Clipper Lighters: 7 reasons why they are one of the Best Survival Lighters

“FerFAL, what are good barter items to stock up on?”


That’s a question I get asked a lot. Barter became very popular in Argentina when the economy crashed. Still, for a number of reasons, I don’t believe that in general it’s much of a good idea to stock up items and supplies specifically for barter after SHTF. Most people that ended up bartering to make it through did it because they had no other choice.

But while I don’t believe much in stocking up barter items, I do believe in stocking up items that are:
1) Consumables that are going to be used eventually, SHTF or not
2)  Affordable
3) Compact and light weight
4) Have proven to be in high demand during past SHTF events
5) And yes, could potentially be used as valuable barter items, if such a scenario ever plays out.
Lighters and matches definitely score high on all of the above so I keep plenty of those. As for matches, hands down my favourite ones are strike-anywhere Swan Vesta matches. Keep them nice and dry in a match box or small Ziploc bag and you're good to go.

When it comes to lighters, I favor Clipper lighters. Now, you can just stock up on some generic brand (not a good idea, quality is mostly poor) or a trusted brand  (usually Bic) But Clippers have a few advantages.

1) They are made in Spain under rather strict safety and quality control standards. Unlike Bics, Clippers are made of Nylon which is much harder to break on impact and more fire resistant.

2)The pentagon shaped wheel is easier to strike, especially when compared to the silly child proof wheel in current Bics.

3)They are affordable, just a few cents more than disposable Bic lighters.

4)They are refillable lighters. Yes, you can refill disposable ones as well but they aren’t intended for that and the Clipper has a proper valve at the bottom for refiling.

5)The flint striker can be removed and the flint replaced.

6)The flame adjusts automatically, increasing in size when turned sideways for pipes.

7)They come in a variety of designs, colors and materials. From utilitarian see-through plastic to know how much fuel you have left, to bright colored ones for easy location when dropped, ideal for survival kits, or classy metal version both in chrome and gun metal, suited for EDC carry.

FerFAL

Fernando “FerFAL” Aguirre is the author of “The Modern Survival Manual: Surviving the Economic Collapse” and “Bugging Out and Relocating: When Staying is not an Option”