Propane Fire Pits for Camping - Why we use one
I will be the first to admit that I questioned the idea to get a propane fire pit. At the time we purchased it, I couldn’t see a need to spend money on something when we could get the same effect practically for free. I was wrong.
We have been using this fire pit for several month now, and we have found that we really enjoy having it with us. We debated on not taking on our recent extended vacation to Arkansas, because we were trying to conserve space. Luckily, we did take it, and said multiple times on the trip that we were glad we did. I believe we used it every night, and even on one chilly morning.
Ours is made by a company called Outland Firebowl, and the build quality has been great. We have not had any issues through our time of using it. We purchased the 893 Deluxe model. This one is 19” in diameter, and came with the metal lit and carrying straps. We did not want something that was very big, because we know we have limited space when traveling on camping trips. Unfortunately, I believe that model is currently sold out about everywhere, and the closest that is available is the 870 Premium. That model is very similar to ours, except a slight change in the pedestal design, and the Premium has the auto-ignite feature.
Here is a quick list of the advantages of a propane fire pit over a traditional wood campfire:
Clothes don’t smell like smoke after sitting around the fire
Can be shut off and restarted quickly if left unattended
Cools down quickly when finished (approximately 15 minutes)
Can be used in some areas with fire bans (check local regulations)
No more buying firewood. Uses very little propane (we’ve gone all season on one 20# tank, and that includes the propane that is used for our cook stove)
Very easy to light. No more worrying if wood is damp.
We have also tried cooking on it once. We purchased a grate that would fit on the top, and tried to make some foil packet dinners. The food tasted good, but I think we need a little more practice to get it right. One of the recipes that we tried was meatloaf, and we used hamburger with too high of a fat content. As it cooked, we ended up with a grease mess.
The fire pit has become one of our favorite pieces of camping gear that we have purchased recently. There is no longer a debate on whether we want to start a fire, due to the effort that it would take. Now, if we want a fire, we simply hook up the fire pit, and are relaxing next to it within 5 minutes.