What is the Zippo Lighter secret?

[WVELK]

I feel like Zippo has been around forever.. I seem to recall my grandparents using them 50 plus years ago. I bought two to serve as windproof lighters for backpack hunting. The problem is that if they set for a week it seems like they are darn near impossible to light. Does the lighter fluid evaporate that fast? I may go back to weather proof matches, flint, or just about anything.

 

[NRA4LIFE]

Can't help you there. I probably have 3-4 YO zippos that still work. They go everywhere with me.

 

[Big Sky Guy]

I was never impressed with them although as a teenager was something I always thought was really cool. Wife got me one as a gift which I promptly got one of the butane inserts for and have never looked back.

Amazon.com

 

[Ferrulewax]

Fluid evaporates almost immediately. There are some tricks you can do to make them last longer- but they aren’t that practical IMO. They are cool and fun to play with.

 

[Vaultman]

Butane lighter insert FTW.

 

[Coopsdaddy]

Just evaporates.Carried one for years when I was younger.

 

[WVELK]

Well thanks. I am lmao in that they brag on them being windproof, but fail to tell you they essentially are useless. Live and learn.

 

[HairyScandinavian]

They were cool when I smoked so always carried a lighter, could flick it open and light it in one motion with one hand. For starting campfires there's a whole lot better ways. Don't overfill them or they can leak in your pocket and give you a chemical burn.

 

[ColPenguin]

I have had a zippo. They aren't that great or practical. It's a stylish accessory for a smoker. They leak and the fluid has a strong odor.

For camping, a disposable BIC, which is damn near waterproof works pretty good. They are not wind proof. You can fly on a plane with a BIC, no problem.

A local cigar shop was giving away "cyclone vertigo" refillable butane 3-torch lighters with purchase. I have since bought a dozen of these, and put them in my pack. I have them stashed around the house to light a cigar, the grill, a bonfire, or the gas stove in a power outage. Have had only one of these break. They retail for $12-15, and can often find them for cheaper in packs of 3 or 5. Cannot fly on an airplane with this type of lighter. It fits the bill for cheap, wind proof, and reliable. If you misplace or lose one of these, it is not a big deal to replace it.

Even if you don't get this exact lighter, there are lots of cheap cigar lighters that fit the job better than a zippo.

 

[WyldGoose]

I wouldn’t depend on a zippo in the backcountry.
The answer is a Bic lighter in a waterproof Exotac sleeve…

 

[grfox92]

Bic lighters everywhere. Mini in my pocket, Full size in my bino harness, full size in my cook kit in a waterproof ziplock bag. Hunt in one of the windiest states in the country, I always make it work,

 

[WVELK]

I wouldn’t depend on a zippo in the backcountry.
The answer is a Bic lighter in a waterproof Exotac sleeve…

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Well I have found the Bic Lighters to be a little less than ideal in Alaska and British Columbia in gusty winds. I went with Zippo for the “windproof” claim, and that seems to be accurate more or less from my testing. Provided, you just filled the darn thing up.

 

[Feral Jared]

Hard to beat a bic, but thanks to this thread, I'm going to pick up some butane and arc inserts for my old zippos. Pretty cool retrofit

 

[WVELK]

Bic lighters everywhere. Mini in my pocket, Full size in my bino harness, full size in my cook kit in a waterproof ziplock bag. Hunt in one of the windiest states in the country, I always make it work,

Yea, Wyoming is windy. Never been lucky enough to live there but spent many months there. I thought I had seen wind until I went to places like Cold Bay Alaska. They call 17 MPH steady winds a calm day there on a spring brown bear hunt lol.

 

[WVELK]

With all that noted, I suspect I will pick up some Bic Lighters and hope for the best for my next trip in a few weeks. It should not be bad in August or September. November to January may be another story.

 

[5MilesBack]

The Bic's never seem to work well when it gets cold, like when I'm trying to light my lantern in the wall tent first thing in the morning. And that's only in September. My gas cook stove and propane heater will light from just a spark, but the propane lantern seems to need a steady long stream of fire to light.

 

[Bluefish]

I feel like Zippo has been around forever.. I seem to recall my grandparents using them 50 plus years ago. I bought two to serve as windproof lighters for backpack hunting. The problem is that if they set for a week it seems like they are darn near impossible to light. Does the lighter fluid evaporate that fast? I may go back to weather proof matches, flint, or just about anything.

Yes, they do dry out that fast. If you don’t want it to dry out, seal it with electrical tape. A single wrap at the joint between the main body and lid does the trick.

 

[omicron1792]

As others have said, out in the butane insert.