Lighters

[Bacpacker]

I never understood the fascination with the magnesium strip.View attachment 37668
I've pulled a runaway Bic lighter out of a box of stuff that I know had been stored for more than 10 years.
It worked the first spin. I used it 19 times daily for over a month before it ran out of gas.
Suppose I had 2.
Drop one in an empty prescription pill bottle, and presto! it's water-proof.
Like everyone else, I only use Bic lighters.
If you're a smoker and your lighter craps out, it's badView attachment 37669.
(We do the research so you don't have toView attachment 37670).

Magnesium burns VERY hot. IIRC somewhere around 5000 degrees. A pile of that will catch most anything the will take a flame on fire. Even works with wet tinder to a large degree. Bic's work great, but won't directly light wet material. You gotta generate some heat to dry it a little first.

 

[Peanut]

Am I the only one who includes a small magnifier in their kits? They are good fire starters that never wear out. Also handy if you get a sliver when gathering your wood.

I have several lenses... never had that much luck with them. Of course I don't have desert SW sun over my shoulder. I heard or read about using a lens but I never hear the specific parameters of said lens. Have you done any experimentation as to what is the best magnification factor, diameter of the lens?


I have a 2x and a 5x and a couple jewelers loupes with 20x and 30x. Yet I still have the same question... What is the all around best lens diameter and magnification power for fire starting? Has anyone else done any tests or can reference same?

I am in the second round of testing with a pair of Zippos.
I read about how some special forces take a bicycle innertube and cut an inch wide section and slide it over the lighter to seal the case. I refuled one and am going to carry it around to see how long this will work !

Keep us posted as to the results ok? I have several zippos, even new in the case from 30 years ago.

I also use one of these over a fire steel in my fire kits.It's a Coleman igniter. They work very well and last a very long time and put out a heck of a spark. Use with char cloth.View attachment 37687

Good idea, never thought about them but know where I can get them... I have several strikers w/flints with my torch in the shop.

@Bacpacker I found a camping store going out of business years ago. I bought a case of the magnesium strikers.... A must in wet conditions... I have them in all my tool bags, tool boxes on the tractors and all my prepping kits along with a product called "Wet fire" that works really well.

 

[backlash]

I used a magnifying glass to burn the neck of a kid sitting in front of me in third grade. The principle was a strong believer in spare the rod spoil the child. I think that cost me 2 swats.
It would have been worse but I was bigger than the burned kid. I'm sure he got even but I don't remember how.

 

[Bacpacker]

How about burning ants with a magnifing glass

 

[backlash]

How about burning ants with a magnifing glass

That's why we all had them. The teacher found out and that was the end of burning ants and also the end of recess for a week.

 

[joel]

I have magnifying glass & magnets, but not in every kit.

 

[Just Cliff]

Just Cliff, how is it going?
That works like my trouch lighter, for welding.
I have some replacment tips for the troch Striker.

Still making it for now. These take normal Zippo flints The strikers flints are a bit to large. Also lighters that don't work anymore, just take the flints out of those.

I have those on all my lanterns. If you don't slide them back out of the lantern after you light it and do it later you will burn your finger. I speak from experience.
I read that the Zippo lighters were popular in WW2 because the GIs could just dunk the cotton in anything flammable and they were good to go. Not sure if that's true or not but it sounded good.
The best thing about Zippos is they are guaranteed for life. Just send it back and they will make it like new. Military lighters get special attention.

Yes. Low flash point liquids will burn by doing that.

I have several lenses... never had that much luck with them. Of course I don't have desert SW sun over my shoulder. I heard or read about using a lens but I never hear the specific parameters of said lens. Have you done any experimentation as to what is the best magnification factor, diameter of the lens?


I have a 2x and a 5x and a couple jewelers loupes with 20x and 30x. Yet I still have the same question... What is the all around best lens diameter and magnification power for fire starting? Has anyone else done any tests or can reference same?


Keep us posted as to the results ok? I have several zippos, even new in the case from 30 years ago.



Good idea, never thought about them but know where I can get them... I have several strikers w/flints with my torch in the shop.

@Bacpacker I found a camping store going out of business years ago. I bought a case of the magnesium strikers.... A must in wet conditions... I have them in all my tool bags, tool boxes on the tractors and all my prepping kits along with a product called "Wet fire" that works really well.

You can get these at WalMart,Amazon and Ace Hardware.

 

[hiwall]

I have several lenses... never had that much luck with them. Of course I don't have desert SW sun over my shoulder. I heard or read about using a lens but I never hear the specific parameters of said lens. Have you done any experimentation as to what is the best magnification factor, diameter of the lens?

I do have the strong sun down here and I am up so high there is little air in the way too. I always carry a 1-1/4" lens in my watch pocket. I have carried it there for 10+ years. It does work for fire and is handy also for the magnify quality. I have done no experiments though I have started a couple fires just to see.

 

[Peanut]

I just checked some rough numbers... Humidity in the deep south is just about double that of Arizona. That means the sun's ray are diffused twice as much on any given day than sunlight in the desert SW. It also means natural tinder found in the wild is twice as damp. Something to consider... maybe means a larger lens with more magnification is needed in the deep south than other areas of the country.

Humidity would also impact primitive fire starting methods. Maybe methods to transport fire would be a more important here than dry areas?

This is also why I keep magnesium strikers handy. The extra heat is needed here for starting fires.

 

[Caribou]

I grew up in Ketchikan with 150" to 200" of rain/year and right on the ocean. With all that moisture we kids still could get stuff hot enough to burn with a magnifying glass. Size made more difference in speed than outcome, if memory serves.

 

[Supervisor42]

I grew up in Ketchikan with 150" to 200" of rain/year and right on the ocean. With all that moisture we kids still could get stuff hot enough to burn with a magnifying glass. Size made more difference in speed than outcome, if memory serves.

Hey! I've been to Ketchikan!

On topic: We little monsters growing up had access to some 5-6" size magnifying lenses. (they aren't expensive)
The power output is proportional to the area size of the lens. Size matters.
And let me tell you, those could 'Bring The Heat'!

After all the times we had been eaten alive by fire-ants, it was payback time!

We'd kick the top off of an anthill and beam down Armageddon on them, ants>

(Yeah, I know I will get hate-mail from ant-sympathizers )
Storing one of those to prevent chipping it would be a struggle, but I doubt you'd need summer sun to start a fire with one.

 

[Meerkat]

Zippos are great, except for storage.
Lighter-fluid evaporates/dries-out.
Butane, under pressure in a sealed container (like a Bic does not go away).
I love a good Zippo for lighting-up, but it ain't 1974 nomore.

You got that right! If it were and I knew then what I know now 'well come to think about I'd ptobably do th same thing.Maybe not.

 

[Meerkat]

Zippo lighters are great and you can buy a gallon of naptha at the hardware store to fuel them. Keeping an extra wick and containers of flints will keep it working for years.

We still have plenty of wicks for our kerosene lamps. I'll have to check out the 'Naptha ' never heard of it.Do have soem lamp oil but not alot.

 

[Meerkat]

Am I the only one who includes a small magnifier in their kits? They are good fire starters that never wear out. Also handy if you get a sliver when gathering your wood.

We have 2 magnifiers.

 

[dademoss]

I have those on all my lanterns. If you don't slide them back out of the lantern after you light it and do it later you will burn your finger. I speak from experience.

Pretty sure everybody learns that one at least once. Don't ask how I know

 

[dademoss]

We still have plenty of wicks for our kerosene lamps. I'll have to check out the 'Naptha ' never heard of it.Do have soem lamp oil but not alot.

it's my understanding that naptha is ONLY for Zippo type lighters, not kerosene lamps. I have been wrong before though.

 

[Peanut]

On topic: We little monsters growing up had access to some 5-6" size magnifying lenses. (they aren't expensive)
The power output is proportional to the area size of the lens. Size matters.
And let me tell you, those could 'Bring The Heat'!View attachment 37732

Ha! too funny, just remembered I have a few of these... I'm sure they will bring the heat but at 2.9lbs they are to big for a BoB. They came out of magnifier lamps I replaced with new led versions. Oh well, if I run out of fire making methods at home I'll pull out one of these.

 

[Supervisor42]

Ha! too funny, just remembered I have a few of these... I'm sure they will bring the heat but at 2.9lbs they are to big for a BoB. They came out of magnifier lamps I replaced with new led versions. Oh well, if I run out of fire making methods at home I'll pull one of these out.

Yeah, one like dem!
Ours looked like this:

So, the magic question for all you people:
Do you put the flat-side toward the sun or the rounded side?

Please vote now.

 

[backlash]

Curved side toward the sun. If that doesn't work turn it over.

 

[Supervisor42]

Curved side toward the sun. If that doesn't work turn it over.

Now, now, that's like voting for both.
One way definitely works better. Which is it?

 

[Spikedriver]

These are my favorites...

Takes up a little more space, but very reliable...

 

[SheepDog]

flat side toward the sun, but you can't tell the difference without a calorimeter.

 

[Supervisor42]

flat side toward the sun, but you can't tell the difference without a calorimeter.

It is true that the plano-convex lens works both ways.
But if you look at every camera lens, the lenses in scopes etc, the light always enters in the curved side.

And yes you are right, it only makes a small difference.

 

[SheepDog]

For starting a fire you want to reflect as little of the IR light as posible. The curved surface will reflect more IR at he edges so it will produce smaller quantities of heat. For telescopes and microscopes you don't care about the scattering of the invisible light and you don't want to concentrate the IR into the eye. that is why most lenses in optical instruments have the lenses with the curve toward the object.

 

[Just Cliff]

Just an update:
I had to go by Ace Hardware the other day. Checked on the lantern lighters mentioned above.
$3.99 for the lighter and$1.59 for a pack of flints. A pretty good deal.

 

[hiwall]

Many places like casinos offer free book matches. Hard to beat that price.

 

[Morgan101]

I have magnifying glasses in several kits. Only downside is you have to have good sunlight. Awfully hard on an overcast day. Night? Oh well. SOL.

Supervisor42: You are right. It isn't 1974 any more. The old Zippos were much better than what is on the market today. I had one that went back to at least 1971. Never leaked. Fluid seemed to last ten times longer than what they do today. It was confiscated by TSA. I really thought I was going to jail that day.

 

[Just Cliff]

Supervisor42: You are right. It isn't 1974 any more. The old Zippos were much better than what is on the market today. I had one that went back to at least 1971. Never leaked. Fluid seemed to last ten times longer than what they do today. It was confiscated by TSA. I really thought I was going to jail that day.
[/QUOTE]

I have several new Zippo's I also have my father-in-laws Zippo from when he was in Vietnam. I do prefer the Vietnam era Zippo.I have never carried it but, have used it at home. I couldn't believe it was given to me when he died instead of his son.
My dad always carried a Zippo. Not the same one from my childhood. I don't know what happened to his lighters when he died. I believe my eldest sister made off with them.

For you folks asking about magnifying glasses. I got 6 of the 4" lenses from the old projection TV's. They are different focal lengths and shapes. They are all of very good quality. I don't carry them because of the weight. There are just too many other options for carrying fire making tools to be dealing with those.
On a side note. There are also a very large Fresnel lens inside. Mine is 24"X24". I guarantee whatever the conditions as long as I have some sun light, I will set it on fire. Too big to carry about. If used around your base camp you would not have to use a lighter, matches, VooDoo or rubbing sticks together to get a fire going.

 

[SheepDog]

A 24 inch Fresnel lens will vaporize fire bricks in bright sun. I have a plastic Fresnel lens that is 8"x10" and it will get over 1200F at the focal point.

 

[ssonb]

I remembered that I had a lens from the headlight of a modern vehicle,you see them all the time on trucks and cars with the narrow clear headlights.
It is only about three inches across and lightweight plastic , so I get a sheet of white paper and with the convex side towards Sun it took only five to seven seconds to burn thru , the focus distance is only four inches.
Kept in a small cloth bag and added to a starter kit it would be an inexpensive cause it's free , lightweight, match,ferro rod, lighter fuel extender.