The average $2 Bic lighter is great for lighting up a cigarette but not as great for lighting campfires or grills. Minnesota startup Radlight presents an intriguing alternative developed specifically for such outdoorsy tasks ... and for fending off hypothermia when things really go south. Its oversized weatherproof lighter delivers a confident, reliable starter flame, even if you're battling squall winds, horizontal rain or temperatures as low as -40.
We're not looking to knock Bics or other throwaway butane lighters. In fact, we have every intention of continuing to use them – they're familiar, easy to operate, lightweight, readily pocketable and found at stores all over the map for a few bucks. And they do an excellent job when the task calls for lighting something from below, as their flame rises naturally upward.
We can confirm, though, that basic spark-wheel disposables are not ideal when it comes to lighting a fire near the ground, when you need to angle the lighter head down under the tinder. The flame still rises straight upward ...this time, right into your thumb. That's not so bad if you can light it quickly and pull out of there, but if you're having trouble getting it lit or lighting it in multiple places, it can take a serious toll on one's thumb skin.
That's not to mention that the spark wheel tends to be small and entirely unfriendly to the gloves that could otherwise protect your thumb from the flame (and fingers from the frigid cold that inspired the fire in the first place). A little wind or water can also mean "lights out."
Radlight's lighter, which we're just gonna' call the Radlighter to avoid continued redundancy, offers a more tailored solution specially designed for sparking fires in the wild, not so much for lighting cigarettes. The design starts with a hardwearing, oversized build aimed at in-field durability and reliable, easy use, trip after trip. The large flint wheel is designed to be operated with or without gloves on, while the aluminum outer chassis and stainless steel insert are built to hold up to use and abuse – no cheap plastic to crack through on the first accidental drop on hard rock.
Radlight also reorients its flame assembly, installing the spark wheel directly below the lighter hood, which itself is flipped perpendicular to the lighter handle to direct the flame upward away from the thumb when holding the lighter sideways to get into the tinder. Better yet, the flame is self-sustaining and keeps burning without having to hold down a valve, as you would on other lighters. So you can pull your fingers back away from the hot lighter head and onto the ridged-grip handle.
If that's not far enough away, the flip-top that rotates open can pull back to further extend the body, pushing the flame-sparking head out farther like an integrated long neck. That lighter top then flips around and closes over the flame assembly for storage and transport.
The Radlighter has been developed to soldier through all the treacherous conditions Mother Nature might be inclined to throw at it, especially when you need it most. Radlight says it's certified to an IP68 waterproof standard, and while it won't be firing out a flame while submerged in the river, it's designed to light up reliably, even after you accidentally drop it in a puddle, expose it to a downpour or drench it while wading through water. The conical holes on the outside of the flame hood, meanwhile, serve to slow gusting wind down to keep the flame firing steadily through fierce wind conditions.
Instead of butane, Radlight fuels its refillable lighter with naptha fuel it identifies as more reliable in cold weather conditions down to -40°F/C. The lighter does not come prefilled but can be topped up with easy-to-find naptha lighter fluid like that from Zippo.
Radlighter isn't exactly innovating a new market, as there are plenty of existing lighter alternatives that address inadequacies of basic BICs when it comes to lighting campfires, grills and survival fires. We've become particularly fond of basic long-neck lighters for use at home and when car camping, and non-wheel push-button Bic EZ Reach lighters are great for lighter travel, fitting comfortably in a pocket. They're basically a regular Bic with a 1.4-in (3.5-cm) neck extension and a simpler push-button operation. Even better for pocketing than Bic EZ Reach, the Soto Pocket Torch XT features a telescopic neck that extends for use and retracts for carry.
That said, Radlight does aim to comprehensively solve weather challenges that might still plague those lower priced designs, and if its lighter performs as reliably as intended, it might just be worth its place in any backcountry kit. The company recently took home a 2026 Outdoor Innovation Award alongside the Dragan Pocket Winch in the Overland & Travel category. We're hoping to get one and put it through hell to see how well the 4.2-oz (119-g) lighter completes its mission.
The Radlighter is available now for a retail price of US$59.00. That's a lot more than the 3 bucks you'd spend on the aforementioned pocketable Bic EZ Reach but in line with what you might spend on a nice Zippo or similar refillable lighter.
Source: Radlight
