lighting esbits… something better than a mini-bic

These are pretty good for starting fires.

1.3 ounces

The torch flame is fairly small.  They also have some that are bigger and heavier.

Be warned – those “turbo” torch lighters aren’t allowed on carry-on bags on flights (but, like Victorinox Classics, they have to notice them).  No butane lighters are allowed in checked bags unless properly secured in a TSA-approved case.  Alas, the Colibri Tranzpack TSA was $50 a decade ago and doesn’t appear to be available anymore.

But, yes, I’d expect them to be considerably better at igniting Esbit quickly.

And, as a bit of emergency kit, I’d prefer them if I needed to get some wet wood burning.

Caveat: the reliability of pressurized lighters will start to decrease at altitudes above 9,000 feet or so.

I discarded a mini bic in favor of the Bic Classic. Way more reliable, and the Classic has been in the kits of high altitude mountaineers for decades.

I always carry a backup emergency fire kit that still works when it’s been submersed in water: Tinder Quik tabs + Firesteel. Half a TQ tab (ignited by the Firesteel) gets an Esbit tab going just fine.

I don’t need a mini blast torch that makes lighting ease.  Nor am I looking for guarantee to work when submerged / worse conditions. I always carry emergency fire-starting kit which survives being submerge. What I am looking for is the easy 80% solution (when it’s not an emergency):  reliable, 1 hand operation, works 0-14k ft.  sounds like returning to the normal bic might be the answer.

For years I’ve taken a dropper bottle of ethanol fuel with me when using Esbit. A few drops onto the tab then spark it up. Gets it going. A 5 ml bottle lasts more than a weekend trip, a 20 ml for a 2 week trip. Using 3 tabs a day.

Yeah, if you want to go over 10K feet then you don’t want a piezo lighter

Those mini torch lighters aren’t really a “blast torch”.  There are similar lighters that are bigger and are more of a blast torch.  That lighter I linked to is a compromise between a blast torch and a bic lighter.

If its chilly out, forget the mini bic lighter. I use a full size bic lighter now.. had the cold finger problem once.. and that was it.

sort of a tangent.  for emergency lighting what do people use?  I see Ryan using firesteel.  I bring  a spark-lite and some waterproof matches.

I bring two lighters

I have a small ferro rod and striker. Works every time i have used it… not to light an esbit tab though… I do carry a few waterproof matches also.  Redundant yes.. but they all do not weigh much.. and in winter time I MIGHT need a fire and i most likely definitely need to get my stove lit to melt snow for water..

Light my fire (fire steel).  It takes practice but you can light Esbit with fire ateel.

BIC EZ REACH .

Never seen the BIC EZ Reach before.  It is a piezo ignition?

@ Mark

In winter, I bring three sources of ignition: firesteel, matches, and a lighter.  With no moving parts and the ability to work in wet weather, the firesteel is probably the most reliable source. A Bic that is empty of butane will throw sparks but not as many as a firesteel.  The firesteel does depend on my skill in making sparks and in finding dry tinder. In summer, two lighters.

This has been a very interesting thread.  Now I am going try my firesteel on esbit.

I was never able to get esbits started directly with firesteel.  I will be impressed if you can.  I would start tinder (or hand sanitizer) which would start the esbits. I switched several years ago from fire steel to spark-lite because I wanted one hand operations.  With the mini-bic I never had a failure due to fuel… it was always the sparking wheel locking up.

I assume you have removed the shiney “ safety strip” from around the wheel?