Jet Boil lighter at high altitude

[Longshotjames]

Couldn't get a butane stove to light at 0 F. At that temp your butane ligher is pretty much toast, unless you hold the sparker thingy right in your stove's burner. Isobutane and isobutane/propane mixes will go far colder than that. MSR makes the best cartridges for those temps and they are compatible with other stove brands. Their stove has a wide stable base connected to the cartridge with a hose, much more stable than a tippy stove on top of cartridge model, and accomodates larger pots. Mine also has the option to switch to white gas etc. with a cannister and pump, good for essentially any temp.
MSR Universal Stove
Apparently Len gets a cut if you follow my link.

I hear you on all details about fuel properties and tip possibilities but you're not describing this scenario about ignition. In both cases temp ranged from 50°f down to maybe 20's during usage. The Jetboil also worked great once lit to put a warm Mountain House in our belly and heat instant coffee quick during cold glassing periods.

James

 

[Noobie]

Well igniters are powered by piezoelectric crystals such as quartz. If you smack them they produce electricity, and if you hit them with electricity they ring. That is how transducers in depth finders work. Typically a couple sides of the crystal are metallized so electricity can get in and out. There may be some kind of delamination or oxidation between the conductor and the crystal that gets worse at altitude. You might also try lightly sanding the place where the spark hits the burner, it may have an oxide layer built up over the years that blocks the spark.
Interestingly enough, your bones are piezoelectric as well. When you lift weights they generate electricity that electroplates calcium onto them exactly where there is the most stress.