Wrap rubber band around the crease between the case and the lid. This will slow down evaporation.

 

Yes, Zippo fuel will evaporate in a couple days if you don't seal it shut. A lot of people use a section of bike tube. I just keep the fuel and Zippo separate in my house. For bags that you might need to grab and go, I'd throw a couple Bics in there.

 

My Zippo is in a drawer waiting for a time it might be useful, I have lighter fuel stored separately. I found that even without use, it will dry up in a matter of a week or so. For long term storage and EDC, I use BICs and carry a flint and magnesium bar.

 

store your Bics in Rx pill bottles to keep the lever from being pushed by other gear....Zippos should not be stored filled

 

Thanks for the good info. I will try the rubber method. For now I'll throw in the bic lighters in BOB.

 

If you carry a Zippo, bring fluid.

 

A bottle of fluid can be considered another fire starter in your kit

 

Silicone ranger bands work best.

 

What's the zippo for ?
It uses a flint ?
If it is for building camp fires,
Wouldn't the same service be rendered merely having can of fluid or kerosene and fire steel?
Long after the fluid is used up you will still have to learn how to use tinder to start your camp fires.
Not knocking it , but consider including it along with other methods of making fire.

 

What's the zippo for ?
It uses a flint ?
If it is for building camp fires,
Wouldn't the same service be rendered mterely having can of fluid or kerosene and fire steel?
Long after the fluid is used up you will still have to learn how to use tinder to start your camp fires.
Not knocking it , but consider including it along with other methods of making fire.

ALL BOB fire kits should have 3-4 sources of ignition and a like number of different tenders...for diff applications(freezing,wet,dying, campfire,cookfire etc).... WP matches,Fire Steel,Bic---Fat wood sticks,vaseline/cotton balls,Wetfire,Coughlans fire sticks or fire paste....list is endless..dont get hung up on the "One Best Thing"

 

A few days before Christmas,wife finds a deal...pkgs of 100 tea candles(little metal trays,wax,wick) for a buck a pkg....she bought 10....I have a 1000 little bowls of wax and wicks..Ill figure something to do with them....

 

We have boxes of those, the wife brings them home from work free when they have damaged packaging and they write them off. I figure the same, they have to be of use for something.

 

For you zippo guys- know how sometimes you can't find fuel at your normal location? Or at the correct price? Buy yourself a gallon of VM&P Naptha for about $15. There is no discernible difference. I bought a glass eyedropper from WalMart for 50 cents, about 4" long, and after about a year can still reach the fluid.

 

For you zippo guys- know how sometimes you can't find fuel at your normal location? Or at the correct price? Buy yourself a gallon of VM&P Naptha for about $15. There is no discernible difference. I bought a glass eyedropper from WalMart for 50 cents, about 4" long, and after about a year can still reach the fluid.

Just checked into this and found out that it's banned in CA. They also banned D-15 adhesive I used to use all the time for work.

 

I found out the same thing about my Zippos not long ago. Kind of disappointed because they have such a good reputation. I still like the Zippo because it stays lit without you having to hold down the lever like on a Bic. I now have both in my BOB. Going to try the Ranger band thing.

 

zippos suck, they really do. in survival situations.

zippos are the old harley davidsons of the lighter world. with proper care and maintence they will take you round the world. neglect them and yull be sitting cold.

now dont git me wrong i love zippos. fuel and flint and they work every time. just like a old harley.

but let them sit? yull have a hard time gettin either started.

 

I gave up on Zippos, I don't use them so they dry out. Then you need to carry fluid, fill them, etc.... PITA.

Bics are cheap and reliable. No muss, no fuss.

 

As a smoker I have used and loved Zippo's for years. I gave up on em because I got tired of the upkeep. Have been using bics exclusively for several yrs. I find they last me 4-6 wks each and I light them 20-30 times per day.

I don't consider a Zippo part of my survival gear.

 

long term storage, i usuall trim the wick short as possible, put a rubberband around it lengthwise, spray it down heavy with cheap hair spray, let it dry and then roll it up tight in a ziplock and add a second band. I have a few zippos, but i prefer a reuseable match, they dont dry out near as fast when unsealed.

 

Multiples of redundancy is what will light a fire.

 

I'm sorry, but that kit is incomplete. You're missing a flare.

But not much else.

 

I love zippos. I no longer smoke, but still carry one for EDC.

If you intend to store one in an emergency "grab and go" (BOB, GHB etc)bag you need to store the proper items to keep in working shape ie: fuel, flints, and wicks.

 

One of the things I have found with Zippo is that they have a little piece of felt in the bottom. If you lift the felt up and saturate the cotton underneath but do not over fill it, and make sure that you shove the insert down all the way when you put it back in the case and it will not leak as much.

The problem with butane lighters like bics and ronson is they do not like the cold, but you can warm them with your body heat and make them work.

 

I carry one all winter long and find that if you want them to fire up its best to top them off regularly!

I use to do so every week as I dressed for church as a way to remember, but doing so every couple weeks works too.

Keeping a couple spare flints under the felt keeps them going for a long time.

For filling them there is a hole in the felt for that purpose. Squeeze the bottle until the fluid is visible on top of the felt and then allow the bottle to suck up the fluid in the felt. Doing this makes its unlikely to leak/spill.

Zippo lighters will work for a long time if you do your part, but your part can't be ignoring them for months at a time.

SD

 

IKeeping a couple spare flints under the felt keeps them going for a long time.

For filling them there is a hole in the felt for that purpose. Squeeze the bottle until the fluid is visible on top of the felt and then allow the bottle to suck up the fluid in the felt. Doing this makes its unlikely to leak/spill.

SD

The felt says lift to fill the hole is to hold a spare flint.

 

Be careful not to overfill the Zippo.
They will leak out in your pants pocket and the fuel will burn the crap out of your leg.

Just sayin'.

 

If you are packing a ZIPPO for BOB or backpacking fire starting when other methods fail why fill it? If you are a smoker you have other options: BIC and matches...

I have several ZIPPO's. I do not fill them but carry a can of fuel and extra flints in my BOB or backpack. If I need to light a fire with the ZIPPO I put a few drops of fuel on the wick and light the fire. Close the top and let the fuel evaporate. When it is cooled and the worry of leaking fuel is over I pack it away with a Ranger Band around it.

Body heat hastens the evaporation of lighter fluid. Don't pack in it in your pocket and onto you. As was said, over filling a ZIPPO the fluid will leak into your clothing and you will be in a hurt. :xeye:

 

When storing Bic lighters I wrap a rubber band around and under the the thumb lever to keep it from spewing fluid into the air accidentally.

 

i find simply wrapping the opening with electrical tape stops evaporation for long term storage.

this works better for me than innertube sections.you could always do both.

 

I've never smoked but I bought a nice zippo in the mid 90's. After realizing that it always dried up before I needed it, I put it in a box and forgot it. Useless to me.

This summer I bought a butane insert (and a cheap brass zippo to go with it, I couldn't bear scratching the pristine all chrome Zippo I had). Now I have a solution that looks good and works well.