Here’s What You Should Know About Zippos and Lighter Fuel

zippos lighter

It turns out a lighter is not your best bet when it comes to carrying around a dependable way to create a fire. With a typical lighter, you may not always be able to get butane. However, Zippos can use a wide variety of fuels.

Plus, lighters can leak and bust quickly, but Zippos with their sturdy metal body will not leak and are much more reliable. However, charcoal lighter fluid just won't do. There are, however, other fuel substitutes that'll work effectively that you'll discover on the next page.

starting a fire with a zippo

Zippos and Charcoal Lighter Fluid
For all practical purposes, charcoal lighter fluid does not evaporate at room temperature and is termed combustible. Vapors are too few and far between to catch fire. Like candle wax, it must be preheated to the point of forming a vapor before ignition can take place. A match performs the preheating function as well as the ignition-of-vapors function.
As fuel in a Zippo, charcoal lighter fluid, like motor oil, will not work. Spinning the striker wheel will create a shower of sparks but the sparks won’t produce enough heat to vaporize the fuel. The lighter will not light, much less explode. Your nose hairs are safe.

After the break, discover whether flammable liquids such as gasoline will work in a Zippo lighter and how to effectively use fuel substitutes when SHTF. 

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128 Comments

  1. Steven Nelson said:

    a zippo would be my last resort they suck i use and carry ferro rod and also flint and steel everywhere i go i have not built a fire with a lighter in 20 years i only use flint and steel and i spend alot of time in the backcountry year round and always have a fire

  2. David Lyons said:

    Good advise. I have a zippo. It seems I have to refuel it every time I want to use it. These days it usually just takes up space in a drawer.

  3. Cean Ogrady said:

    While I agree with all that is said, lol I don’t think the author has ever goofed and put one upside down in pocket. The resulting chemical burn sux.

  4. Theo Dimos said:

    Well even if you don’t overfill it. If you put it in your pocket the fuel can leak out and cause a irritated skin problem

  5. Laura Anderson said:

    Be careful if you own too many of them! The police call that drug paraphernalia!

  6. Armando Delgado said:

    This is my Zippo, its great but not something I’d rely on in an emergency. Zippo’s tend to dry out in a relatively short period of time, I prefer my ferro rod.

  7. Armando Delgado said:

    This is my Zippo, its great but not something I’d rely on in an emergency. Zippo’s tend to dry out in a relatively short period of time.

  8. Don Rusler said:

    Not to mention the benefit that you can change the Flint when it wears out and keep on using it ….

  9. Anonymous said:

    While I like my Zippo, it’s really a terrible design in that the fuel evaporates really easily

  10. Harold DeGreen said:

    They might not tell u this but u can run white gas pump gas or tire buffing compound

  11. Matthew Negrete said:

    To help with the leaking fuel problem, I use a ranger band on mine. It help to prevent lot of leaking, and it also extends the life of the fuel a little bit. Been carrying my grandpa’s lighter now for years.

  12. Riley Schuster said:

    I have that same one. I have a leather pouch so I can carry it on my belt and not worry about it leaking.

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