For years, all I knew about Zippo was that they made great wind-proof lighters. I was more than a little surprised to learn that they had lighters and a lot more for the outdoorsman.

Zippo has an entire line of products devoted to fire, cooking, heat, and light. This might be something you knew already, but it was something I just recently learned. To say that I was a little intrigued was putting it mildly. I couldn’t wait to get my hands on some of these products and to test them out for myself.

After searching through their catalog, and online, I narrowed my needs (wants actually) to 4 products, the campfire carrier, emergency fire starter, a hand warmer, and finally the rugged lantern.

If you do any amount of camping, or even have a fireplace or wood burning stove, the campfire carrier is a practical edition to your line of must-have items. I for one am tired of carrying stacks of firewood stacked up to my chin. Evidently, I am not the only one that feels this way, and Zippo realized the need for this firewood tote.

This firewood carrier takes away the scratched arms and hands that is normally associated with carrying stacks of firewood. Also, the exposure to insects, such as ticks is less likely. The large bag carries several pieces of firewood and has two large exterior pockets for carrying additional gear.

Whether you like to camp or burn wood at home, this bag will come in handy.

The second item I had to get my hands on was the emergency fire starter. This little item is not something I will use a lot, or maybe even in the near future. I got this for emergency purposes, not for everyday use. It is a must have for your survival kit.

Hopefully, I am never in a life or death situation where I have to be able to start a fire. But, with the hunting, trapping, and camping I do far away from civilization, I wanted something I could count on in an emergency.

This lightweight fire starter is water-resistant and floats. Inside the case are 4 waxed tinder sticks. The flint wheel inside the case will put off sparks to easily light the waxed sticks. Again, this is not something I plan on using soon, but I feel better knowing I have it in my pack.

There are a lot of things that can start a fire at home, like dryer lint, newspaper, small twigs, and Zippo even has a line of fire starters. Save your emergency fire starter for an emergency.

I remember as a child deer hunting my father filling hand warmers up with lighter fluid before we went to hunt. I had forgot about those childhood memories until I saw that Zippo had a line of hand warmers. As soon as I saw them, I knew I had to have one.

These hand warmers come in 2 sizes, 6 and 12-hour warmth. Their small design allows them to sit easily in a pocket and includes a warming bag. And, they are odorless. I remember as a child spilling fuel as we tried to fill those warmers. Zippo has added a fill-cup, so more spilled fuel. I chose the polished chrome 6-hour warmer, but they come in a variety of colors. After doing a test with a leading disposable hand warmer and my Zippo hand warmer, the Zippo stayed warm for about 90-minutes longer.

If you spend any time outside during the cold, you owe it to yourself to get one of these hand-warmers. You will be thankful you did.

The last item I had to have was the rugged lantern. I use lanterns all the time, whether it is camping, fishing at night, outside grilling, and a lot more. The lantern I used all the time was a leading propane lantern with a glass globe. I was buying new globes 3-4 times a year. It seemed that it was always getting broke somehow. Not only that, but I was having to purchase mantles all the time, and the propane always seemed to run out at the worst times.

I don’t have to worry about any of the now. This rugged lantern has everything I need in a lantern.

The only way this lantern will stop working is when you hit the power switch. The Rugged Zippo Lantern can be dropped from 5-feet and stay out all night in the rain without any problems. It has the brightest light of any LED lantern made. It has brightness modes from 100 % to 50 % to 10%. In a survival situation, it has an emergency S-O-S setting too.

Whether you are at home or finding yourself in a survival situation where your life depends on it, be sure to have these products on hand.

Jason Houser

http://www.jasonhouseroutdoors.com/ 

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