mini bic reliability

[Diane Pinkers]

I have had several mini-Bics lately that do not give a flame reliably.  I used to use an off-brand, taller lighter with a push-button style trigger, instead of the usual rolling wheel striker, and never had issues with them.  My boyfriend brought home the mini-Bics with the button trigger, and I thought that they would be better, and easier to store in my cook-kit. Yet, on several trips they haven’t been reliable, and I’ve had to resort to my back-up lighter, or carry 2 mini-Bics.  Did I just get a bad coupe of lighters, or is this typical?

[Greg Mihalik]

Do the failing mini-bics still have the “safety” cover in place?

If so, remove it.  In the small form factor cold hands sometimes have a difficult time getting a consistent spark from failing to depress the safety cover enough to robustly engage the striking wheel.

[Diane Pinkers]

No wheel or obvious safety feature involved, so some other issue.

[Russ W]

There are two styles that I’m aware of…the “button” type in your picture and the roller type in Greg’s picture. The roller type works fine but avoid the button type…no good.

[PaulW]

I agree with Russ. The only time I’ve ever had a lighter fail was when using one of the click button kind.

[W I S N E R !]

The thread title caught my attention as I’ve never, ever had a mini-Bic fail in 20+ years.  They get lost before I can wear them out or run out of gas.  Even after submersion they light back up when dry.  As others have said, I think it’s the push-button mechanism, not the mini-Bic.

[Diane Pinkers]

Well, that’s pretty pathetic.  Like I said, the off brand lighters I used never failed me. They had more of a rocker style top, and came in cool patterns like camo, the American flag, and Golden Retriever puppies. Never saw one with Golden Retriever puppies wearing camo and waving the American flag, though. That would be the ultimate!

[Rex Sanders]

I’ve used the push-button (piezo) mini Bics (aka Bic Clic, Bic Minitronic) for three years and haven’t had any failures – yet. With cold hands, I can push a button when I can’t roll a tiny wheel, even with the guard strip removed. I usually carry a backup fire starter using different technology like this one (repackaged): https://www.litesmith.com/spark-lite-firestarter-kit/

Apparently piezo lighters don’t work very well when wet. Neither do regular Bics IME, so I blow them dry and try again.

— Rex

[Diane Pinkers]

I carry a Maratac Peanut lighter on a “keychain” in my pocket for back-up, along with a Photon flashlight, my Victorinox Classic knife, a washer to open my Bearikade, and a Suunto clip on compass (on a little piece of grosgrain ribbon with velcro, to make it easy to put on my chest strap).  On the last 2 trips, that has been what I’ve lit my stove with.

I’m hoping to go backpack near Mt. Rainier this week-end.  I have a Bic lighter, fresh out of the package, clicked several times and found to make a flame consistently, plus a back-up.  We’ll see how it works.

[BlackHatGuy]

A tad off topic, but when I went to buy a bic at a Rite Aid in Arlington, I got carded. I’m 61 years old. Still, kid behind the counter said it was policy to ID anyone who wanted to buy a lighter. Weird.

[J R]

I’ve had mini Bics fail. The kind with the wheel, guard removed. The problem has been that the wheel locks up, won’t spin at all. I can still get gas out of it but no spark.

[Paul Wagner]

It’s one of the few things we buy as souvenirs.  Our current lighter was bought in Rome and has a photo of Pope Francis on it.  Makes us smile every time we light the stove…

[Monte Masterson]

I always buy white mini bics so I can check how much fuel is in them. Just need a headlamp. Actually all bics are white, the colored bics are simply white ones with wrappers adhered to them. The wrappers can be hard to peel off however.

I’ve never had a bic fail. It’s the only brand I’ll buy. Kind of like Gillette razors.

[Matt]

More peanut butter.  Less fire.

[Russ W]

Here’s a tip…winter camping and snow…avoid the white mini-bic. In the spring and maybe primarily the Southeast…avoid the green mini-bics. Go with the pinks, yellows, reds, and most garish colors you can find.  Drop and find..Just sayin.

[Roger Caffin]

The ‘button’ Bics use a piezo crystal (inside the black button) for the spark, unlike the roller-wheel ones which use a flint&steel. At high altitude you can have a problem with a piezo-ignitor – and this also applies to a canister stove.

The problem is that to ignite the butane/air gas flow you need a certain amount of energy. When the amount of air available in the mix is reduced far enough and the mix is cold enough, the energy required for ignition goes up. A piezo spark may not have enough energy under these conditions. Sometimes warming the gas (in the lighter) up to body temperature can overcome this. The flint version creates a (molten) bit of burning flint, and this has far more energy in it. So at altitude we usually use a conventional Bic.

The ‘child-proof’ cover over the wheel is meant to make it hard for a child’s fingers to rotate the wheel. It also makes it very hard to spin the wheel and hold the tab down for gas flow when your fingers are very cold. Never let it be said I would advocate ripping that cover strip off – heaven forbid, but most experienced walkers do that as soon as they buy a new lighter. Strange: none of my lighters (stock) have that cover strip.

Wheel lock up – that requires some dirt or other material to get in the way. It’s pretty rare. If it does happen to you, just spin the wheel backwards for a rev or so and try again. And make sure the whole thing is quite dry.

I had one bright green Bic lighter (a good place for fluoro!) which lasted me for several 2-month-long trips in Europe plus countless walks in Oz, Eventually it ran out of gas. Very sad: it had been a faithful companion.

I am not sure about the claim that all Bics are white with a coloured wrapper around them though. The bright orange case on my current one seems to be orange right through. It does have a white bottom though.

Cheers

[John S.]

I like cricket lighters.

[Brad Rogers]

That isn’t the regular mini-BIC, but the mini BIC Peizo(sp?).  I might try a “regular” mini-BIC and remove the safety cover and see if you get better results.  I’ve never had one fail.

[bradmacmt]

I’ve never had a BIC failure, and over the years have found old ones at campsites that with a little sparking, lit right up… these would be lighters buried under many feet of snow over several winters.

[Jerry Adams]

I’ve been using a torch lighter  https://www.amazon.com/Single-Lighter-Windproof-Refillable-Cigarette/dp/B07MTJSVTT/ref=sxin_3_ac_d_rm?ac_md=2-2-bWluaSB0b3JjaCBsaWdodGVy-ac_d_rm&keywords=torch%2Blighter&pd_rd_i=B00GA80NJO&pd_rd_r=5c69cf83-573e-4531-bd82-7e48aa8497a3&pd_rd_w=TaxZW&pd_rd_wg=cdmcd&pf_rd_p=404c4843-2c96-4d0d-a5fe-2b0598693e61&pf_rd_r=0X0AA9MCPNF58Z1DXQB7&qid=1568818705&th=1

a little less than 3 ounces.  good for lighting fires.  definitely not ultra light, but the flame is better than a bic.  Probably doesn’t work at altitude.

[David Thomas]

The torch lighters get hotter because they pre-mix the air and butane to burn in a blue flame instead of just releasing a jet of gas that burns in a yellow flame like a candle.  So potentially, if you have a bit of soldering to do on the trail. . .

Some of the torch lighters have flat bases (like the ones Jerry links to) and can be left on, handsfree.  That could be handy for heat-sealing the end of cut nylon rope or a few other two-handed repairs, or to heat up a few small meals if you used the torch lighter instead of a stove and canister (that would save weight).

Torch lighters are not, however, allowed on a plane.  Not even as carryon (apparently, they don’t want you to able to melt aluminum while on an aluminum airplane, those safety-minded worry-warts!) nor in checked luggage unless in a TSA-approved case.

[Jerry Adams]

David clued me onto the torch lighter.  I’ve been using for a year or two.

They might be better as a home or car camping tool.

[Rex Sanders]

At home I often use this Soto pocket torch, 50 grams / 1.8 oz on my scale with a little butane inside:

https://sotooutdoors.com/product/pocket-torch-xt-extended/

Unfortunately, the base isn’t flat enough to be trustworthy, due to a remnant ridge of plastic. Maybe a little sandpaper would fix that. Also, Soto and reviewers say the piezo igniter doesn’t work above 5,000 feet. Good news: the child-proof lock isn’t too adult-proof.

— Rex

[Daryl and Daryl]

Should one wear welding goggles when using the torch lighters?

[David Thomas]

While the premixed flame is hotter than a non-mixed flame, it doesn’t get as bright as oxy-acetylene nor make as much UV as arc welding does.

But it is hotter / bluer. It must be putting out *some* UV photons.

So I don’t know

New idea: a very hot flame to UV treat drinking water.

[Author]

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