Butane torch lighters

Hi dirtbag

Wrong question. I had better explain.

Butane boils or generates vapour at or above ~0 C.
IF the lighter is colder than this, it won’t work. End of story.

However, if you can keep the lighter warmer than this (inside pocket maybe), then the ambient does not matter so much.
In other words, the only thing that matters is the temperature of the butane.

But, as always, there are some gotchas to all this simple story. Just what is in the butane lighter? If it is straight n-butane, then the above applies.
On the other hand, if it is a mixture of n-butane and iso-butane, then the lighter may (should) work at a few degrees lower. If the ‘butane’ is a dirty unrefined mix of butane and propane, it should even go lower.

At least one reader here has tested what is sold in hardware stores as ‘butane’ in cheap packs of 4 flyspray-style containers, and found that the stuff continued to work at quite a few degrees below 0 C. He was not able to say whether the stuff was a mix of n-butane plus iso-butane or of n-butane plus propane. (Does it matter?)

Cheers

Thats what I figured.. I guess the only advantage would be easier to ignite with cold fingers/hands. Simply push the button as opposed to rolling the wheel to spark a lighter. On that note, I have never had any problems with flint and striker to get reliable sparks for stove or fire.. so I was just curious about the butane torch..

What are you having trouble with-fire starting in freezing temps? Spark into small fire starter-cotton ball and Vaseline

No problems at all.. Just brain storming. As for cotton and Vaseline.. Tried that many years ago, and it is kind of messy, in my opinion.  I was just curious about the butane torch and freezing temperatures..

I’ve been using

1.3 ounces

Yeah, what Roger said.  Or I put it in my armpit if it’s not lighting because it’s cold

I use it down to 20 F or even a little lower

I use Ronson butane to refill.  I’m guessing it’s “cheap butane” – about 50% isobutane and 50% n butane.

If it’s above about 40 F it works fine without warming

I like the “torch” flame.  Much easier to light things like fires or stoves than, for example, a Bic lighter.

The one I posted is small, a somewhat feeble torch flame.  There’s another one that’s bigger and has a bigger flame, more than necessary for me

They’re cheap imported.  One of the five I bought didn’t work at all, another started to be difficult to push the button after a while so I replaced it but it was a gradual failure. I carry a second one as a spare for reliability.

I carry a second one as a spare for reliability.
I found that many of the small refillable torches lost their gas over time. I would have a filled one on the shelf, only to find it was empty when i tried to use it a few weeks later. Not quite reliable enough for me.

On the other hand, I have never had a genuine Bic fail. One of them lasted for several years lighting my stoves.

Cheers

I bought those 1.5 years ago.  I haven’t noticed any of them losing a detectable amount.

You can see the fuel level through the case – it’s transparent

Check the spare occasionally.  Before it was a spare I used it on a couple trips to make sure it works good.

I used to hold up my green Bic to the light to see how much fuel was left. At the rate of a couple of brief lightings per day with my stoves, that fuel level stayed visible for a long time. And yes, I always checked the level before taking it on a trip.

So yeah, the transparent bodies are so much better.

Cheers

They’re a lot more usable with gloved or cold hands if you remove the child-safety thingie:

By prying it off with pliers.  Or I grind it off (well, into two pieces) on a belt sander.

Yeah, agree 100% with DT.
I remove those stupid things as soon as I buy them, before they even get put on the shelf. Thin screwdriver or needle nose pliers.
Cheers