TI Survival's Exo Flame Lighter - Gear Review

Having a reliable source of fire in the woods is more than just a luxury.  The first thing I do when I get to camp is get a fire going.  Whether it is for cooking dinner, keeping you warm or just as ambiance, for  me a fire is not an option, it's a requirement.  Canoe country poses all kinds of obstacles to getting a fire going.  First of all, there is water everywhere, and Mother Nature may be against you as well.  The odds of getting your lighter wet are incredibly high, so keeping it in a dry container has always been a great idea.  But once it gets wet, there is often nothing you can do to salvage it, so you need to resort to waterproof matches or a ferro rod, which is harder than it looks.

Enter the waterproof lighter.  The Exo Flame from TI Survival is hands down one of the slickest little additions to my gear list in quite a while.  Machined from solid Titanium, this thing is solid yet light and it will never rust.  It is small enough to attach to your pack (I keep mine on my key ring), and only weighs 1 ounce when full of lighter fluid.  With the rubber O-ring installed, the lighter is both water-proof and it will hold fluid indefinitely.  If you own a "Zippo" type lighter, you know that is not the case with most flint style lighters.  I have been on camping trips where my Zippo was dead after just a few days, even with light use, because the fluid will simply evaporate without an air-tight seal.

What sets the TI Survival products apart from other Titanium gear is the artistry with which they have been adorned.  Esteban, the man behind TI Survival, creates a number of finishes through the application of heat, polishing and sand blasting.  Each piece is a unique piece of art.  I also highly recommend having the glow dots added to the cap, so you can find the thing in the dark.  They have saved me a few times.

In addition to the Exo Flame lighters, TI Survival offers a nice selection of back-country gear you would love to add to your pack.  From the Exo Tube XL to the Nitro Pod, they have waterproof canisters of all sizes.  Throw in a TI Straw, Fish Stringer or Lanyard Rings and before you know it you are dripping in Titanium.

Like anything else, you will pay for quality.  The Exo Flame starts at $240 and could be up to about $290 if you deck it out.  Also check out the Exo Runt, the smaller version that starts at only $100.


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