Summer Camping Season: Why Canadian Convenience Stores Should Stock Up on Torch Lighters Now

Summer camping is really hitting it hard in Canada lately, and yeah it makes sense that convenience stores should start watching their lighter section in advance, like right now, not later, heading into the season. The numbers are pretty telling. In 2023 more than 6.3 million Canadian households said they were active campers, which is up 29% from about 4.9 million households in 2019 (CamperChamp). And in newer survey results, nearly 8 out of 10 Canadian households reported they take part in outdoor activities close to home, with camping showing up again and again as one of the top summer choices across the country (Statistics Canada). So if you run a store near highways, provincial parks , campgrounds, or cottage country, that kind of growth equals a pretty reliable bump in need for torch lighters and butane refills, every single summer season.

The camping surge isn’t really cooling off

Now sure, camping participation fell a bit from the pandemic high, when it hit about 6.8 million households in 2022, but the long-term direction still looks strongly up when you compare it to pre-pandemic levels (CamperChamp). Most campers across North America usually take maybe one to three trips a year, and they spend around $156 per day while there. A lot of that ends up going to everyday convenience buys, those quick stops on the way in or out of the campsite (CamperChamp). Also, 44% of Canadian campers in 2023 were under 35, and that younger group tends to do more quick, casual trips instead of the once-a-year , very locked-in type of plan. Translation: more repeat stops at convenience stores for camp necessities, spread out across the season (CamperChamp).

Why Torch Lighters Matter, Especially for Camping Trips

A basic disposable lighter can be a decent backup, but as a main option it tends to be a little shaky in real campsite weather. Torch lighters are different, they make a pressurized, wind-resistant flame, basically designed to stay consistent outdoors where a normal flick lighter might struggle, or just quit mid try (MunchMakers). Campers who need to light stoves, start kindling, or keep working when the evenings get cooler tend to feel that difference right away. That steady flame advantage means you are not wasting time or energy trying to chase a tiny weak spark. It also makes sense as a last-minute buy for anyone heading out of town, because they will often grab it at the nearest convenience stop along the route.

Timing the Stock Up, Without Waiting for the Rush

Since camping activity piles up during the warmer months, waiting until peak demand shows up to reorder is kind of a waste of the whole season. Retailers near travel corridors, near provincial park access points, or around cottage-heavy areas should treat torch lighters and butane refills like any other clearly seasonal product. Basically, stock up before the crowd arrives, instead of responding once shelves are already looking thin. A simple in-store approach helps too, like putting a torch lighter display where people can actually see it, then stacking butane refills right there beside it, and maybe grouping both with other camping-adjacent impulse buys such as sunscreen, insect repellent, or even firewood. It’s an easy way to catch more of the seasonal spending in one single visit, not later.

Fuel Quality Matters More for a Camping-Specific Buyer

A camper buying a torch lighter for a weekend trip is kinda different from someone who just grabs a lighter for daily convenience. They’re depending on it to work just fine away from home, and that means real-world stuff like cooler evening air or breezy outdoor moments. In those cases, low-quality butane that’s kind of unrefined is a whole lot more likely to give a weak or sputtering flame right when they need it, . Stocking a torch lighter alongside a highly refined butane gives camping customers a more steady, dependable product for the conditions they’re actually buying for. Variety Lighters brings windproof torch lighters with 11x refined butane, and it’s geared for this exact routine, outdoor-focused buying habit. That makes it a pretty solid seasonal combination for convenience stores trying to catch camping driven demand this summer.

Building a Seasonal Merchandising Plan

• Plan the restock before the season starts, not during it. Camping demand tends to build through spring then peaks in summer, so ordering early helps you avoid running out during the busiest stretch.
• Bundle the lighters with butane refills in one clear, visible setup, because people usually buy the whole thing together when the pairing is obvious.
• Put this near other “travel and out” essentials so you can grab more of that camper’s total spend in one quick stop, not just one item.
• Lean toward windproof, refined-fuel torch lighters rather than basic disposables in a camping display, since reliability out there is what this customer really wants and expects.

The Bottom Line

So, camping participation among Canadian households is up quite a bit since way before the pandemic , and there’s also this big piece of campers under 35 doing frequent, pretty casual trips across the whole season. Because of that, convenience stores close to travel routes and outdoorsy stops have a really clear recurring seasonal chance basically waiting for them. If they stock up on windproof torch lighters and refined butane before peak summer demand hits, instead of waiting to react, it’s probably one of the easiest ways to catch that steady, predictable upswing in seasonal spend, without all the stress.

Works Cited

CamperChamp. "Canada Camping Statistics 2024 - How Many People Go Camping?" CamperChamp, 15 May 2025, camperchamp.com/camping-statistics/canada/.

MunchMakers. "Torch Lighter Vs Regular Lighter." MunchMakers Blog, munchmakers.com/blog/torch-lighter-vs-regular-lighter.

Statistics Canada. "More Canadians Getting Active Outside." StatCan, Government of Canada, 17 Aug. 2023,