XikarStratosphere II High Altitude Lighter, Single Jet Flame, Windproof, Ergonomic Design, Durable and Dependable, Black

Great windproof lighter, emphasis on windproof...you really have to try to get it to go out (the heat element works exceptionally well, even when compared to other lighters with similar features). I purchased this one as a backup (my primary is a simple single/soft flame Thunderbird insert for my Zippo) lighter for high-altitude backpacking and I believe it will serve me well in that capacity (just keep in mind that it does have a jet flame, which, despite burning hotter, does consume fuel at a greater rate than the average soft-flame). It is easy to change the height of the flame, though I found that my example required a fairly high volume to ignite reliably (and I haven't tried it at particularly high altitudes as of this draft). I only wish it were a little more compact, though it is reasonably lightweight and has a fairly large fuel reserve, so it isn't worth deducting a point for this minor drawback. It replaced my old Eddie Bauer windproof lighter that recently died. Hopefully this one lasts as long (though it has an excellent warranty, if it happens to fail early).

This lighter worked great... for about 3 lights. That's when the fuel pressure started fluctuating wildly. I had to constantly adjust the dial just to get it to light, and once it was lit it would still fluctuate until it would either drop low enough to go out or get too high and blow itself out. It was annoying but I could deal. Then the next day the coil stopped working and now it won't light at all. This all happened within a day of receiving this piece of garbage. It may not be windproof but a bic will at least work when you need it! And you'll save yourself a good amount of money

I've been using this lighter for three years. Three years! The cap broke off and 'high' is now at where 'low' used to be, but it still lights every single time I strike it and is plenty hot enough to do the job even in extremely windy conditions. Three years, daily use, almost complete reliability. I am beyond satisfied.

This lighter is amazing, and totally a steal at the price.Four stars;Fits into pouches and pockets without fuss.Lights almost every time; occasionally the first go is a bust.For everyday use, butaine reserve lasts a good while.Easy to use one handed, in either left or right hand.Good gri from the diamond etched and shape.One star off;1. The hinge is a bit loose, and wobbly, and I worry about it's longevity.2. It would be nice if there was an O-ring between the cap and base, for a water right seal. I currently wouldn't trust this thing to get wet.

The lighter seemed to work well enough for a few months. It uses a lot of fuel, but a lot of these types of lighters are pretty bad with fuel. The dial that adjusts the flame broke, and it is now essentially useless! I am not sure how this even happened; I don't recall ever dropping it. This supposedly "rugged" lighter has only been used very gently and I don't recall any significant impacts/etc. that could have caused any damage (the physical condition sill looks good other than the dial!)

This is a replacement lighter for one I have had for over 6 yrs. It was delivered a day early.

I've bought several of these lighters over the years. I used to be able to get at least a year or two out of each before the piezo ignition would give out. The last two I purchased lasted just a few weeks before no longer sparking. Used to be a good brand - complete garbage now.

I bought this for a trip to Colorado with some buddies, realizing my torch lighters likely wouldn't work well. So, I bought this based on decent reviews and the need for a week. I filled it with the good gas and at out altitude in north Texas is seemed to work fine. Luckily I brought a couple of my torch lighters to Colorado though.We were at about 9000' in Lake City. This lighter worked briefly, sort of. It got a couple of cigars lit with some patience and thumb work. The second time, it just wouldn't light or would start to then die. I grabbed both torch lighters to try and lo and behold, they lit just fine. A little flicker at first but fired up and kept us going.I did bleed and refill this one but got nothing more than a brief light and flickered out. Torch lighters, including one I've had for 10+ years, both worked fine.I wanted to like this one and really wanted it to work, but no go. Too high? Not high enough?More like a waste of money. Luckily for the week we had by trusty, old, torch lighters.Maybe it's a case of, "you get what you pay for"? These are relatively inexpensive, so maybe that should have been a sign. Too bad the return window is so short on these......