially empty itself in my pocket. My pocket felt cold so i investigated i found my new semi-transparent lighter half empty and could smell the butane. I did not fault the lighter at all, l blame myself. I sometimes have overloaded pockets and in this rare case things just compressed togetger in the right way for this to happen. My backup lighter now has a rubber band around it to stop this if it gets pushed unintentionally now. Also i laughed at the "it wont light wet wood" part, as if the cold spark of flint and steel could land on a wet log and do better? I have started a fire off the back of my knife with a piece of quartz and i thinj thats pritty cool. If i am ever shipwrecked in some remote place where i have no other fire making tools, scavenging for a peece of scrap steel and a good rock may me my best option as remote of a chance that happening would be.
Smokers light small fires several times a day, every day, sometimes in pretty bad conditions with Bic lighters. They don't use firesteels or anything like that. Bic lighters are so commercially successful for a reason: they are cheap and do a terrific job at making fire. Just because city dwellers use them to light their cigarettes doesn't mean you have to use something else in a survival/outdoor situation.
what strike anywhere matches do you use? only ones i've been able to find are the diamond ones. btw lighters use ferrocerium not flint, couldn't tell if you were joking or not
I have had lighters fall out of pockets and get lost, often because women's clothing has terrible pockets these days (unlike back in the 80s but that shallow pocket crap started going on in the early 90s) and our curves do make clothing move differently, and sometimes because I was getting something else out of that pocket. I'd have the same issue with any other method, so I prefer a men's coat or hoodie with good pockets and a BiC or two. The phone pockets some have are perfect for my cigs and lighter. Been a smoker for 35 years, lost more than my share of lighters and for some stupid reason I'm less likely to lose a BiC than a Zippo.
I’ve been overnight in the woods literally thousands of times, at least 200 where a fire was necessary for survival. I’ve only ever used a fire rod or store bought tinder for pretend survival practice. Bic lighter + Toilet paper. Serious wind on the ice, maybe a little cotton ball with bagbalm. Which is just what I use for “chapstick.”
I have noticed over the years that the lowering of people that smoke corresponds to the number of fire lighting either matches or lighter items in group survival based activities. Other thing is removing the "childproof" band (which only stops flint sparking not the gas) from your bic lighter enhances ability for first strike light in high stress situations. Cheers.
I like the design of the Djeep lighters better than Bic, but the child safety band is a bit of a pain to remove. After removing the band, the Djeep is far easier to light than a Bic.
I've been trying to turn the rod from a spent Bic lighter into a mini striker that I can stash in a crevice of a Swiss Army knife but have not been successful...yet...
I'm sure the viewer didn't mean it to be, but man, that is a funny list! 😄 P.S. I personally have successfully used a bic lighter at elevations above twelve thousand feet. 😄
I would neither recommend Bic lighter, nor Ferrorod, but only because there are better alternatives for both: 1) A miniature blow torch, or Zippo with a blue flame insert will light things faster, even when moderately moist. It will work upside down and in the wind! It's also easier to use when your fingers are numb from the cold because all you need to do is open it and push the button! 2) Why take a ferro-rod, when you can have a full-sized ferror-rod inside a lighter? Nope, I'm not talking of the Zippo, as they only have a miniature version, but the predecessor of the Zippo. Imagine a ferro-rod as you'd use with a striker, but having a larger wheel attached than your Zippo (easier to use!) and next to it a giant fuse, similar to the ones used for Matchlock rifles. The fuse won't burn, but smolders for a VERY long time and you can use it to set flammable things on fire, even in the wind... In fact, the wind might help you! If all else fails, you can take the ferro-rod out and use your knife to strike sparks... All that said, I'm not a survivalist. I used no 1) for Silvester and no 2) is only of interest to me because it's a nice recreation of a historical item, which happens to be still very useful.
@@edi9892 The former costs much more and has fewer lights than a bic; its also larger - so will take up more room (if a torch), and if the lighting system is electric it's less reliable, and depending on the torch design, it will be more fragile than a bic, making it less reliable in the bush - and why anyone who would want to hold it upside down, or can't block the wind to light a fire is a mystery to me. The latter also costs more, is larger, and is really just a ferro rod and a wick. Really no more use than a ferro rod - you're just bringing in your own tinder (the fuse). Cool thing to do with your re-enactment flintlock, but impractical in the bush when you are trying to bring along the most options with the least amount of weight.
@outdoorsonthecheap Thank you for the reply, I agree with many points. Using it upside down is very common for lighting candles, or fuses. Again, I found the blue flame lighter the most reliable way for New years celebration and we had occasionally -20°C and strong winds which really sucked. You can't use a wheel with gloves or numb hands. Plus, we kept struggling keeping the BIC flame alive in wind.
The best backup for a Bic lighter is a second Bic lighter.
Or a 3 or 5 pack sealed.
A second bic lighter in a waterproof container.
Take a bic. Want a back up? Get a four pack.
Given how the term "Biced" talks about somebody "stealing" your lighter most people have more than one. Also knowing how often I forget a light, yeah a multi-pack is just sensible
I never have less than two Bics on my person at any given moment, so... :) As far as them "self-emptying", it *CAN* happen, and HAS happened to me - ONCE - but generally, you have to have "other stuff" in your pocket with it, and be applying pressure somehow - Perhaps long-term squatting, or crazy-tight pants. Butane goes from liquid to vapor around -20C, so it's not going to work if it's at -20 or below, but realistically speaking, if you're in a situation where that's actually the case (the lighter, AND the butane in it, are at -20C or below), you're already dead - you just haven't noticed and fallen over yet. As noted, if it's in your pocket, unless you're also at -20C (in which case, guess what? You don't care - again, you're already dead) you're going to be able to "flame on" with a Bic.
@@Ferd414 ya how are you going to use flint and steel when you can't feel your hands in a blizzard
@@SkylerLinux I have at least a dozen working disposable lighters at home, included a windproof one. I didn't buy any of them, I did find them all.
@@Ferd414-20c or -4f isn't crazy cold for northern US climates or Canadian climates.
If it's -10f and a bit windy it could definitely be as cold as -4f in exterior pockets, even pants pockets, and it could definitely get that cold in your backpack.
That being said, a bic is still by far the best option. You just have to keep it in an interior pocket if it's that cold and you want instant use.
Do I carry a Ferro rod when out in the bush? Yes. Do I use it? Yes. But only for practice because the bic lighter I always carry has never failed me.
Same here. I probably have 20 different items specifically for building fires And I feel like I'd never to use any of them because I always have a big the Bic. There's 14 the advertising department. Bic!.. So Reliable it's slightly irritating
Always carry lighter, matches, electric lighter for outdoor activities
Everyone with a bic also has a ferro rod. The "flint" in a Bic IS a ferro rod.
Finally someone on YT telling the truth about all those " must have " outdoirs nonsense, keep it up. subbed.
Thanks
I'm 78 years old, but I'm not stuck in the past...I like BIC (and other) lighters. Kinda wonder if people who prefer praying for lightning, rubbing sticks together, bow drills, flint and steel, carrying live ember in a container, and other antique fire starting methods are also using ox carts for transportation???
Yep I hinestly think its the "Real deal" syndrome where people a told if they are not doing something the hard way its not the real deal. its just stupid. I have seen hundrends of stoves and fires started with lighters and matches by Professional Soldiers in all weathers and terrains. from Arctic to Jungle to Mountain. the phrase " Keep it simple stupid " fits here.
A lot of the guys that use flint and steel--are so into Bushcraft gear that if they took half of it with them into the woods, they'd need a couple of pack mules to carry it.
As always great down to earth advice from a real woodsman yeah i can by the way you present things
Id add wrap some bright duct tape around the lighter as well its more impervious to water tougher than electric tape ,can use to patch gear your reflective blankets etc and a great fire starter clip a piece off light with your bic and itll burn good ,also always have a piece of fatwood or several ,i make other fire starters out of jute or sisal string or rope soaked in a combo of wax and petroleum gell just a smidge off the end will burn long enough to ignite a prepared tinder is cheap and you can make enough to last for many many outings in minutes .
Oh and if you really needed a flint and steel the back of your knife will work if its carbon but even a used up bic if it still sparks will work in a worse case senario
Just cause it's knew doesn't mean it's good
I'm glad you brought up temperature, because the only time I've been bit by relying on a butane lighter is when it was in my pack (not my pocket) below 40 degrees F. Even in the worst case, it would work again if I just held it in my hand for 30 seconds.
There are other disposable lighters, but the BIC, specifically, is a standout as thoroughly perfected engineering. It's an underappreciated masterpiece of industrial design.
I agree
It beat the Cricket.
I also carry a small ziplock bag of segments of bicycle tyre inner tube. They will light under any circumstances (even when wet) and burn hot and slow.
BIC lighters are no good because they can't fold your laundry.
Or make ice for your drink 😂
They don't taste great either.
They make my laundry louder.
@@future_me_6067 and hotter.
I once asked a BIC lighter to marry me, and it didn't even show up at the ceremony. found it at home sitting on the coffee table. didn't even care. what a jerk.
Keeping several mini bic lighters sealed in a bit of bicycle inner tube has got to be the best option in my view. Even if your only lighter gets wet it can dry in minutes and be usable again.
And that rubber is flamable.
My "fire kit" for the last few decades has been a bic lighter and a candle. A candle will give you a flame for long enough to get some twigs lit unde almost any conditions.
As for altitude, I live in Colorado and bic lighters work to at least 12,000 feet above sea lecval
Great, common sense comments (which are so scarce nowadays).
I always used to carry strike anywhere matches, dipped in candlewax for resisting water. However , where I am, in the UK, you can no longer obtain them. One of the precursor chemicals was banned (not the actual matches) for being hazardous to humans. Nowadays I carry two Clipper (Bic are not so common in the UK) lighters on me and another in my cooking kit. I have a small ferrocerium rod on a lanyard along side my Swiss Army knife. In the winter months I plus-up my fire lighting resources by adding a jet flame lighter to my kit. I've gifted many lighters to folk I've met on the trail,or in bothies, who have run out of matches or lost/broken/forgotten their lighters, or whose automatic stove ignition systems have packed in.
I like your humour and patter, have subscribed.
Thanks for subbing!
Careful of the clippers, I had one that worked just fine and great it was refillable. No problem until I was in the back country in Tasmania. The flint/striker assembly broke and failed. Did manage to just get a spark to light my gas stove.
Bought a bic ($2) at the first shop/service station.
That's the second time I've been sold on bic. They are worth getting hold of, in my opinion.
Bunch of people that like complaining like keyboard warriors is all thats complaining about a bic lighter. Ive always carried a bic and an edc knife like a leatherman. Bic lighter always works even when cold just hold it in your hand under a mjnute and will light every time. Another awesome video keep em coming.
I was a Life Scout. I did everything but the Eagle project, which I handed over to one of my buddies so he could get his Eagle rank and go on to an ROTC college and become an officer.
I've been lighting fires with all sorts of stuff since before my teen years, and I have made fire with actual flint and steel, not ferro rods, ferro rods, matches, lighters, anc I've even burned some stuff with magnifying glasses. I never made a bow drill work completely, admittedly, always a lot of smoke but never a damn ember. Anyway, back in those days all the cool kids had zippos, some nerdy kids might carry ferro rods, but for those of us who had already gone though all the different methods of fire making and just wanted something that would work without any hassle, we carried ferro-striker Bics. I have actually seen piezoelectric ones break down, but the ferro-striker Bics will work 100% of the time. If they're too cold, stick them down your pants if they're wet, dry them out with cloth and breath, and if it's windy you're either going to shield your fire in it's early stages with your body or you aren't getting one going anyway. The Bic is the king of lighters: cheap, plentiful, unassuming, and absolutely reliable.
Well said man!
There is a lighter manufacturer that is better know in Europe and the UK caller Clipper. They make lighters that look like disposables but are refillable. Some of the variants use piezo igniters, but the ones with “flints” and spark wheels can also have their “flints” and spark wheels replaced. As long as you remember to refill them you can have a full or nearly full lighter.
Also, if you want to get fancy, zippo makes replacement inserts that use butane, so you can have a refillable lighter that way.
I think clippers are about as good as Bics.
Clipper is actually even older than Bic. Like first Clipper was made 1972 while first Bic came 1973.
@@aaftiyoDkcdicurakThey’re definitely comparable. I have both and the clipper tends to use fuel slightly faster. Clippers supposedly last more than the Bic’s 3000 but I tend to use the fuel more than the striker so a Bic lasts longer but the clipper is refillable and has a bigger flame.
When I go camping I usually have a mini Bic in my pocket and a clipper and a Bic in my pack. It’s just preference but sometimes the Bic’s compact, precise flame is what I’d rather use and the full size Bic feels slightly better than the clipper and way better than the mini in the hand. The clipper striker feels better though, and I don’t have to remove the safety whenever I buy one lol
@@oliververnon8120 If you like a precise flame, try a windproof one (it's like a mini blow-torch). There are disposable and disposable-refillable as well.
8:45 I lit a stove above 5000 m (16000 ft) at 3 degree Celsius (37 Fahrenheit) with a cheap regular lighter and didn’t have any issues at all.
I was camped out on the Continental Divide at about 10,000 feet for a week and not once did I have any issues with my Bic lighting fires or cigarettes. Yes I was a smoker back then 👎🏻
I usually use a ferro rod in the woods and a Bic at the beach. I realized too that I was carrying matches, but I was just assuming I could get a fire with matches and had never really used them. I started a few fires just using matches to get a good feel for them. I use the ferro rod more for my own enjoyment, putting together the right materials to achieve fire then showering a spark at it is just good fun. The Bic is always there ready to save the day if needed.
I love my BIC-lighters! I make modifications to enhance its usability.
Firstly I take some thin aluminium sheet, tape a pencil to the small side of the lighter and wrap these two with the aluminium sheet, cut to size to fit the full lenght and the ends meet at the back.
Then I shove it upwards some 3/4" and make a cut-out at the back to get access to the sparking wheel in this raised position. This makes it windproof (of course remove the pencil first to create a vent).
Flipping the cover around makes it impossible to accidentally push the release valve.
Lastly I tape a small piece of cordage to the body and hang it from my neck, so I keep it close and warm.
Due to 'Two is one, one is none' I carry a backup, sealed in a DIY custom plastic roll-top bag together with some fire-plugs (DIY waxed jute-cord) and a cover from innertube (ranger-band).
Never worried about fire.
This is proof that a picture is worth a thousand words.😜
I fully agree !!
Thank you so much for taking your time and answer to those ridiculous or stupid comments!! (Top of the gun: 'it won't light damp wood' - lmao)
Most RUclipsrs want to sell you expensive gear - stay away from those !
Sure, it takes some time and effort to forge a high carbon steel for Flint-and-steel fire-lighting, but the sparks are poor and you need char-cloth or tinder-fungus to get an ember.
One thing you got wrong: a BIC-lighter has no flint, it has a micro ferrorod. To be exact, the predecessor of a ferrorod, called AUER-metal, invented in 1903. It's quite hard, but lasts a long way. It evolved over the years and modern lighters use AUER-metal IV. It's mainly made of iron and rare-earth-metals like Cerium, Lanthan, Neodym etc. Mixing in Magnesium makes it softer, but spark stronger and hotter, not suitable for the tiny 'flints' in lighters any more, they would wear down too quick. So they started making them bigger and got ferro-cerium-rods.
Cerium gives the best sparks, but separating it from the other rare-earth-metals made them expensive. Then they found out, iron mixed with unseparated rare-earth metals gives pretty good sparks too and now sell them as 'Misch-Metall' (=mixed-metals) or simply 'Firesteel' for cheap. Long story short, a BIC-lighter is a ferrorod and a striker and fuel, all in one tool, whereas a firesteel with a striker or sharp knife is a BIC-lighter without butane.
Whoever is worried about loosing it can put a lanyard on it with some duct-tape, and whoever worries about it getting wet can put it in a waterproof container, a ziploc-bag or something.
My No.1 survival-tool without a doubt is a BIC-lighter !!!
BTW: if you can't hear the butane moving in the lighter, it means it's either empty or full. I never had an empty lighter that I could use for hundreds of more fires.
I was using "flint" in the colloquial sense.
Thank you for the clarification. Even though I knew this your explanation is more eloquent.
You can fix the handle with a rubber band, if your spare BIC is thrown anywhere in your bag. The boiling point of butane is 30.2 °F or -1 °C. This can indeed influence the usability of a gas lighter, but only, if it is stored e.g. in the backpack, away from body heat. Moutaineers therefore use mixes witzh or even pure propane, but only for their gas stoves. The height above sea level does not affect the heat of a flame. It just drops the boilng point. Hence, the butane is even the more volatile the higher up one is. And the gases released from wood, which make it burn are released at lower temperatures. A sailor's tip for windy days: With one hand, form a 'chimney', and with the other hand light the lighter within. That way, it is very easy to light a cigarette, and also possible to light any tinder held in your mouth, e.g. on a stick.
60+ old fart here. I can start a fire using matches, flint and steel, ferro rods, and even a friction bow and I DO like using all of the "old ways" for fun and nostalgia. However, if I'm in an actual survival situation, pressed for time, in terrible weather, or just being lazy, I'll pull out the Bic, grab some some birch bark and get it done. I actually have always carried two Bic lighters; one full sized and one mini. Even if they get wet, they can be dried out. If it's really cold, I stick it one in my shirt pocket inside my coat and leave it there until its needed . Works every time.
The "old ways" are cool and fun, but not for real survival.
you got it man
farts are also flammable!
@CyberBeep_kenshi the older the better
@CyberBeep_kenshido old farts get more flammable the older they get? 😂
@@TheMattC9999 You bet. Why do ya think we're always grumpy. 😉
I’m 74 I agree with you, those people ragging on you are all fan boys
One thing I have found useful and easy to carry for fire starting, is a guitar pick. I am not sure what they are made of, but they burn really well for long enough to get damp tinder or small kindling going. You can cut them up to make multiple fire starters. And they are super small. I keep one in my wallet next to a credit card sized fresnel lens.
The best part is they are super cheap. I tend to just find them laying on the ground once or twice a year for free, but you can get them at any music store as well.
I still carry a lighter.
Recently I've forgot to check pockets before doing laundry and bic lighter made some noises inside the washing machine at low RPM, but as I put it out it lighted on the first or second attempt
It always surprises me, how reliable those cheap little things are
They sure are tough little things!
I’ve been running around the Adirondack mountains since I was a young teen. Those days we just carried matches and zippo lighters. I believe the bic lighters came out when I was about 14 years old maybe. Never looked back always have a bic lighter laying around. I’ve played around with Farrell rods for fun. I think these old ways are just people that do reenactments and think it’s cool the recent Bush crafting crowd of the last 10 or 12 years. New subscriber here I like common sense. By the way, I’m 67 years old lol
I’m 2 years younger and spent my youth in Old Forge and later years in northern Warren County. 👍🏻
The Bic lighter still relies on flint and steel to provide a spark. So if it runs out of fuel you can still use it with the right kindling in an emergency.
@@alanbierhoff6831 i’ve spent many times in the Moose River Plains out of Inlet my most favorite place in Adirondacks. I’m sure you know of it.
Funny, completely agree with this video. I am an avid hiker camper and bring 3 ways to start a fire at all times. Waterproof matches ferro rod and a Bic lighter. Bic never let me down. Even if it gets wet, just reverse strike on your jeans a few times and it’s good. I actually carry a full size Bic and tuck a mini in my backpack. Have not needed anything more ever although I keep backup
I really like Flint and steel and it's probably the method I use the most but just because I like it! I use an old file as a striker.
I always have a lighter and emergency matches with me as well and if I'm in a hurry I'll just use the lighter
I agree with everything you said. I choose to use a feral rod, I think it's fun. I've never been in a situation so dire when I'm intentionally going out camping that a lighter wouldn't have been just fine.
I love it when someone tells me they use a ferro rod in case they are so cold they lose their dexterity. Um, hello, if you lost dexterity, odds are you can't process the fine tinder to throw sparks on.
Sure ferro rods and stuff are cool and fun to use. But I always carry a lighter with me. I've smoked for 20+ years and have never actually used all the fluid in a bic. I usually lose them before I fully use them.
When someone tells me that I remind them about the existence of armpits😂
First, great video, I enjoyed your content. That being said, my personal experiences, my primary source for lighting a fire is always going to be my lighter. Easy, quick and boom, done! Who wants to mess around when you’re cold? Unless of course it gets soaked in your pocket from being out in the pouring rain (true story, been there done that). Then my second source is my ferro rod and striker. Which I had to rely on when I got caught out in a storm and my lighter was soaked, it didn’t work and it was getting very cold because I was soaked also. No matter what anyone says, hypothermia does happen in the summer too, at least here in the North East it does and we’ve lost hikers to it in summer months, weather changes instantly. I always have a cotton round in a baggie as a quick ignite, I make my own waxed cotton flammable tinder, easy to put in my pocket and use when needed. I just make sure I have some dry twigs, birds nested jute, and birch bark in my backpack, just enough to use if needed to get a sustainable flame after I’ve collected larger twigs and kindling, then it’s easier to dry damp branches or logs also.
I wouldn’t say all this if it hasn’t already happened to me.
FYI, if you turn your back to the wind and block it, you can get a fire going. Fire needs oxygen, so once you get the initial flame going and you can see it’s going to burn, the oxygen will feed it as well. Unless you’re in a monsoon… then what the hell are you doing out there in the first place? 😂
I enjoyed your video, you bring up many good points that I’ve often asked myself when watching other videos on the subject. Yes, people on here will push a ridiculous product because they’re either getting it for free in exchange for their reviews or they get a kick back on it. A 3” ferro rod and a 5” ferro rod are going to get the job done if you didn’t have your lighter on you… it’s knowing how to use the ferro rod. Mine was a very small keychain ferro rod, for the time I really needed it. It’s all about resources and skills. Your best source of survival is knowledge.
Ive been a student of the outdoors for over 40 years. I carry a bic, i also carry a ferro rod, and sometimes i take the flint and steel (made myself). I also occasionally use friction fire methods, why? Because i enjoy it, its interesting and its nice to keep old traditions going. ❤
For primitive 'practice' we use bow/friction in class - also flint/steel. However, that's simply to KNOW how to use those - for practical reasons; always a bic lighter with safety mod, strike anywhere matches in a ziplock and maybe a ferro rod. After getting a 15 minute to 30 minutes of calorie burn setting up a bow and notch board just to get a spark - it'll make one wish the had bic (even an empty one).
Yeah - that's what I'm saying!
Well said............I couldn't agree more !!!!!!
You can also put a rubber band or o ring under the gas pedal to keep it from getting pushed down while in your pocket.
camping at 12000ft my "jet" lighter stopped working but the backup mini-BIC I keep in my first aid kit worked flawlessly all the way up to 14000ft on numerous occasions and multiple BIC lighters.
I literally sprinkle lighters over my kit, they come in ten packs from dollar stores.
Blast match for back up! 😊
6:36 I'm 56, carried a Bic all my life, NEVER had one emptied in pocket. Have been entertaining ways to secure the paddle to "prevent" such leaks because of youtube survival Karens, but I see it as a possible solution to a problem that doesn't even exist. So it's a mental exercise for a non problem. What fun...
I've had them empty while riding horses and motorcycles before, but there were also other things in my pockets that worked around and managed to press the little plunger 😜
I saw another video recently where the guy wrapped a small rubber band around his Bic under the paddle to keep it from depressing. It works.
Put a staple underneath the thumb valve and wrap a piece of electrical tape around it. Badda bing badda boom.🚬😎
What a great video, perfect!😊😊😊😊😊
Yes I agree.
And it's not hard to dry out
Literally put one though the washer at the laundry mat and it dried out and worked fine within 20 minutes. Bic is awesome for the price. If you need fire its a flick away, just remember to keep it in your inner jacket pocket if its very cold outside. ❤
I've run a few through the washer without problem 👍
As I am listening to this video and agree with wholeheartedly. I carry a lighter with me wherever I go. But what I realized was if I'm about backpacking and I'm just desperate to try to get a fire going, I have a first aid kit! And in my first aid kit is a prep pad. So I just let one on fire and boy did it go up it took me a little while to try to get the thing go out almost burned my kitchen down!
I usually carry 2 lighters, a ferro rod, and storm/hurricane matchs, & a freznel lens. For emergencies i carry a Orien "Pit flare". Its a 6"x1" flare for lighting fire pits. I also always carry at least two forms of tinder. A little overkill i know but, i have circulatory issues, and get cold easier than most
Two things i always have on me- a knife, and at least one bic lighter. Both have served to save my life. Usually i have one or maybe two lighters in my pockets, one in my fishing vest, and one in my belly boat. Never without them.
I have had multiple seized spark wheels on Bic Lighters. The flint is a ferrocerium derivative and can oxidize and deteriorate. I still use them, but continually test them.
Yeah, the oxidation is the feature of ferrocerium, not really a bug.
BIC lighters are great. There is also the old standby, the Zippo. The nice thing with them is you can hold away from the flame when your tinder doesn't want to light.
If you are worried about needing a flammable tinder, make char cloth.
Flint and steel is great for recreational purposes and practice. It makes you appreciate and discover good tinder.
As a reliable backup, I like a ferrocerium rod, scraper and some fatwood. I built a custom set, so I can use it in wind and with cold hands.
Mine are also shorter while offering longer striking area and better positions.
Bic lighters are among the most convenient, but not good in the cold. People who say the stuff about pockets being warm talk pure fantasy.
When you really need a fire, your hands are cold and your pockets too. Even if it's not extreme cold, the flame is smaller when you need it most.
Just have a backup that works in the cold.
Matches are also nice for a lot of stuff. They work in dry cold. I carry some in my cooking kit. But as everything, they are not perfect.
Test your gear and skills before you need it.
I don't overburden myself with ways of making fire anymore. I did that when I figured out what works and matches my skills.
Now it's a lighter for everyday purposes, like getting a burner going, melting some paracord ends, lighting a candle and anything where one handed fire making is desirable.
Second is my ferrocerium rod, scraper and tinder bundle, as a reliable and convenient backup.
Third is my normal tools, like knife, saw and paracord, which allow me to improvise with natural resources. Or I could stab my phone battery if there no no reception anyway. (improvise)
Least desirable is only skills and natural resources.
I agree.
It's fun to practice making a friction fire--and satisfying to get good at it. Something to do in camp.
I like the little bic lighter with the short stalk on it. It's only about an inch and a half stalk but it's nice to have that reach. It's what I use to light my wood stove.
I also use those little firelighter blocks to light my stove. I get a box of them from the wood stove section of the hardware store. It enables me to fully load the stove as I light it. Newspaper crushes flat under the load and goes out. The little firelighter blocks are made from sawdust and wax. I take two or three camping. I use a whole one to light my stove. To light a campfire, you can slice them smaller with your knife. There is always birch bark in the Maine woods. You don't need expensive 'survival' firelighters.
PS--I'm old enough to remember when the flint on a bic lighter was not waterproof--if it got damp and you spun the wheel once--that was it. The flint turned to mush. That does NOT happen nowadays.
I do have a ferro rod.
You don't need a large ferro rod--neither do you need a large knife.
Right on
My standard methods and in order of priority:
(I carry the first 4 and multiples of the first 3)
Bic (cheap, reliable, and you can keep a bunch of them)
Matches (a good backup to the backup Bic lighters)
Ferrocerium and magnesium rods (try to light a fire in _extremely_ humid, wet, or windy conditions and you’ll know why it’s wise to keep magnesium rods)
Flint & steel and charcloth (it’s nice to know how to use it successfully. Just another skill for redundancy)
Fire drill pump (way more efficient than the standard spindle method)
Electricity (batteries and foils, etc)
Chemistry (chemical reactions)
Hiked for 4 months on the Appalachian trail. From Georgia to Massachusetts with a 2 bic mini lighters and a small ferro rod. Lit my stove 3 times a day plus occasional campfires. Never used the 2nd bic or the ferro. 😂
My number one choice is the Bic Reach. So handy for lighting candles. Plus it uses a push button instead of a spark wheel which is easier to use when your hands are cold. Well worth the extra money.
This type of piezoelectric igniter can fail, though for some reason I have never seen one on a lighter fail. It's always those built into gas stoves. So yeah, a bit less reliable than the old flint and wheel, won't create sparks when out of fuel, but I think realistically speaking, especially if you have a backup, the best way to light a fire is the most convenient one.
Fully agree. It is fun to watch an old video by Chris Tanner, where he uses a flamethrower to light a campfire.
I have a big ferro rod. And being a smoker, I carry at least two Bics as EDC. I tried carrying the ferro rod, but they're a real pain to light a cigarette with.
+1 for multiple levels of redundancy. I favor a ferro rod, but I've always got a bic or two as a backup. Further, I can find a piece of flint or chert and use it on the spine of my knife or silky saw if I really want to make things hard on myself.
I'm all for learning new ways and practicing those ways, however in that same vein, the more you know the less you need to carry
I used to have a paper route in an area that dropped to between -30F and -40F every winter. I had to bring something to keep my handwarmers lit. I used matches because butane lighters really are very close to useless at these temps even when you keep them in an inner pocket, the freezing is just too fast. If you are not in these conditions no worries - but have backup as lighters are hard to get working after they get soaked, and a soaking rain is one of the times you need a fire the most.
There is no argueing the convenience of a lighter, that alone is reason enough to have one.
Jeez, I wouldn't put a dog out in those temperatures, let alone a paperboy (of whatever age or sex!) At various times in my teens & 20's I either had paper rounds, or sold papers at traffic lights or street corners, and as far as I can remember, I used to get 10% of the cover price per paper sold or delivered (this is back in the late '80's and early '90's, fwiw.) The way my hands are in the cold, though, to do the job if the mercury was gonna be anywhere near the 0° mark for lengthy periods, the commission I'd be looking for just wouldn't be economic for the newsvendors to pay me... at the kind of temperatures _you're_ talking about, you'd have to pay me more than the cover price of the paper for me to even _think_ about doing it; as a matter of fact, I'd have to be starving - _no,_ my _wife and kids_ would have to be starving, to do the job if the mercury was gonna be that low! I mean, there's _got_ to be an easier living... male prostitution, maybe?!
Of course, a lot of it, I suppose, just depends what you're used to -- I'm in the British Isles, but I can imagine, in places like Russia, the Northern US, and Canada it'd be a bit like, "Oh hey, morning John! Cold one again, what?" "Yeah, gettin' on for 40 below today is what I'm hearing, Lisa!" "Yeah, me too - definitely the weather for a sweater, _and_ a jacket!"
Spent 20 years living in the wild. I carries a ferro rod and used it occasionally, but most of the time used lighters. Much more convenient and easier to use in all conditions. Flint and steel is only good for if you have no other choice.
Pretty much all of the keyboard warrior's concerns can be addressed with the miracle of bringing two of them.
A basic Bic lighter is probably one of the best designed items in history.
I've used BIC lighters that I've left outside to smoke in -35C weather. Genuinely just hold them in your gloved hand and shake the bejeezus out of them and you'll get enough fuel flowing to get a light going. Holding the BIC upside down helps too.
I don't go into the woods much, but I always carry a way to make fire. Recently, I started carrying a Scripto lighter in a homemade leather pocket organizer. It was held vertically, with the striker wheel and button exposed. It seemed fine, but sure enough, after a couple weeks, I went to light a candle and it was empty. I only used it three times before I found it dry. I assume I managed to get the button held down somehow.
The next day, I replaced it with another out of the six pack, and now I'm carrying it head down (button down in the leather pocket). Another two weeks on, so far so good.
You can always get a transparent BIC lighter, so you can keep track of the fluid level.
And if a plastic BIC lighter is not fancy enough, get a Zippo and make sure to fill it up before going out on a "survival trip".
You can shine a light into the bottom of a bic lighter to see their fill level. Works on almost every type exept the black ones.
As always, a heaping helping of common sense.😊
Thanks man
Amen, Brother!
My bic works in -47 Celsius in Alberta Canada
Yes, those folks assume that if you don't have a lighter, you would have flint and steel and dry tinder,etc. etc.
Or if you are worried about your lighter running out of fuel unexpectedly, get one of the clear ones where you can see the fuel level. Or one where only the bottom is clear so you can see the level.
I melt candle wax and brush it on below the match head and let it harden up to give you extra fuel .don't get it on the match head because it makes it harder to light but that little bit of extra wax helps
Inus (Far north Canadian natives) still use bic lighters below -40 celsius.
the small, controlled flame of a lighter is useful for many other tasks other than making a fire for heat and cooking.
Dad ProTip:
Even better than a pocket lighter is the point-and-click fireplace lighter. Safer for camp stoves, safer for fireworks, easier for children to be trusted with for either of those tasks… and you can still have a bic in your pocket to light a pre roll when the kids aren’t lookin.
Butane lighters frequently don't work when it's cold. But if I don't have a way to quickly warm one up that means I'm a frozen corpse and I don't need a fire anymore anyway. There is NOTHING better than a simple Bic lighter, it's perfect. Just like the Bic pen it is a tool that has been perfected to such a degree that no one has figured out a better way to quickly light fires in 50 years.
As someone who lights a bic on average about 20 times per day and works as a field mechanic outdoors in northern Alberta in temperatures ranging from +30c to -54c I can assure you that the problems with Bic lighters are extremely over stated…
I’ve never had a bad Bic lighter, I’ve had some really bad dollar store or discount lighters especially the ones with the adjustable flame.
Exactly!
Same here. 20+ times a day for the last 35 years in all environments. Rain, snow and windy conditions.
I was so into the " 2 is one, 1 is none, have 3 means to make fire. Then one day a seasoned survivalist said. Yeah, I just make sure to have 2 box lighters and it totally blew my mind, like, duh, it's so simple, so compact. Have tinder in addition of course. Anyway, thanks for the good words.
Paul
they have lighters beside the cash registers at dollar stores, I pick up one or two everytime I go and keep one in every jacket I own because my trips arent always planned. havent ever had one fail. also have matches for backup. I feel that is sufficient.
"Does not work above 10000 feet" Well, maybe for few exceptions, in most cases you would have quite a problem to find anything to burn at 10000 feet elevation, there are usually no woods that high, unless you carry the fuel with you. And if you carry fuels like propane or so, it usually comes with a gear that already includes the ability to light it up...
I always wondered why someone would want something that only makes sparks instead of a normal lighter. Even if it's empty, you can scrape the plastic off and use it as tinder (as long as the flint is still okay). Every argument against the lighters also applies to the other things, except the burning fingers or exploding. And if you need to keep the lighter on for so long, that it burns you, flint and steel wood be useless too.
I just had to throw out another full lighter because the flint was not throwing sparks. Maybe it broke or something. I would always take a lighter, but I would not bet my life on one.
I smoke and it gets to minus 40 degrees where I live and I do have issues lighting my cigarette with a bic lighter sometimes in the extreme cold. I have to go back inside my workplace and let the lighter warm up before lighting it. The first smoke usually works but after standing outside for several minutes then trying to light a second one is a problem in extreme cold
I don't smoke but that's my experience too. On the other hand you can always just stick it against your skin for a minute (armpit, waistband, bra or somewhere warm) and they work just fine for 30 seconds or so until they get cold again. Unless you're already dead you can always warm it up and make it work.
Yal got good advice. Awesome
Flit+steel+ butane = better had me laughing good 😂, great video buddy
the one in my unheated shed still works when it's only a degree or 2 above freezing, any colder and i have to warm it up in my hand for a few seconds
I've used bic lighters in fairly cold weather at 12,000ft (Colorado) multiple times, sometimes it was a crappy flame but it always lit.
All I know is I quit smoking about 7 years ago, and I was going through some of my things the other day and came across one of my old Bic lighters... lit first strike.
I live in Colorado and I've never had a problem lighting a bic lighter at 12,000 ft. Timberline is 11,000 ft and the more you get above that the less there is to light a bic lighter and a sturdy pocket knife are the two most useful things you can have in the outdoors be it fun or survival.
Big question for me is if modern piezzo lighters are as reliable as old school lighters with steel wheel an ferrocerium stick. My opinion is that in case of getting wet piezzo lighter can be shorted unable to make spark, but old lighters seems ok for outdoor use.
I find piezzo lighters rest robust. In ideal conditions (i.e. indoors) they last a long time - but out in the elements I'd rather trust the old school ferro rod & steel wheel of conventional lighters.
I keep bic lighters in my car and in any bags/packs so I've experienced them being too cold to work because they weren't in my pocket. I bring this up because it takes literally seconds to get a bic working again by simply rubbing it between my hands, if it's extremely cold I'll do it a bit longer with pauses between to squeeze the lighter to transfer the heat from my hands from the friction into the lighter. I also keep other things around to start a fire and I even find it enjoyable but you won't ever find me without at least one bic lighter on me.
I will say i have had a lighter partially empty itself in my pocket. My pocket felt cold so i investigated i found my new semi-transparent lighter half empty and could smell the butane. I did not fault the lighter at all, l blame myself. I sometimes have overloaded pockets and in this rare case things just compressed togetger in the right way for this to happen. My backup lighter now has a rubber band around it to stop this if it gets pushed unintentionally now. Also i laughed at the "it wont light wet wood" part, as if the cold spark of flint and steel could land on a wet log and do better? I have started a fire off the back of my knife with a piece of quartz and i thinj thats pritty cool. If i am ever shipwrecked in some remote place where i have no other fire making tools, scavenging for a peece of scrap steel and a good rock may me my best option as remote of a chance that happening would be.
Smokers light small fires several times a day, every day, sometimes in pretty bad conditions with Bic lighters. They don't use firesteels or anything like that. Bic lighters are so commercially successful for a reason: they are cheap and do a terrific job at making fire. Just because city dwellers use them to light their cigarettes doesn't mean you have to use something else in a survival/outdoor situation.
what strike anywhere matches do you use? only ones i've been able to find are the diamond ones.
btw lighters use ferrocerium not flint, couldn't tell if you were joking or not
They are just dollar store strike anywhere matches. Was using "flint" in the colloquial sense.
@@outdoorsonthecheap what's the brand behind the matches?
A MINI Bic can be stash almost anywhere and make a great backup
I have had lighters fall out of pockets and get lost, often because women's clothing has terrible pockets these days (unlike back in the 80s but that shallow pocket crap started going on in the early 90s) and our curves do make clothing move differently, and sometimes because I was getting something else out of that pocket.
I'd have the same issue with any other method, so I prefer a men's coat or hoodie with good pockets and a BiC or two. The phone pockets some have are perfect for my cigs and lighter. Been a smoker for 35 years, lost more than my share of lighters and for some stupid reason I'm less likely to lose a BiC than a Zippo.
I’ve been overnight in the woods literally thousands of times, at least 200 where a fire was necessary for survival. I’ve only ever used a fire rod or store bought tinder for pretend survival practice. Bic lighter + Toilet paper. Serious wind on the ice, maybe a little cotton ball with bagbalm. Which is just what I use for “chapstick.”
Right on man!
True, And it kind of applies to most things in bushcraft. So many of the RUclips videos now are basically infomercials.
Thank you for your common sense reasoning.I used these a lot. Bic lighters are the gold standard. (Not those piezoelectric ones.)
I have noticed over the years that the lowering of people that smoke corresponds to the number of fire lighting either matches or lighter items in group survival based activities. Other thing is removing the "childproof" band (which only stops flint sparking not the gas) from your bic lighter enhances ability for first strike light in high stress situations. Cheers.
Yes - the safety band is always removed from mine.
I like the design of the Djeep lighters better than Bic, but the child safety band is a bit of a pain to remove. After removing the band, the Djeep is far easier to light than a Bic.
Another banger.
If there were Bic lighters around in the old days, they'd have used them. Obviously. This ferro rod craze facsinates me...
Flint and steel is my favorite way to start a fire, but if I NEED a fire, a lighter is what I’m going to use.
I've been trying to turn the rod from a spent Bic lighter into a mini striker that I can stash in a crevice of a Swiss Army knife but have not been successful...yet...
I'm sure the viewer didn't mean it to be, but man, that is a funny list! 😄
P.S. I personally have successfully used a bic lighter at elevations above twelve thousand feet. 😄
I think he was serious. Anyway - it was ridiculous.
I would neither recommend Bic lighter, nor Ferrorod, but only because there are better alternatives for both:
1) A miniature blow torch, or Zippo with a blue flame insert will light things faster, even when moderately moist. It will work upside down and in the wind! It's also easier to use when your fingers are numb from the cold because all you need to do is open it and push the button!
2) Why take a ferro-rod, when you can have a full-sized ferror-rod inside a lighter? Nope, I'm not talking of the Zippo, as they only have a miniature version, but the predecessor of the Zippo. Imagine a ferro-rod as you'd use with a striker, but having a larger wheel attached than your Zippo (easier to use!) and next to it a giant fuse, similar to the ones used for Matchlock rifles. The fuse won't burn, but smolders for a VERY long time and you can use it to set flammable things on fire, even in the wind... In fact, the wind might help you! If all else fails, you can take the ferro-rod out and use your knife to strike sparks...
All that said, I'm not a survivalist. I used no 1) for Silvester and no 2) is only of interest to me because it's a nice recreation of a historical item, which happens to be still very useful.
Your alternatives sound ridiculous
@outdoorsonthecheap what speaks against a blue flame lighter instead of a bic lighter?
@@edi9892 The former costs much more and has fewer lights than a bic; its also larger - so will take up more room (if a torch), and if the lighting system is electric it's less reliable, and depending on the torch design, it will be more fragile than a bic, making it less reliable in the bush - and why anyone who would want to hold it upside down, or can't block the wind to light a fire is a mystery to me. The latter also costs more, is larger, and is really just a ferro rod and a wick. Really no more use than a ferro rod - you're just bringing in your own tinder (the fuse). Cool thing to do with your re-enactment flintlock, but impractical in the bush when you are trying to bring along the most options with the least amount of weight.
@outdoorsonthecheap Thank you for the reply, I agree with many points. Using it upside down is very common for lighting candles, or fuses. Again, I found the blue flame lighter the most reliable way for New years celebration and we had occasionally -20°C and strong winds which really sucked. You can't use a wheel with gloves or numb hands. Plus, we kept struggling keeping the BIC flame alive in wind.
Exclnt! You tell 'em mister 😊 also, if an "empty" Bic is left for a day or so, it will light...I have them lat are yeas old...cheers!
Fun fact the flints in Bics are never more than a third gone when the gas is gone and they make great replacements for Zippo lighters