Blaze your trail
There’s no match for a macho lighter when it’s wet
Look for something more like a mini butane torch, with a piezo electric ignition (it’ll fire when wet), O-rings that seal the closed cap and a catalyzer coil that provides steady vapors for a clean flame in winds up to 80 mph. Blake and Neil Stanfield owe their lives to a Windmill lighter like the one at left, which sells for about $50 at REI and essentialgear.com. A look at similar lighters follows. (Eric Boyd / LAT)
Solo brand “Candle Lighter” camping lighter in red and purple. Manufacturer’s spin: “The ‘Candle Lighter’ makes the difficult task of lighting candles easy and fun! This multi-use child-resistant lighter features a retractable flame extension which is great for lighting barbeques, fireplaces and other hard-to-reach flames. If you are tired of getting burned, it’s time to Get Lit with a ‘Candle Lighter’ from Solo.” Refillable butane with lifetime warranty. $11.99 at Sports Chalet and elsewhere. (Eric Boyd / LAT)
Solo brand “Adventurer.” Advertised features: Windproof laser torch flame to 3700 degrees Fahrenheit; navigational compass; reflective mirror; water-resistant O-ring seal; attachment ring; adjustable flame. Fuel: Refillable butane. Lifetime warranty. $16.99 at Sports Chalet and elsewhere. (Eric Boyd / LAT)
The “Sportsman Lighter” from DAC Technologies. The manufacturer boasts that it’s lighter is windproof and water resistant and that it could be used while “fishing, hunting, camping, golfing, skiing, boating, climbing, boarding, hiking, biking, racing and more!” Then, almost as an afterthought and in tiny print, DAC mentions a nifty window that allows the user to check the fuel level. There’s a flame adjustment button as well. $19.99 at Kmart. (Eric Boyd / LAT)
The Solo brand “Storm” lighter. It’s features, in the let’s-uppercase-everything words of its maker: “Windproof Turbo Flame 2500 (Degrees Fahrenheit); Water Resistant O-Ring Seal; Attachment Ring; Adjustable Flame.” Uses refillable butane and comes with a lifetime warranty. $9.99 at Sports Chalet and elsewhere. (Eric Boyd / LAT)
Firebird brand’s “CX Gear.” Firebird says of its refillable butane lighter: “An excellent tool for any adventure.” Features include “built-in grip texture” (not its key selling point), wind-proof ignition, a locking cap that “keeps internal parts safe from the elements,” and a flame adjuster. $14.99 at Big 5 Sporting Goods stores. (Eric Boyd / LAT)
