A Good Old Fashioned BIC

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A Good Old Fashioned BIC

by Todd Owen
(Denver,Co)

Wow, it amazes me how many Fire Starting items I see in all the stores and all the catalogs for Survival stuff. I am all for being VERY prepared but, all in all, I still think having a few BIC lighters stuffed in my pack does well.

I have a couple of the small guys stuffed in an old pill bottle that is water tight too. So YES there is nothing wrong with being prepared, I just feel sometimes company's feed our desire with way gimmicked items.

I will take my chances and drop the 2 bucks on a 4 pack.

(NOTE IF CLIMBING HIGH ALTITUDES CERTAIN TYPES OF LIGHTERS WILL NOT WORK. I HAVE USED SOME ON SOME OF THE 14ER'S IN COLORADO THAT JUST DID NOT CUT IT ).

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A Good Old Fashioned BIC

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Thanks Guys for the Feed back
by: Todd Owen

I admit , those little cheap lighters do have a couple down falls, BUT when you look at the price versus those small issues I have to say they are worth their weight in gold. I carry about 5 of them stowed in my gear and a couple tossed in a old film canister seal with duct tape, the tape which is always great to have prtects the little buggers from moisture.... BTW great tip on pulling the flint from them even after the butane has been depleated and using it to spark a fire up.

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Butane lighters are not always reliable
by: Anonymous

Sometimes if a butane lighter is held with an open flame too long, the lighter flint striking wheel mechanism gets hot and comes out of the sockets holding it to the lighter. Then the lighter can no longer be used. Lighters are not always reliable!

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BICs
by: Stumpjumper

As a forester of many years, I agree with having a few with me at all times. Just a few notes: I've tested them wet and with a few shakes will generally light. Only downside I've seen is that if in outer pockets in really cold weather(-25F or so), they will not light until warmed up a bit, so I carry one in my interior pockets.

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Bic
by: Dustin

if you don't have 3 ways to do something in the wilderness you don't have a good way to get something done.

Bic lighters are cheap, and relatively reliable in normal altitudes and normal temperatures, but they will freeze, or suffer performance problems at high altitudes.

A good plan is to rely on a lighter for your day-to-day needs, but also have a stash of weatherproof matches, and perhaps a ferro rod and striker as a failsafe.

If Davey Crockett could have carried a bic he would have, but he knew about 10 ways to achieve any of the basic survival deliverables.

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dont throw away that empty lighter....
by: Winyan Staz

You can take it apart and modify it so you still have a spark maker to create fires.
Use some sap from a fir tree and some fuzz from an dried cattail seed head or some fluff from the fireweed or other dried tinder to help the spark catch quickly.

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A Good Old Fashioned BIC

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A Good Old Fashioned BIC