Old faithful has died

It's true. For years I've been carrying the same lighter every day. When I needed to light a smoke it's never failed me. It's lighted many campfires. Any time that I've ever needed to get a fire going it's done it's job. 4 years ago, when I met my wife I was using the same lighter. I don't know how long I was carrying it before I met her. Today it finally failed me. I can't tell you how many times I tried to get a fire going when a flint and steel or a blastmatch just wouldn't work. Every time I've ever "given up" and taken the easy way out my faithful bic has always done the job. I've got a stack of zippos that always seem to die after just a few weeks. Meanwhile, I've been hoarding bics that never fail me. You can spend $25 on a blastmatch. You can spend $3 on a magnesium bar that you need a $10 knife in your pocket to use. Go ahead and stockpile containers of lighter fluid if you want to burn through it in a few months because it evaporates faster than you use it. If you can get a knife and flint to work then you can expect to spend a while sharpening the knife afterwards. Or you can spend a couple of bucks on a pack of Bics that will start a fire with the flick of a thumb. I have bics that are at least 10 years old that still light up with no problem. Being able to start a fire with a bow & drill is a great skill. Even starting a fire with a blastmatch takes some serious technique. Starting a fire with a Bic takes very little skill. Carry a Bic and you'll always have a fire at your fingertips when you need it. Just make sure that you swap it out every couple of years.

Comments

FireSteel.com said…
I know what you mean, over time a piece of gear seems to become a part of oneself, like an axe that has been carried through thousands of miles of forest or a sleeping bag that has kept you warm through many an adventure.

And it can be very difficult to replace that gear, because the fit is never the same.

You should still carry a "flint". The reason being they always work, even when wet or abused, nearly impossible to break under normal conditions, and will light thousands of fires. The learning curve is a little higher than simply sparking a flame, but the security in knowing you can get a spark no matter what is very important.

Also, a knife is not needed on a a firesteel - any angular piece of metal or other hard object will do. I've even used glass. Many come with a thin scraper that works very well and saves the knife.
July 22, 2009 at 4:36 AM
vlad said…
I wirebrushed an old key and several lighter flints to remove any coating. Secured a double row of flints on key with JB weld. It's there on keyring when needed. (I have MFS, 50 lb braided Spiderwire and six hooks in pockets of Leatherman Wave pouch on my belt.)
July 22, 2009 at 7:34 AM
Anonymous said…
When the bic finally dies from lack of fuel, guess what it already contains that can be salvaged? Yep, flint and steel. +1 for the Bic lighter, -1 for all the other choices mentioned. Nice post, Urban.
July 22, 2009 at 2:43 PM
The Urban Survivalist said…
I do carry a flint in my wallet. It's one of those long, thin ones from a magnesium bar that will probably break before I actually get a fire started. I've read tutorials. I've watched videos. I've spent hours and hours trying different techniques. I have yet to get a fire started with it (or any other "alternative" method"). I will probably freeze to death if my Bic ever dies in a SHTF situation.
July 22, 2009 at 7:26 PM
Anonymous said…
can someone please use a bic or similar fire making device to light a fir under artyboys butt and get Z.O.T.I. finished up! please!...

come on artyboy, love the story, don't let it roam around the interweb undead and unfinished forever...
August 19, 2009 at 2:46 AM
Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Some Self Defense Basics

Image
Hey, everyone. If you haven't noticed by now I've been focusing a lot on self defense lately. It seems to be almost completely ignored by people in preparedness circles. I can understand why. It takes a long time to get good at it. There's a lot of getting sweaty and rolling around with other sweaty people. It's pretty easy to get hurt. Especially, if you're just rolling around with your buddies in your backyard. Quality training is pretty expensive. Besides, why learn how to fight when you can just carry a gun? Realistically, though, there aren't too many situations that we should be prepping for that are more likely than getting jumped on the street and sometimes pulling a gun will get you in a lot more trouble than it's worth. Here are some really good videos on self defense basics. Stephan Kesting has a lot of BJJ videos online and he's one of the better "youtube instructors" that I've found. He sticks to the basics and he ...
Read more

Why you should train jiu-jitsu (or some other "real" martial art)

"Where there's discomfort there's fear. In these very tough positions you're in a little piece of hell. And through this daily suffering, you learn to survive in these situations. You have to find comfort in uncomfortable situations. You have to be able to live in your worst nightmare. Jiu-jitsu puts you completely in the moment where you must have complete focus on finding a solution to the problem. This trains the mind to build that focus, to increase your awareness, your capacity to solve problems. Sometimes, you don't have to win. You cannot win. But that has nothing to do with losing." -Rickson Gracie This is why I continue to train jiu-jitsu. At a good school you'll do a lot of live grappling (we call it rolling). You get choked out, arm barred, leg locked and put into plenty of other uncomfortable situations all the time till you get used to them. Then you start learning how to defend. Then you find yourself submitting people. Then a...
Read more

10 Natural Disasters Caught on Surveillance

Image
Today I've got a guest post for you all. If you've got an idea for a guest post you can shoot me an email at artyboy at gmail dot com. If I like it then I'll post it up. Just make sure that it's original content and not something that's been posted on a million other blogs all over the internet please. Anyway, on to the post. About the Author: This article was written by 2MCCTV Surveillance , international supplier of surveillance cameras and complete systems . They offer complete security solutions for home and small to enterprise-level businesses. 1-877-926-2288 The past decade has been filled with natural disasters. These recent disasters have had drastic consequences on the environment and the people affected. Tsunamis and earthquakes destroyed homes and displaced millions. What are your plans for a natural disaster; do you know what to do? There are thousands of recorded videos on the internet depicting the tragedies. Here we’ve compiled 10 natural ...
Read more