Zippo lighters and Zippo lighter liquid

The Zippo lighter has been made in Bradford, Pennsylvania since 1932, and the design has barely changed because it never needed to. A windproof chimney keeps the flame alive where a disposable lighter gives up, and every part that wears — flint, wick and the insert itself — can be replaced rather than thrown away. Buy one Zippo lighter, refill it, and it will outlast most of the gear in your pack.

Why choose a Zippo lighter

• Windproof. The chimney shields the flame instead of leaving you to cup it on an exposed ridgeline.
• Refillable. Top it up with Zippo lighter liquid and replace the flint and wick as they wear. One lighter, not twenty disposables.
• Repairable and guaranteed. [[VERIFY current Australian guarantee wording and claim process before publishing.]]
• Made in the USA. Still built at the original Bradford factory.

Zippo lighter liquid, flints and wicks

A Zippo lighter runs on three consumables: lighter liquid, flints and a wick. Zippo lighter liquid is a refined naphtha fuel — it burns clean, lights easily in the cold, and is what the lighter is designed around, so we would not substitute it for anything else.

The one thing to know is that Zippo lighter liquid evaporates slowly whether you use the lighter or not. A full Zippo left in a drawer for a month will usually need topping up before a trip, so refill the night before rather than at the trailhead. On longer trips, carry a small tin of fluid and a spare flint and you have a fire source that will last the whole walk.

Refilling takes a minute: lift the insert out of the case, lift the felt pad, saturate the packing with Zippo lighter liquid without overfilling, then wipe your hands and the case before you strike it.

Buying a Zippo lighter in Australia

We stock genuine Zippo lighters and Zippo lighter liquid, dispatched from our store in Helensburgh NSW, so there is no international freight or customs wait. [[VERIFY whether lighter fluid can be shipped to all states and by air — flammable liquid restrictions may apply to WA and NT.]]

Two practical notes. Lighters are restricted on aircraft and the rules differ between carry-on, checked baggage and what you may carry on your person, so check current CASA and airline requirements before you fly. And a Zippo is a naked flame, which puts it under total fire ban rules — always check the local fire danger rating before lighting anything.

For backup fire sources that work when a lighter will not, see our fire lighting collection, including ferro rods, stormproof matches and tinder.