Although, just because you expect to encounter adverse weather on your trip doesn’t mean that you need to bring along a highly weather-resistant lighter. In my learning skills for hiking article I go into more skills you should pick up before heading out on a trail. But should you truly need a weather-resistant lighter, the UCO Stormproof Torch is your best option. After soaking the lighter in water to test its water-resistance, the fuel started leaking on my hands, in my pants pocket, and on the outside of the lighter. While I would generally recommend you go with a Mini BIC or Mini Clipper for the weight and cost savings, there are some situations where a highly weather-resistant lighter might be preferable — such as emergency or survival scenarios.

BIC Mini Lighter, Assorted Colors, 50-Count Tray BIC Mini Lighter, Assorted Colors, 50-Count Tray

You will have the option to opt-out of receiving future e-mails from BIC by using the unsubscribe feature in each e-mail. While neither truly windproof nor waterproof like UCO’s incredible stormproof matches, this lighter was the most wind- and water-resistant that we tested.Pressing down on the “fork” (the plastic lever below the sparkwheel) opens a valve so fuel can be released. Fancy Zippo lighters that appeal to the bushcraft community or the mini BIC lighters that are for the UltraLight hiking community. With their signature jet flame you have a butane torch in your hand that can light up pretty much anything. That isn’t terribly heavy in the grand scheme of things, but relatively speaking the heaviest lighter weighs over 8 times as much as the lightest.

BIC Mini Lighter, Assorted Fashion Designs, Set of 8 Pocket BIC Mini Lighter, Assorted Fashion Designs, Set of 8 Pocket

It varies depending on the brand, but don’t expect more than 100 lights before refilling or replacing the wick. You can have a 10 lighters on you but if you do not know how to light a campfire they wont help you that much. It took an average of 9 minutes of drying the lighter in my pants pocket before it lit again, and over 20 minutes before it started lighting consistently. If you’d like something that is truly windproof (and waterproof), read our reviews of the best stormproof matches.Where it took the BIC 2 minutes on average to start lighting consistently after having been submerged in water, it took the Clipper 1 minute. If you want to enjoy your cigar at the end of your hike, lighting up around a campfire or just want to light a stove. Here’s what you need to know about types of lighters, pros and cons, and what the best lighter is for your needs.

Mini Bic Lighter - Etsy UK Mini Bic Lighter - Etsy UK

BIC Classic Full-Size Pocket Lighters are made with pure isobutane fuel, with up to 3,000 lights per lighter. Whether you’re lighting a birthday candle or staying prepared for an emergency, BIC Lighters are there for you. I found the flint lighters to be much more reliable over the long-term than the piezo-electric lighters. This was a straightforward test: I struck each lighter 200 times and recorded how many times each one lit.

Every BIC lighter undergoes more than 50 separate, automatic quality checks during the manufacturing process. What is a big upside for the Zippo is that you can pretty much put every gas fuel in there and it will still burn. On most occasions that is enough for hiking needs as the most you do is lighting your backpacking stove. The long neck makes it easier to reach candle wicks, especially without burning your fingers on the flame.

BIC® STANDARD LIGHTER | BIC

We bought 5 of the best backpacking lighters available and set about testing their water-resistance by soaking them in water, their wind-resistance by trying to blow them out, and their reliability by striking them until we got blisters. I have a slim round barrel lighter, 18″ long, with a chain on one end and the flint on the other which is covered with a cap. The two types of fuel we used were butane for the UCO Stormproof Torch and UST Wayfinder Lighter and Zippo lighter fluid for the Zippo Matte Lighter.To dry it out quicker you can also run it up and down a piece of wood or your pants leg for 30 seconds.