A two parter here folks... Who listens to Cigar Dave either for real or at the website? And are there any tips for lighters at high altitudes? I've had nothing but problems since I got to Colorado.

ajeroth

What type(s) of lighters are you using?

I have a few torches... Not Colibris or anything. Just the cheapos. But I didn't have any problems with them in Germany. I bought a regular flame Colibri so I could travel with it on airplanes. And that one is an excellent lighter but I still have problems. The flame never stays the same height. It becomes a crack lighter sometimes and other times I wouldn't be able to light a match. And whoever said you don't fill these as much as torches was wrong. Should I switch fuels? I'm using Zippo's premium butane fuel.

ajeroth

I think the best butane for either a torch or regular lighter is "vector gas" I found it at the local smoke shop. Very reasonable price and comes in a large can. I've ruined several torches over the years using so called premium butane. I've never had a problem with vector. If you fill the lighter at altitude in Colorado, it should work like it always does. If you filled at sea level, try reducing the output in Colorado.

LAVA is the best butane I've ever used, bar none. I've had lighters be functional using it when they wouldn't work properly with other fuels. It's quintuple refined and is fairly economical when you consider it's over 5 ounces to the can. Kind of hard to find though. I've had to wait on a shipment to get in at my local a couple of times.

I can assure you from personal experience that the problem at high altitude has nothing whatever to do with the fuel you're using ... the high altitude itself IS the problem ...

IF purging your lighter completely before refilling it, then turning the flame up high isn't working you need a different lighter ... period.

Colibri makes a jet flame lighter especially for high altitude use, but it sells for about $100 ...

My best advise is to go into the local shop and find out from them what they have that will work at that altitude ...

SteveS has a point ...

... but I would try a triple, quadruple or quintuple (LAVA) refined fuel first ... it can make all the difference in the world.

Ronson and all the other 'hardware store' butane fuels have olis and impurities that will definately clog a torch lighter.

Again, based on what I have learned through first hand personal experience ... at high altitude (that is to say at approx 5000 ft and higher) the fuel has nothing in the world to do with your lighter problems ... I personally use LAVA, but it makes NO difference at high altitude ...

Most (but not all) jet flame lighters will NOT function at high altitude, irrespective of the fuel that is in them ... to find a lighter that will function at high altitude, go to a shop located at that altitude ... they will have the lighters you want ...