About a zillion years ago I used to teach hunter safety. It made sense that if there were going to be 12-year-olds wandering the woods with 7mm Remington Magnums perhaps I’d have a little self-interest in making sure they knew what not to shoot at since I’d be out there as well.

One part of the course was about helping them put together their little survival kits in case they got lost or had to spend the night out there. Of course, one of the big things was that they needed to have a way to start a fire. Now, these are twelve-year-olds…they’ve never heard of Occams Razor. Invariably, the majority of them would show up with a flint/steel or some other type of striker firestarter. And I would reach into my pocket and pull out a Bic lighter and a book of matches and ask why no one brought those.

Why make things harder than they have to be?

When I go out in the sticks, I carry one of those little scrape-the-rod firestarters and tinder with me. But I also carry at least two or three match safes, and a cigarette lighter. Yes, I know that cigarette lighters don’t always work in the numbing cold, at high altitudes, or when wet. Thats why I carry other methods of creating fire. But when its time to ignite something, I start with the lighter and work my way down the list.

One of the problems with a lighter like the ubiquitous Bic (uBicuitous?) is that if you don’t pack it right the thumb switch can be depressed and you lose all your fuel. Or the sparker gets wet  and the whole thing is useless. Which is where this comes in:

EXOTAC – fireSLEEVE Waterproof Lighter Holder Case. It’s a protective cover for your Bic. Keeps it dry and protects from inadvertently hitting the red button. A clever idea and one that sits in my Bag O’ Tricks ™. Also sits in my hunting pack and any other bag that I take with me into the woods.

In addition to protecting the lighter and keeping it dry, you also have a lanyard attachment point which is always nice when you want to keep a piece of critical gear from walking away.

Also, the lip of the case doubles as a strap to hold down the gas button on the lighter so you can keep it lit without having to use your finger to hold down the switch.

Nice to have? Absolutely. But, as I said, I don’t like to keep all my eggs in one basket. The lighter is the handiest and easiest thing to use in terms of having instant fire at your fingertips. But it’s also the most delicate and sensitive….this is why I never, ever rely on just carrying a lighter. I also carry math safes full of lifeboat matches and a couple other fire starting methods.

I know someone is going to chime in about their Zippo. Yeah, the Zippo is a fine lighter. It’s got a protective cover, which is nice, and runs on liquid fuel which makes it a better choice at altitudes. It also costs more, doesn’t have a lanyard attachment point, leaks in your pocket, and is heavy. Not saying it doesn’t work for you, just saying I see a lighter, cheaper, equally useful alternative that works for me.

And as I said, the lighter is the most convenient, handy, and lazy way to ignite something…but I always have a few others as well. Suspenders and a belt, m’friends.