The Best Survival Lighter: Windproof & Waterproof Torch Lighters

Fire is essential when it comes to survival. Keeping you and your loved ones warm can prevent serious conditions such as hypothermia, and being able to light a stove or campfire to prepare food can save you from starvation. 

A survival lighter is one of the pieces of survival kit you never want to be without. Not having the ability to make a fire could mean you face dangerous life and death situations, so having the best survival lighter will give you the ultimate peace of mind. 

There are lots of survival lighters on the market but it’s important that the one in your survival kit is both windproof and waterproof. You never know what kind of extreme weather conditions you’ll be faced with so you need your survival lighter to be durable and reliable. 

We’ve found the best survival lighters for you so that you know you’ll always have a flame that you can rely on. 

Our Top Picks: The Best Survival Lighters 

We’ll take a look at some of the best survival lighters on the market to keep you safe, warm and well fed whatever the circumstances you’re in.

Let’s jump in with our top picks

The Most Reliable Stormproof Lighter

The LcFun Rechargeable Windproof Arc Lighter is a flameless electric lighter that is ideal for your emergency bug out bag or get home bag. It doesn’t require any fuel and you can light it quickly and safely after just 2 hours of charging. 

Best Emergency Lighter

This Extremus Blaze 360 Lighter has the full IPX7 Waterproof rating. This means that it is waterproof when submerged in water up to 1 meter for a maximum of 30 minutes. It is also windproof and can be used up to 300 times on a single charge. 

The flameless nature means that there’s less risk of burns or accidents which you’ll want to avoid at all costs in an emergency situation. 

Best Plasma Survival Lighter

If you want a safe, lightweight lighter to easily slip into your pocket on hiking or camping trips the Electric Arc Lighter with LED Battery Indicator is an excellent option for you. 

It has an ON/OFF switch to help you avoid accidentally starting the lighter. The igniting spark also automatically stops at 5.5 seconds and requires you to reignite it. These safety features are useful in a survival setting.

Best Camping Lighter

The High Spark Flint Wheel Lighter is a high quality lighter that generates a high spark using a replaceable flint wheel. It’s an extremely effective and reliable method of starting a fire and it won’t let you down when SHTF. 

The lighter is designed to provide maximum protection from rain and moisture with O-Rings also helping to stop the fuel from evaporating. 

Aircraft grade aluminum has been used to ensure this is a durable piece of emergency kit. 

The Most Reliable Forever Lighter

The Stormproof Match Kit is a compact and durable kit containing 25 windproof and waterproof matches. All you need to do is strike the matches against the replaceable striker. 

There’s a no slip grip to minimize the chance of accidents. The matches are easy and quick to light and each one will burn for approximately 10-15 seconds. 

The length of the matches has been extended from standard size to prevent your fingers getting burnt. 

Best Butane Torch Survival Lighter

This bright yellow Butane Torch Double Jet Lighter will be easy to spot in your emergency kit. It has a super powerful flame which makes it ideal for using when you need to light larger objects. 

The large flame base gives you a wider surface area so you won’t struggle with tilting or angling it around. 

This survival lighter would be good for using in a long term survival shelter. It’s a sturdy unit that some people may find heavy so it’s a good option for a home or long term set up rather than a hiking trip. 

What Makes A Good Survival Lighter?

Reliability 

This is one of the key qualities you’ll want from any good survival lighter. When you need a flame, it will generally be to help you survive – either through keeping warm or through cooking meals to provide you with energy. 

Your survival lighter must be reliable in any weather condition – whether you’re trying to use it in a snowstorm, flood or extreme wind. Some survivalists may consider packing more than one survival lighter as a backup measure but you’ll want them both to be reliable for the large majority of the time. 

Waterproof 

This is where survival lighters have a big advantage over traditional matches. When matches get wet they simply don’t work anymore whereas a waterproof survival lighter will still function and provide you with a flame. There are even survival lighters that can produce a flame under water. 

Survival lighters vary in their level of water resistance or waterproofing and it’s important that you consider the type of situations you’re likely to expose yours to. If you regularly fish you’ll be more likely to need a fully waterproof survival lighter in case you drop it. 

You also need to consider the material and coating of your survival lighter. It’s important that it doesn’t rust or corrode if dropped or exposed to air and water. 

Windproof

There have been lots of technical advances in creating survival lighters that are resistant to the wind. Traditionally, strong winds have always been a difficult obstacle to overcome when it comes to starting a fire. 

Producing a flame in the most windy conditions is essential if you’re spending time in the mountains or other areas where you have little protection from extreme wind. A survival lighter that is windproof gives you the peace of mind that you’ll be able to light a fire regardless of your setting or the weather conditions you’re experiencing. 

Reusability 

It’s not only better for the environment, it’s also more practical and economical to have a reusable survival lighter. By being able to use the same survival lighter over and over again, you won’t have to worry about packing large numbers of them or estimating how many you’ll need on an expedition. 

Reusing a survival lighter means that you’ll be confident with how it works and can pack it as an essential part of your emergency survival kit, bug out bag or get home bag. 

Fuel Source

Linked to reusability, the fuel source of your survival lighter is also important to consider. 

There are a number of different options including

• Traditional Lighter Fluid
• Electricity 
• Butane 

You’ll want to think about the types of situations you envisage using your survival lighter in. If you’re going to be using it during power outages in your home, you’ll want to use a lighter that doesn’t need to be recharged from a power point. If you’re keen to take one on a short expedition you may choose one that doesn’t require fluid which you’d need to carry in addition to the lighter itself. 

What Is The Best Fuel Source For Survival Lighters? 

There are a number of different fuel sources for survival lighters and you need to think about your individual circumstances and how you’re expecting to mainly use yours. This will help to determined the right fuel source for you. 

Here are a few of the most popular fuel sources for survival lighters: 

Butane

Butane lighters can be useful as they are generally very reliable and good for creating a fire at ground level. 

Butane is easy to buy and relatively light to carry if you are adding replacement canisters to your survival kit. 

Electricity

Obviously survival lighters that require electricity will also require a power source. This isn’t always possible if you’re using your lighter in a disaster situation where power outages are fairly common. 

You might want to consider getting a USB solar charger to give you a backup power supply for your survival lighter. 

Zippo Lighter Fluid

This traditional lighter fluid offers fast ignition and clean burning. It works well for many types of survival lighter however you’ll need to always handle it with caution especially once your fire is lit as it is extremely flammable. 

Conclusion

Having access to a reliable and durable survival lighter can save your life. Whether you’re creating fire for warmth or to cook food you will need a survival lighter that works in the most extreme conditions. 

We want you to have the peace of mind when it comes to a fully stocked emergency survival kit containing a survival lighter that won’t let you down. 

Here’s a roundup of the survival lighters we’ve mentioned: 

• LcFun Rechargeable Windproof Arc Lighter 
• Extremus Blaze 360 Lighter 
• Electric Arc Lighter with LED Battery Indicator
• High Spark Flint Wheel Lighter
• Stormproof Match Kit
• Butane Torch Double Jet Lighter