Topic
Firesteel vs. Bic
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Home › Forums › Gear Forums › Gear (General) › Firesteel vs. Bic
- This topic is empty.
-
AuthorPosts
-
Aug 11, 2009 at 9:02 am #1238500
I see a lot of folks here on BPL mentioning they use a firesteel. I have a couple of these and I like them well enough but I honestly can't say I prefer them over a plain old Bic Mini.
To me the Bic just seems less fussy and easier to use. It lights an Esbit tab in seconds and it can usually set flame to tinder without using any firestarter. For canister stoves I'd say it's about a draw between the two but I will give the nod to firesteel for an alcohol stove (just barely).
As to weight, a Bic Mini and a Light-My-Fire Mini weigh exactly the same on my scale at .5 oz each.
As to longevity the claim for the Mini Firesteel is that it's good for 1500 strikes whereas a mini butane lighter is supposedly good for 600 lights. OK, Firesteel wins that one but 600 back country meals is a lot.
There's the issue of the ligher being useless if it's wet. That's true but they're also pretty easy to dry out as demonstrated by this fellow. And even if the Bic runs out of fuel it can still toss enough sparks to get a fire going if you've got some good firestarter to work with.
So I'm just wondering why folks like the Firesteels so much. Is it just aesthetics or is there something else I'm missing? For now I've gone back to my trusty old Bic.
Gordon
Aug 11, 2009 at 9:08 am #1520065I think its the caveman aesthetic.
I carry one as a backup and carry one on my keychain.Aug 11, 2009 at 9:24 am #1520069I carry a firesteel for simplicity and reliability.
I know Bics are pretty reliable, but here are some of my gripes:
While unlikely, I've seen a Bic wheel pop out of the housing. I've also seen the wheels jam, especially when out of gas and repeatedly striking it for sparks-the flint inside is not that big. They're useless wet or frozen. They're also harder to manipulate with gloves/frozen fingers. If you step on it, it's dead. I also doubt that the sparks they throw are hot enough to light anything but the very best/driest/finest tinder. A firesteel's sparks can light wood shavings/feathersticks easily; unlikely a Bic could do this without gas.Now I know we're not going survivor(wo)man out there and I know that the chances of a Bic failing are low, but I also know that a firesteel can't fail. I also like the idea that it's a tool you can carry in your kit for a VERY long time without worry about replacement.
Aug 11, 2009 at 9:46 am #1520072List the Mini Bic on your sub 2 pound gear list, but when you pack, throw in 2 mini bics, a firesteel, and a book of matches.
Aug 11, 2009 at 10:18 am #1520077Fire steels work no matter what. Dunk them in water, 2 seconds later, they'll still throw sparks.
Bic…not so much.
I pack a bic and use it 99% of the time. But I carry a fire steel in my cargo pocket at all times.
Aug 11, 2009 at 10:20 am #1520079I agree w/Dave.
A BIC is convenient and in my pack.
But the Firesteel is sooooooo reliable. Always with me, too.
Aug 11, 2009 at 1:57 pm #1520128I have had several bics let me down over the years. A firesteel is bombproof. I still carry a bic as a convenience though, especially since I cook a lot with Esbit.
Aug 11, 2009 at 11:15 pm #1520240I have pulled 2 new bics out of my pack over the last 6 months that somehow don't have gas in them any more.
I have yet to get a firesteel to light natural materials in the back country (grass, bark, and leaves have all failed). This is not for lack of training or trying.
I enjoy playing with my firesteel, so that's what I carry. It has no trouble lighting an alcohol stove. I bring a little dryer lint to help get fires going.
acronym 8/12/2009 1:13 AM
Aug 12, 2009 at 12:58 pm #1520348"I bring a little dryer lint to help get fires going."
My striker has a block of magnesium attached to it, to shave and get a flame going. It's never let me down, though I also carry a few cotton balls.
Aug 12, 2009 at 2:46 pm #1520378The mini-bic is an amazingly reliable tool. I have one in my pack at all times.
The lightest fire starter is a humble book of paper matches in a small plastic bag. That's my back up.
Aug 12, 2009 at 2:53 pm #1520382"The mini-bic is an amazingly reliable tool. I have one in my pack at all times."
These are the lighters that have failed me several times, so I will politely beg to differ.
Aug 12, 2009 at 3:13 pm #1520391I go bic (never had one fail) and matches and 2 petro jelly cotton balls as backup. I have a firesteel, kind of a pain to use maybe too hard in a "really real" type situation. Especially when you consider a fluidless bic can still throw sparks.
Aug 12, 2009 at 3:58 pm #1520398Technically, Firesteel IS more reliable than a Bic lighter.
That's not to say that Bics are not reliable… because they are. I have never had Firesteel or Bic fail on me.
With that said, the Bic is easier & faster to use IMO. For that reason, I carry a mini Bic as my main source of fire, with some matches as backup.
If I was in a survival type situation, I suppose I would rather have Firesteel because it has a lower chance of failure. However, for my backpacking needs, I take the Bic because it is more convenient.
Aug 12, 2009 at 5:22 pm #1520416I have a few different fire steels and I have always had a hell of a time getting a fire started unless I used "char-cloth" which is what remains when you burn cotton material. Then I was placing an order on Basegear and somehow my search came up with the Auroa fire steel and I decided to give it a try because they claimed it was so much better than other fire steels – yeah right I have heard that one before and have a drawer full to prove it! I did a little research on this product and found that they use a higher content of magnesium (sp?) and claimed it produced a much hotter spark so I decided to give it a try thinking it would just be another "drawer queen" with my other steels.
Man they were not kidding! This thing throws one hell of a hot spark and from the first time I struck it I knew it was different as the sparks did not go out when they hit the floor – they bounced and danced all over the place! It comes with two regular cotton balls for pratice tinder so I took it outside and gave it a try – it caught on fire the first strike! This was not a cotton ball soaked in petro jelly, just a normal cotton ball. I was able to catch fire to all kinds of stuff with only one or two strikes, paper towels that I fluffed up a bit, dried wood shavings, etc. It really is a different animal.
It's not a tiny steel and comes with a top that has a striker built in, you can pay a little extra and get a high-carbon striker that never wears out and I do suggest that – there were some complaints that the regular striker got dull very quickly and they have now replaced it with a harder metal, but the high-carbon one is still and option.
It cost me $28 with the high-carbon striker, something like $24 without. It's housed in an machined aluminum tube and you can leave the top at home to make it a bit lighter and just use your knife for a striker.
Aug 12, 2009 at 7:07 pm #1520438save yourself alot of money, this is pretty much the same _steel_ http://goinggear.com/index.php?main_page=index&cPath=4&zenid=2d1c10af77533034ac89775ca78aa724
these are a hundred times better than the crappy light my fire steels.
Aug 12, 2009 at 7:12 pm #1520439Dustin, which one? There's a whole page of 'em displayed.
Aug 12, 2009 at 7:21 pm #1520442I think it also depends on where you are going. If you are hiking on the AT and there is likely to be 10 people within shouting distance that cumulatively will have 20-30 firemaking methods you are fine with your mini bic and a book of matches as backup. If you are going to try a Chris McCandless and go "Into the Wild" that is a very different story.
Aug 12, 2009 at 7:31 pm #1520447Well, there's always the bow and drill option. Yes, I'd rather have a Firesteel. I'm just saying.
Aug 12, 2009 at 7:43 pm #1520449I got a fire steel years ago, one of those combo fire steel/magnesium rod units. I carried it around off and on for a few seasons but never used it in the field. Likely a very common scenario. The striker steel part fell off and is lost somewhere.
I prefer a Bic because they are ridiculously easy and fast to use. If I am in the middle of nowhere I'll have two mini-Bics and a book of matches in a tiny Ziploc.
Yup, fire steels are cool and fun to use. If I could only have one fire starting tool that's probably what I'd take. But in the real world I'll be firing up a Bic.
Aug 12, 2009 at 8:04 pm #1520454Using a fireteel is an acquired skill. You have to learn about tinder/kindling/ and fire lays.
Bics require no skill and thats why most people will use them and thats why you will get lots of stories about people who tried firesteel and couldn't get it to work.
Firesteel is easy to do AFTER the skill is acquired and you have a better understanding of fire building in general and thats a good thing.Aug 12, 2009 at 8:45 pm #1520460Have to have a Bic. Firesteels are ineffective for lighting some of the required things.
Aug 12, 2009 at 9:22 pm #1520464http://www.bepreparedtosurvive.com/FirestarterProducts.htm
i don't like bics – they always hurt my thumb & i've had lots of troubles with bics & their ilk in the past
maybe i should stop trying to start fires with elk, though ;)
i really like the firesteels & have used mostly one or another of them for the last few years. if it's dry and not windy and i have a lighter or matches, i might reach for them, but generally, it's a firesteel i'm using. i carry a mini dropper with some alcohol in it – if things don't light easily (like an esbit tab or say slightly damp tinder), i just put a couple drops of alcohol on top and let 'er rip.
Aug 13, 2009 at 1:15 am #1520488I use a LightMyFire FireSteel and it works perfectly for firing up my BushBuddy Ultra. Its ridiculously light at 12 g, ad always works for me. One or two strikes and my MYOG vaseline cotton balls are on fire, and from there its an easy task to build up a fire in the BBU. Never used a Bic, but have a pack of matches s a back-up.
Aug 13, 2009 at 5:04 am #1520495What is the lightest easy-to-use firesteel, besides the Firelite Mini striker from BPL? I can't afford $7 postage for an $11 item. :)
Aug 13, 2009 at 6:55 am #1520511Try Ultralight Outdoor Gear in the UK. Fast and cheap shipping (to Finland =) and very friendly service. The LMF FireSteel weights 12 g, which should be the same as the BPL one.
-
AuthorPosts
- You must be logged in to reply to this topic.
Forum Posting
A Membership is required to post in the forums. Login or become a member to post in the member forums!
Our Community Posts are Moderated
Backpacking Light community posts are moderated and here to foster helpful and positive discussions about lightweight backpacking. Please be mindful of our values and boundaries and review our Community Guidelines prior to posting.
Get the Newsletter
Gear Research & Discovery Tools
- Browse our curated Gear Shop
- See the latest Gear Deals and Sales
- Our Recommendations
- Search for Gear on Sale with the Gear Finder
- Used Gear Swap
- Member Gear Reviews and BPL Gear Review Articles
- Browse by Gear Type or Brand.