The best camping lighters to keep it lit in the great outdoors

Let us quench your burning desire to know which lighters bring the hotness.

By Matt Towns

Updated on Aug 12, 2022

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With so many fire-starting options, it can be tough to know which are the best camping lighters and for what. From the ubiquitous Bic and Zippo to more niche tools like ferrocerium (ferro) rods, magnesium, and mini torches, there’s a plethora of methods for starting something on fire. While the options are numerous, to increase your chances of fire-making success, it’s important to match the lighter to the fire-starting application it excels at. 

Whether you’re camping in the backyard or backwoods, there’s a lighter to fit your needs, and we’ve put in the testing and research elbow grease so you don’t have to. Read on to find our picks for the best camping lighters.

Best Overall

Soto Pocket Torch XT

Pros

  • Windproof butane jet flame is reliable in adverse conditions
  • Innovative telescoping burner head keeps hands away from the flame
  • Made by Soto, a well-regarded manufacturer of camp stoves
  • Excellent customer service

Cons

  • May not light in extreme cold or above 5,000-foot elevation
  • Slightly bulky, may not be comfortable in a front pants pocket
  • Could be better ruggedized, and piezo ignition is generally not the most reliable style of lighter ignition

Product Spefcs

  • Lighter type: Butane jet
  • Ignition type: Piezo-electric
  • Windproof: Up to 80mph
  • Water-resistant: Flame will withstand fog or very light mist
  • Refillable: Yes
  • Adjustable flame: No
  • Special features: Innovative, rugged, telescoping burner head

Why It Made The Cut

  • With a refillable butane reservoir, quality construction, and an innovative telescoping flame head, the Soto Pocket Torch XT checks almost all of the boxes for a compact camping lighter

Best Value

MK Lighter Outdoor Series Lantern

Pros

  • Incredible value for the money
  • MK is gaining a reputation for innovative, value-priced lighters
  • Windproof butane jet flame is reliable in adverse conditions
  • Appealing outdoor-themed designs

Cons

  • May not light in extreme cold or above 5,000-foot elevation
  • Smaller reservoir will need more frequent refilling
  • Not ruggedized

Product Specs

  • Lighter type: Butane jet
  • Ignition type: Piezo-electric
  • Windproof: Yes
  • Water-resistant: Flame will withstand fog or very light mist
  • Refillable: Yes
  • Adjustable flame: No
  • Special features: Extended, fixed burner head

Why It Made The Cut

  • This outdoor-themed butane camping lighter is refillable with a windproof flame, reliable piezo ignition, and an extended neck, at a great price.

Honorable Mention

Zippo Butane Lighter

Pros

  • Windproof butane jet flame is reliable in adverse conditions
  • Adjustable flame
  • Butane jet insert will fit any standard-sized Zippo lighter shell
  • “It works or we fix it free” warranty
  • Relatively rugged design

Cons

  • May not light in extreme cold or above 5,000-foot elevation
  • Insert can be used alone, but should be put inside a Zippo shell
  • Smallish butane reservoir provides only 50 10-second lights between fills

Product Specs

  • Lighter type: Butane jet
  • Ignition type: Piezo-electric
  • Windproof: Up to 80mph
  • Water-resistance: Flame will withstand fog or very light mist
  • Refillable: Yes
  • Adjustable flame: Yes
  • Special features: Zippo quality in a butane jet lighter

Why It Made The Cut

  • With more than 80 years of American-made history, Zippo is instantly recognizable. This butane jet insert takes any standard-sized Zippo to the next level of wind resistance.

Best Plasma

Extremus Blaze 360 Windproof Lighter

Pros

  • Completely windproof electric arc
  • Up to 300 ignitions per charge
  • IPX 7 waterproof design
  • Three-mode LED flashlight

Cons

  • Electric arc is not nearly as versatile as a combustion flame
  • No extended neck limits usage for camp stoves, candles, etc.

Product Specs

  • Lighter type: Electric/plasma/arc
  • Ignition type: Piezo-electric switch
  • Windproof: Entirely windproof
  • Water-resistant: Arc will withstand fog or very light mist
  • Refillable: Yes (rechargeable)
  • Adjustable arc: No
  • Special features: IPX7 waterproof design and LED flashlight

Why It Made The Cut

  • With a rugged, IPX7 waterproof design, 300 ignitions per charge, and an LED flashlight, this electric lighter boasts several features at a good price.

Most Reliable

Exotac titanLIGHT

Pros

  • Extremely durable, waterproof, O-ring sealed canister design
  • Flint striker and wick design is more dependable than piezo jet lighters
  • Unlike many traditional lighter fluid designs, titanLIGHT limits fluid evaporation
  • Designed and manufactured in the United States

Cons

  • Relatively expensive for a camping lighter
  • Slightly bulky, may not be comfortable in a pants pocket

Product Specs

  • Lighter type: Wick
  • Ignition type: Flint with wheel striker
  • Windproof: Moderately, uses “chimney” design
  • Water-resistant: Flame will withstand fog/damp conditions
  • Refillable: Yes
  • Adjustable flame: No
  • Special features: Waterproof, crush-resistant, O-ring sealed canister design limits lighter fluid evaporation

Why it Made The Cut

  • Ridiculously rugged and utterly dependable, the Exotac titanLIGHT is a sure-fire ignition source for your next adventure.

Best Magnesium/Ferrocerium Combo

Fire Fast Kamper Lanyard

Pros

  • Highest-quality Austrian ferrocerium rod, 8 millimeter x 2.5 inches
  • Generous portion of quality magnesium, 0.5 inch x 2.5 inch rod
  • Hardened and sharpened steel striker
  • Hardwood, high-resin handle for tinder if needed

Cons

  • Meant only for starting campfires; not for cigars, pipes, etc
  • Somewhat bulky, but smaller sizes available
  • Unit is not refillable; if ferro rod or magnesium are used up, you must buy a new unit

Product Specs

  • Lighter type: Magnesium/ferrocerium combo
  • Ignition type: Flint with blade striker
  • Windproof: Yes
  • Water-resistant: Yes
  • Refillable: No
  • Adjustable flame: N/A
  • Special features: Made in America with the highest-quality ferrocerium and magnesium available

Why It Made The Cut

  • There are lots of ferrocerium rods out there, and even several ferro/magnesium combos, but none can touch the quality and thoughtful design of this made-in-America fire starter.

Best Stormproof Matches

UCO Stormproof Match Kit

Pros

  • Up to 15-second burn time per match, up to six minutes per kit
  • Completely wind- and water-proof, can burn underwater, re-light after getting wet
  • Waterproof case holds up to 40 matches
  • Matches are long enough to reach into campfires, camp stoves

Cons

  • Difficult to put out once lit
  • Waterproof storage case is bulky, not for pocket carry

Product Specs

  • Lighter type: Stormproof matches
  • Ignition type: Ferrocerium tip with striker strip
  • Windproof: Yes
  • Water-resistant: Yes
  • Refillable: No
  • Adjustable flame: N/A
  • Special features: These matches will either burn underwater, or if they do go out, can be re-lit after being submerged

Why It Made The Cut

  • No fire-starting kit would be truly complete without quality stormproof matches, and the UCO Stormproof Match Kit is the best on the market, offering exceptional value for the price.

Things to consider before buying a camping lighter

Lighter type

Butane jet

A butane jet lighter works via pressurized butane that’s released with a mechanical valve when you press the trigger. Simultaneously, an ignition source is activated, lighting the released butane. The flame from a butane jet lighter is considered windproof and extends straight from the lighter regardless of lighter orientation. This is the most versatile, but not the most dependable, fire-starting lighter.

Non-jet (yellow flame)

A non-jet (or yellow flame) lighter also uses pressurized butane, but the flame is not windproof and will always try to point toward the sky regardless of lighter orientation. It’s more reliable than, but not as versatile as, a butane jet lighter.

Wick

Think Zippo-style. Wick lighters have a non-pressurized lighter fluid reservoir, and most use a chimney-style protective screen around the wick to increase wind resistance. It’s extremely reliable, but the flame is always sky-seeking.

Electric/plasma/arc

No matter what you call it — electric, plasma, or arc — they are all the same thing. All are battery-powered, and produce electricity at sufficient voltage to jump, or arc, across a gap. The arc is very hot and can ignite most material. They are completely windproof, but not practical for lighting larger items.

Ferrocerium rod

Plus or minus magnesium. Ferrocerium, or ferro for short, is a man-made metal alloy that sparks when struck with metal. When paired with magnesium metal shavings, which burn quickly and with extreme heat, they make an extremely weatherproof and utterly dependable fire starting combo.

Stormproof matches

Heavy-duty matches have a self-oxidizing coating that burns at a constant rate. They are very difficult to extinguish once lit.

Ignition type

Peizo-electric

Peizo-electric is a type of metal that, when flexed, produces enough electric current to make a spark. No batteries are required, but it’s not the most reliable ignition method.

Flint and striker

This is usually a ferrocerium flint paired with a wheel-shaped striker (think: Zippo), a sharpened metal striker (ferro rod), or in the case of a match, a strip of striker material. This is an extremely durable and reliable ignition method.

FAQs about camping lighters

Q: What is the most reliable lighter?

A: Most lighter types — flint-and-wick style, ferro rods with magnesium, and stormproof matches — are all extremely reliable fire starters. Butane lighters, especially those ignited with a piezo spark, have several potential mechanical failure points.

Q: What’s better for camping, matches or lighters?

A: They’re very different. While I wouldn’t recommend taking some generic kitchen matches on your next adventure, stormproof matches are very reliable. If you are going on a long backpacking trip, you’ll certainly run out of matches before you’re through and, therefore, should have a dependable lighter on hand, as well.

Q: What is the best windproof camping lighter?

A: If wind resistance is your number one consideration, then an arc/plasma/electric lighter is the answer. The arc generated by these lighters is almost impossible to extinguish with the wind.

Final thoughts

Owing to its uncommonly excellent build quality and dependability for a butane jet lighter, its innovative telescoping burner head, and its unmatched versatility, the Soto Pocket Torch XT takes home the best overall camping lighter.

Methodology 

To find the best camping lighters, I relied on personal experience using a variety of lighters in a variety of conditions, as well as recommendations by experts and outdoorsmen published on a number of other websites. I compiled a list of all the “best” ones mentioned and their specific award categories. Next, I tested all of the lighters I had on hand to authenticate manufacturer claims. If I didn’t have a sample, I sourced industry expert opinions who did have first-hand knowledge. For more information on our standards and process, check out the Task & Purpose review guidelines. 

Matt Towns Avatar

Matt Towns

Contributing Writer

Matt Towns jumped out of airplanes and kicked down doors in the 82nd Airborne. After two combat deployments, he left active duty and joined the Army Reserve to be a drill sergeant. He then dabbled in volunteer firefighting for a bit, until he settled on being a paramedic for six years. He currently works as a primary care physician assistant.