If we’ve learned anything from the wilderness, it’s to always be prepared for anything. A good survival lighter can help you out in any situation, from a planned camping trip to an unplanned emergency situation. With the hundreds of options available on the market, the question remains: how do I find the best lighter for me?
First you need to know what a survival lighter is. It's a bushcrafting tool that can produce a source of fire no matter the environment. These type of lighters are typically wind and waterproof for when you need warmth the most.
Contents
- 1. Icfun Dual-Arc Plasma Lighter
- 2. Frog & Co. Tough Tesla Lighter 2.0
- 3. JETPRO Double Torch Lighter
- 4. SURVIVE Permanent Match
- 5. Icfun USB Arc Lighter
- 6. Tactic Ops Dual-Arc Electric Lighter
- 7. UST Refillable Floating Lighter
- 8. Gudui Keychain Fire-Starter Bottle Opener
- 9. TACAMO H2 Dual-Head Flameless Lighter
- 10. Scotte Plasma Arc Lighter and Firestarter Kit
- Buying Guide For Survival Lighters
- Frequently Asked Questions About Survival Lighters
- Bottom Line
Top Lighters For Camping And Backpacking in 2021
Product Name | Price | Rating | |
---|---|---|---|
Icfun Dual-Arc Plasma Lighter | $ | ||
Frog & Co. Tough Tesla Lighter 2.0 | $ | ||
JETPRO Double Torch Lighter | $ | ||
SURVIVE Permanent Match | $ | ||
Icfun USB Arc Lighter | $ | ||
Tactic Ops Dual-Arc Electric Lighter | $ | ||
UST Refillable Floating Lighter | $ | ||
Gudui Keychain Fire-Starter Bottle Opener | $ | ||
TACAMO H2 Dual-Head Flameless Lighter | $$ | ||
Scotte Plasma Arc Lighter and Firestarter Kit | $ |
1. Icfun Dual-Arc Plasma Lighter

Overall Rating:
For durability and ease of use, this survival lighter is a total win. The Icfun Dual-Arc Plasma lighter is windproof, waterproof, and totally flameless. In addition to the lighter itself, you'll receive a comfortable lanyard to hang it from, making it a great option for evening hikes.
Weighting in at only 3.52 ounces, nothing will weigh you down! Plus, it comes with a 60-day guarantee so you can test it out yourself.
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Cons
2. Frog & Co. Tough Tesla Lighter 2.0

Overall Rating:
Frog & Co.’s Tesla Lighter is rechargeable via USB and takes just two hours to fully charge. Each charge yields about 300 uses on average and ignition is instantaneous.
Plus, there’s a ten second safety time-out so that you don’t have to worry about a thing. The case of this survival lighter is durable for the outdoors and can take a beating without losing any function.
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Cons
3. JETPRO Double Torch Lighter

Overall Rating:
If you prefer a more classic fuel-driven survival lighter, this JETPRO survival torch is a great option to consider. It has a tough casing that will function regardless of the environment, this survival lighter also has a great feel to it; not too heavy, but not too lightweight.
This lighter has a 1.2 gram fuel capacity, eliminating the need to charge; if your phone always seems to be dead, something classic like butane might be the best choice for you!
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4. SURVIVE Permanent Match

Overall Rating:
This lightweight, portable fuel lighter is as fun as it is useful. The “match” is a simple combination of a wick and a good old-fashioned flint striker; the small cylindrical container holds the fuel and features a steel strike pad.
If you’ve ever struck a match, you’ll already know how to use this! It's extremely easy to use and more dependable than your average matches. It's perfect to store in multiple places or to hand out to your group, incase of emergency events. They are also known as disposable lighters when they stop working to save space.
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5. Icfun USB Arc Lighter

Overall Rating:
Similar to the previous Icfun survival torch, this is a flameless plasma lighter that is rechargeable via USB. The multi-functional feature on this survival lighter is great for any emergency needs. This allows you to carry multiples of emergency tools for your kit; that way you will always have a secondary incase your primary flashlight dies.
However, this version doubles as a surprisingly powerful flashlight, for its size. The bright gold aluminum alloy shell is tough and water resistant, and the flame is once again windproof.
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Cons
6. Tactic Ops Dual-Arc Electric Lighter

Overall Rating:
This survival lighter’s all-elements casing comes in black or orange and looks like a total survivalist's tool.
The rechargeable high-performance battery gets almost 100 uses out of every charge, and you can get around 500 uses before having to even think about replacing the battery.
The compact, sleek design means it can fit right in your pocket and keep you prepared for anything in a matter of seconds.
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7. UST Refillable Floating Lighter

Overall Rating:
If you find yourself around water frequently, a floating lighter is an absolute must-have. The buoyant, lightweight ABS material case means that even if you flip your kayak, you’ll still be able to find your lighter!
This survival lighter runs on butane and is able to light even when wet. However, this is not as fancy as other the other lights but it will get the job done at a lower cost. Great to keep multiples of incase of an emergency situation.
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8. Gudui Keychain Fire-Starter Bottle Opener

Overall Rating:
The Gudui survival lighter is a great gift idea, if you’re looking to buy for someone else. Like the SURVIVE Permanent Match, this is a fuel based lighter with a flint fire-starter; what makes this option unique is the rust-proof built in bottle opener!
A built in keyring and clip makes this lighter easy to carry around in an every-day kit. It's easy to use and discrete in plain sight.
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9. TACAMO H2 Dual-Head Flameless Lighter

Overall Rating:
The TACAMO tesla torch comes in a safety-orange rubberized case made of high-impact ABS plastic, complete with a high-visibility lanyard.
Everything about this lighter is designed to keep it easy to locate, no matter what your situation is. It’s just about everything-proof and super buoyant, incase of a flood or if you ever need to cross a river.
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10. Scotte Plasma Arc Lighter and Firestarter Kit

Overall Rating:
The Scotte Arc Lighter and Firestarter is the ultimate emergency fire kit. The flameless lighter provides instant ignition and up to 300 uses per charge, as well as a powerful flashlight with up to five hours of use.
The addition of the 5-in-1 magnesium fire starter is what really sets this product aside. The magnesium rod provides over 16,000 strikes and allows you to create a flame in nearly any condition imaginable. More reliable than matches, this baby has it all.
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Buying Guide For Survival Lighters
These type of lighters are made to withstand harsh environments for camping and backpacking. It's hard to predict the weather in the wilderness, so it's always best to stay prepared. Before starting your search, it’s important to know the four key factors to consider in any quality survival lighter.
Durability
You’ll want a lighter that’s tough enough to last you through any situation regardless of environment.
Portability
A truly great lighter for survival should be easy to carry around, so you always have it handy.
Reliability
What good is a lighter if it doesn’t start up after a few tries, you need to find a durable survival lighter made from high quality materials that make it wind resistant.
Some require lighter fluid while others need to be charged; choose one based on the set of tools you'll have, or even get both options to be extra prepared.
Ease of use
You need to find a lighter than can be used in an instant. Get used to turning it on by recognizing where certain buttons on and even practice in the dark.
Frequently Asked Questions About Survival Lighters
It may sound like science fiction, but a plasma lighter is simply a rechargeable lighter that is not gas powered; a butane lighter is your standard fuel powered lighter. Each style of lighter provides its own positives and negatives, so it’s important to evaluate your specific needs before making a quick decision.
A standard lighter might get the job done, but lacks many of those important qualities we covered in the previous section. You can’t be sure it’ll start in any conditions, and they’re a little less than durable for our tastes.
This is a question you’ll have to answer for yourself, based on your own needs. However, many survival lighters come with built in safety whistles, flashlights, and even compasses!
Bottom Line
Every lighter for survival has its own perks and drawbacks, but our personal favorite from this list is the Scotte Emergency Fire Starter Kit. The essence of survivalism is having a back-up plan, and the double-duty plasma lighter and magnesium strike kit ensure you’re never without a flame.
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