Your guide to Camping Fire Pits – are they right for you?

Not sure what to expect, or what to look for in the best fire pits for camping? Read on to learn all of the details you need about portable fire pits.

What is a Portable Camping Fire Pit? Understanding the basics

A portable camping fire pit typically consists of a large, metal bowl made of steel or cast-iron, which is supported and elevated from the ground using several metal legs. The bowl of the fire pit is where you can burn fuel. Most fire pits also let you put a grill over the pit, and may come with other accessories to help you cook more easily over the open flame.

Portable camping fire pits can be set up in your garden for regular use, or taken with you on your trips to allow you to build a fire wherever you are, as long as open fires are allowed in the park or camping area where you’re staying.

What makes a suitable Fire Pit for Camping?

If you plan on purchasing a fire pit for camping, the most important features you’ll need to consider is its size and weight.

Bringing a large, heavy fire pit camping may be impractical even if you’re camping in a caravan or you’re going car camping. You need to choose a model that can be easily transported to camp sites throughout the country, and can be set up easily once you reach your destination. Cast iron fire pits are heavier than steel, so that is something you may want to keep in mind when choosing your fire pit.

You may also want to choose a fire pit that has handles. Without handles, moving a camping fire pit can be a difficult operation, since they are typically bulky and awkward to handle.

What fuel is best for my Fire Pit while camping?

Wood and vegetation of any kind can be burned in camping fire pits. You can either purchase burning wood, or you can scavenge the area for fallen logs, sticks, branches, and other vegetation to burn in your fire pit.

However, it’s usually best to bring your own kiln-dried firewood and kindling with you when you go camping, because then you can buy sustainable and eco-friendly burning wood, with low moisture content, which will be much better for the environment.

Depending on the weather conditions, it’s possible that local vegetation and wood may be damp, and it’s a lot harder to start and maintain a fire with damp wood, and it will create a lot more smoke when burning.

Propane Vs. Wood Camping Fire Pits – What’s the difference?

Instead of wood camping fire pits, you may have thought about purchasing a propane fire pit for camping. The main difference is that while wood camping fire pits burn wood, propane fire pits require pressurized propane canisters for fuel.

This means they are much more mechanically complex, and you’re out of luck if you run out of fuel during your camping trip. For this reason, we recommend wood fire pits over propane fire pits.

The benefits of Wood Burning Fire Pits for Camping

Wondering why you should choose a wood burning fire pit instead of a propane fire pit for camping? Here are a few of the best reasons:

• Better for cooking – As anyone who has gone camping can tell you, there’s nothing like grilling sausages, vegetables, and other delicious foods over an open flame – not to mention delicious roasted marshmallows that you can turn into s’mores! Compared to propane, cooking over wood results in much better flavour.
• Find fuel anywhere – You’re not likely to find a spare propane fuel canister lying around in the woods, but if you have a wood burning camping fire pit, the fuel you need is all around you! It’s also easy to find people selling firewood near major camping areas.
• Safer than gas – Gas is under high pressure, and while explosions and other such problems with gas fire pits are rare, they still can happen. Overall, a wood burning fire pit is safer compared to gas, since there’s no risk of any explosions.
• Never worry about mechanical issues – A wood burning fire pit for camping can’t break down or have mechanical issues. This is not true of propane fire pits for camping, which may have trouble igniting, problems with gas regulation, and other issues.
• Produces more heat – A roaring fire in a wood burning fire pit will produce a lot more heat than a propane fire pit, which is great for cooking or just fighting back against cold weather.

Safety tips for using Fire Pits while Camping

First, never touch the fire pit while there’s a fire inside of it. The metal used to create the fire pit can get extremely hot.

In addition, keep chairs away from the fire to ensure you reduce the risk of hair, clothes, or other materials catching on fire.

Never let a fire burn unattended, and make sure you have some way of extinguishing the fire in an emergency, such as a bucket of water and a spade to cover up the fire with earth.

Shop wood burning camping Fire Pits today – find the right Fire Pit ror You!

Ready to explore the possibilities offered by wood burning camping fire pits? Take a look at our products, and find the best fire pit for your needs. Whether you plan on taking your portable fire pit with you on camping expeditions, or you just want to set up a wood burning camping fire pit in your garden, you’re sure to find what you need.