Portable firepit

[SeaDawg]

We don't have a portable firepit, but we have a natural gas firepit on our home  back deck. We use the fire glass instead of lava there. It's kind of pretty, day or night, though we cover it usually in the day with a metal lid, and use the pit as a coffee table. 

It's been fine for 7 years. But, the glass bits weigh twice what lava rock weighs. I'm sure you've already researched, but I'd buy glass from a reputable source, if you go that route. Some of them on Amazon have reported shattering in heat. We spent the extra $$ and ordered the true fire glass with the pit.

There's a company on etsy that makes hollow steel "logs" and pinecones. More pricey, but interesting.  And, probably lighter than glass bits.

 

[Landrover]

5 hours ago, Overland said:

Has anyone replaced the standard lava rock that comes with these fire pits?  The rock that ours came with creates a ton of dust due to being jostled around while traveling, and so the fire pit stays pretty dirty all the time.  I've thought about getting some of the larger, rounded lava rock to see if that creates less dust, or perhaps even switching it out to fire glass, but I have no experience with that.  Any ideas?

Overland I once had a portable fire pit table for the deck. I replaced the lava rocks with glass pieces for fire pits. It gives off a different fire patten  cool look,  it took a lot more to fill the pit not sure it would be good bouncing round while traveling. 

[topgun2]

On 12/12/2021 at 12:34 PM, Jim and Chris Neuman said:

We were able to increase heat output by adding a bunch of small, pourous lava stones, courtesy of a local volcano. 

I knew I saw it somewhere.  Second post down from the top of the thread.

Bill

[Jim and Chris Neuman]

I should add that the lava rocks we used to replace those supplied with the firepit were slightly larger (1-1/2  to 2" in diameter) and, more importantly, of higher density.  These rocks radiate more heat in use than the originals.  I believe the original rocks supplied with the pit were synthetic as they had the weight and consistency of a fake fire log but I do not know this for a fact.  Since lava rocks run a wide range from extremely dense to light and porous (some float), it is possible the originals were real. 

We also use more rock by volume ... enough that the lid just locks down for storage.  This added volume, in addition to the increased density of the rock combines to provided greater heat output.  Even so, heat output does not come near to matching a wood fire.

One downside to this is that cool-down takes longer with the heavier rock.  This makes no difference at night before bed but when used in the morning prior to travel the denser rocks must be left to cool much longer than the lighter stuff before storage.

[AZ Wonderer]

On 12/17/2021 at 8:40 AM, Patriot said:

We purchased this one in 2019 and have not really had the need to use it yet. It may come in handy on a western trip.
We bought it during a sale for $80 off Amazon including tax. I looked on Amazon and they are now 150.00. 🥴 It works and throws off a fair amount of heat and sure beats looking at the ground. 😂 
There is nothing like the aroma of a real campfire. 

 

In case anyone is looking for a propane fire pit, Amazon is now offering the Outland for $69.99.  That's less than a year ago.

Amazon.com : Outland Living Firebowl 893 Deluxe Outdoor Portable Propane Gas Fire Pit with Cover & Carry Kit, 19-Inch Diameter 58,000 BTU, Black : Patio, Lawn & Garden

 

[Mike and Carol]

1 minute ago, AZ Wonderer said:

In case anyone is looking for a propane fire pit, Amazon is now offering the Outland for $69.99.  That's less than a year ago.

We use our Outland a lot.  Good piece of camping gear.  Mike

[Patriot]

29 minutes ago, AZ Wonderer said:

In case anyone is looking for a propane fire pit, Amazon is now offering the Outland for $69.99.  That's less than a year ago.

Amazon.com : Outland Living Firebowl 893 Deluxe Outdoor Portable Propane Gas Fire Pit with Cover & Carry Kit, 19-Inch Diameter 58,000 BTU, Black : Patio, Lawn & Garden

 

Good catch AZ Wonderer! 👍🏻 

[SeaDawg]

Great price! 

So many places don't allow woodfires,, but do allow lp fire rings.

Thanks. 

[Jim and Chris Neuman]

When chosing rock to add to your firepit, do not use river rocks or any rock which might soak up water.  The explosion you can get from water cooking off in some river rocks can be quite impressive.  Porous lava rock, 1-1/2 to 2" in diameter, is a good choice, especially if you can find a place and time to cook any moisture out of them before use around people.

[Steph and Dud B]

4 minutes ago, Jim and Chris Neuman said:

The explosion you can get from water cooking off in some river rocks can be quite impressive.

We once had a beautiful campsite on the shore of Lake Ontario where the campfire looked right out over the water. The site itself was topped with loose stone and I idly tossed a couple into the fire. What a surprise when those little rocks exploded! When our friend stopped by later we warned him not to throw any rocks into the fire. He thought we were kidding so he tossed in a full handful. You never saw anyone scramble away from a campfire so fast! And the look on his face when the rocks started exploding... Priceless!

[SeaDawg]

1 hour ago, Steph and Dud B said:

We once had a beautiful campsite on the shore of Lake Ontario where the campfire looked right out over the water. The site itself was topped with loose stone and I idly tossed a couple into the fire. What a surprise when those little rocks exploded! When our friend stopped by later we warned him not to throw any rocks into the fire. He thought we were kidding so he tossed in a full handful. You never saw anyone scramble away from a campfire so fast! And the look on his face when the rocks started exploding... Priceless!

Glad no one was hurt .

Great that you shared the warning. 

 

[Steve Morris]

We have a Camco Big Red Firepit, which has a combination regulator/valve inline at the tank. I know that I can't use this with the Oliver's low pressure quick connect fittings, as I'd have two regulators inline with each other. I know some other fire pits have their regulator on the tank end of the hose and the vale on the firepit itself, so replacing the hose works in that case. Not on mine, though. Does anyone else have a propane appliance with the combo regulator valve? And if so, how did you work around this? I haven't found a hose with the valve only inline that I could substitute.

Thanks!

https://www.camco.net/big-red-campfire-olympian-58035

 

[Ollie-Haus]

Just checked and the Outland firebowl on Amazon is back on discount again. Not as cheap as last time but still very much discounted.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KY4S388/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

[Patriot]

49 minutes ago, Ollie-Haus said:

Just checked and the Outland firebowl on Amazon is back on discount again. Not as cheap as last time but still very much discounted.

https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00KY4S388/ref=ox_sc_act_title_3?smid=ATVPDKIKX0DER&psc=1

They sure have gone up since 2019 when we purchased ours wowzer! 😕

 

[John and Debbie]

12 hours ago, Steve Morris said:

We have a Camco Big Red Firepit, which has a combination regulator/valve inline at the tank. I know that I can't use this with the Oliver's low pressure quick connect fittings, as I'd have two regulators inline with each other. I know some other fire pits have their regulator on the tank end of the hose and the vale on the firepit itself, so replacing the hose works in that case. Not on mine, though. Does anyone else have a propane appliance with the combo regulator valve? And if so, how did you work around this? I haven't found a hose with the valve only inline that I could substitute.

Thanks!

https://www.camco.net/big-red-campfire-olympian-58035

 

Steve, I was directed to Torjik company for any hoses I might need.  They might be able to help you.

John

[MAX Burner]

OK - this is a great thread with a lot of stellar ideas!  Thanks to all the contributors!  

That said, we've always loved a good fire whenever we're camping (RV, car, or backpacking).  The options are out there depending on what you're doing. Since we've gotten a bit "long in the tooth" lately, it's been more RV camping than the others.  Since RV camping obviously takes you into a variety of venues which, as noted above, may or may not allow wood burning.

So, we give ourselves options, right?  

For camping areas where wood burning is allowed, we'll typically use the provided fire ring and enjoy sipping that Mezcal with all that smokey/crackling wood.  When we can't burn wood - it's the Outlander for us.  We love that piece of kit!  With a dedicated 20# LPG tank and 12' hose - we put it wherever is convenient.  The Mezcal works well with the Outlander, for sure and for certain.

But our other option is the SoloStove.  They're available in 3 or 4 sizes - we have an intermediate size called, "The Ranger."  It'll efficiently burn 13" pieces of wood which I cut in advance of the RV trip - it really cranks out the heat as well.  The SoloStove comes with an available pellet tray - very cool option!  We can get 2+ hours of fireside Mezcal sipping & Macanudo burning with a stove-load of pellets.  The unit is half the size of the Overlander and no lava rock dust in the back of your TV.  So, where we're allowed to burn wood/pellets, it's our "go to" option.  Suggest checking them out!

[Tom and Doreen]

We picked up the tabletop SoloStove Mesa, it'll burn pellets as well as wood.  The pellets are pretty easy to bring along. 

mesa

[Guest]

We have recently stayed at 3 different places that would not allow any wood fires or charcoal fires. They did allow propane firepits and we were able to enjoy sitting outside in the chilly weather around our Outland portable fire pit. Other benefits are ease of use, quick setup and fast heat source, not hauling wood, and going to bed without smelling like a campfire. The disadvantages are cost of propane,  lack of wood fire sound and smell, and burning pattern and complexity of a wood fire. Still, we won't go camping without taking our propane firepit along with us. 

Kirk

 

[Steve Morris]

15 hours ago, John Welte said:

Steve, I was directed to Torjik company for any hoses I might need.  They might be able to help you.

John

Thanks John! They don't offer an inline valve, but I'm sure I can cobble something together. I don't want to end up spending as much as simply replacing my Big Red Campfire, though.  I appreciate the input!

https://torjik.com

 

For real fires, we use the Pop-Up Firepit. It burns super clean, with very little ash due to great air flow. Plus, you can set it up where *you* want, instead of where the campground wants it. It Folds up into a roll about 4" diameter and 20ish" ling.

https://firesideoutdoor.com/?_atid=fxO62CmNHSBrD5RpwMpejcX2IckA0C

[Mighty Mo]

We have a Solostove Bonfire and love it. We have had it for years and use it at home as well as when we travel. The wood burns efficiently and once it gets going, the smoke goes straight up. I love camp fires but hate the smoke in my face!