Recently I was thinking a bit about updating my "bug out bag", especially thinking about including more ways to start a fire on top of just having a bic lighter. I looked around online for other fire starting tools, and learned about electric plasma arc lighters, which I had never heard of before.

Naively, it seems like a really great alternative to a traditional lighter:

• no expendable fuel; any source of electricity can serve as fuel
• about as easy to use as a regular lighter: slightly less hot surface area, but in exchange you get push-button activation and no difficulty positioning the flame to avoid burning yourself
• very resistant to wind
• iiuc, should work even in very cold temperatures where butane lighters struggle

I tentatively think these things are great. I don't know:

• how long one full charge lasts
• the operating life of the battery
• whether the arc contacts wear down over time

If those considerations compare favorably with bics, I think these lighters might strictly dominate traditional lighters for a primary emergency fire source, excluding cost. Plus they look really cool.