I don't mean to rip off The Forest, but if you think about the direction this patch is taking DayZ, it would make logical sense AND benefit the survival experience if you spawned with a limited use Lighter instead of a flashlight.

1. Most players throw the flashlight on the ground as soon as they spawn
2. Even on a sever that has night, the flashlight has very limited use (and the lightsource is problematic within the engine)
3. It is considerably more likely that, in an apocalyptic situation, many people would still likely have a lighter on their person
4. I like the hardcore direction the game is going, but think of a new customer vs. a veteran who understands the DayZ learning curve. Spawning and dying over and over isn't fun if they don't have a chance. But having a way of starting a fire from the get-go gives them just enough hope, encouragement, and curiosity to keep trying.
5. It would add to the survival horror atmosphere with a smaller, more natural, and arguably less problematic lightsource.
6. Spawning with limited fuel in the Lighter (say enough for 15-30 minutes of a constant flame) would help new players understand that every item and every second is precious.
7. Running from town to town, starving, and getting beat up by zombies looking for matches that you don't even know exist isn't intuitive (for a new player). But having a Lighter in hand is worth an entire wiki guide of knowledge. The player (combined with in-game feedback like "I am Cold") understands that he must gather sticks and other things he can set on fire with his Lighter in a dangerous and limited timeframe.
8. Down the road (again, sorry for The Forest reference) it could be an interesting feature to make advancing Zeds stumble once at the sight of a lit flame (be it from a Lighter or Road Flare) with their new recoil animation. Remember how smoke grenades worked in the mod? Throwing a lit Road Flare or Lighter could distract a horde of Zeds for a few seconds. This would be a dramatic last resort for a fresh spawn, but it would add that much more to the survival horror feel of the game.
9. There is so much more you could do with fire, crafting, and game mechanics. Think cauterizing wounds instead of bandaging (again, beneficial to a fresh spawn), Molotov Cocktails with the addition of Vodka/alcohol tincture, smoking cigarettes to reduce pain or reduce "shock" faster... the possibilities are endless. And spawning with an almost-empty Lighter would give a little taste of that to fresh spawns without holding their hand.