How To Choose the Best Portable Fire Pit for Camping
The campfire is a central part of camping - it serves as the center of group gatherings at camp, a means of cooking meals, and introspective entertainment after a long day enjoying the outdoors. And portable fire pits offer a seamless means of enjoying a campfire wherever your camping adventures take you!
In this post we’ll cover the two main categories of portable fire pits for camping - both propane and wood burning. You’ll learn what to look for when trying to select the best portable fire pit for your adventures, and we’ll point out several of the best portable fire pits for a variety of camping styles and budgets.
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What to Look for in a Portable Fire Pit for Camping
Fuel Type
Portable fire pits generally utilize either propane or wood as a fuel source. Each of these fuel types has its advantages and disadvantages:
Propane Portable Fire Pits
Pros:
Clean Burning / No Smoke
Instant
Safer (little to no embers, decreased risk of forest fire) - allowing you to enjoy a campfire even during some fire restrictions
Cons:
Fuel is limited to what you bring
Bulky
Must transport and store additional propane tank
Output far less heat than a wood burning portable fire pit (with the exception of our friends at Howl Campfires solution, more on this below)
Wood Burning Portable Fire Pits
Pros:
Virtually unlimited & renewable fuel source
Not (always) necessary to store/transport fuel
Generally more compact
Great source of radiant heat in cold weather
Cons:
Smoke, and the associated smell (although, some of us like it)
Greater safety concerns (risk of ember / fire escape)
These are often banned or more strictly regulated in certain regions with a high risk of forest fire
Regardless of which portable fire pit or fuel type you’re using, you always want to be aware of local or regional fire restrictions and fire danger levels before going out.
Materials and Quality
Like most things, you tend to get what you pay for when it comes to portable fire pits for camping. Some things to look for are:
Materials
Stainless steel is king when it comes to portable campfires, it’s both durable and corrosion resistant. This is especially critical in the burner components of propane fueled portable campfires. While aluminum is occasionally used in some heat shielding or wind screens to save weight, in our experience it doesn't hold up well to the repeated high heat and cool cycles that a portable fire pit goes through.
Accessories
Storage / Carry Bags (if included, or sold separately) should be heavy duty canvas with reinforced stitching.
Grills or cooking grates should be stainless and corrosion resistant
Design
A well designed portable fire pit for camping will include features like dual combustion chambers to reduce smoke, built-in cooking grates, a collapsible or flat packable design to save space when packed, and the process of setting up or igniting the portable fire pit shouldn’t be overly complicated or time consuming.
Size & Weight
Depending on your style of camping, the size and weight of your portable fire pit may be one of the most crucial factors. If you tent camp and have to transport your gear on foot, a smaller and more light-weight collapsible fire pit for camping may be best. If you’re car camping or overlanding, then you may have room for a larger portable fire pit with more features.
The Best Portable Fire Pits for Camping [Updated 2024]
Below, we’ve broken down the best portable fire pits for camping into two distinct categories based on primary fuel-type so you can find one that fits your specific needs, budget, and style of camping.
Best Portable Wood Burning Fire Pits for Camping
Front Runner Box Braai Portable Fire Pit for Camping
The FrontRunner Box Braai is a combination wood burning portable fire pit for camping and camp barbecue that packs flat and sets up in as little as 30 seconds! It’s made of high quality, durable, and corrosion resistant 3CR12 Stainless Steel and fits perfectly in the bottom of one of our favorite Camping Storage Boxes, the Front Runner Wolf Pack.
Materials: 100% Stainless Steel
Open Dimensions: 17.2" L x 17.2"W x 12.2" H
Closed Dimensions: 16.3" L x 12.2" W x 1.9" H
Weight: 17.4 lbs
Carry case not included (a Front Runner Wolf Pack is intended to serve as its case)
Snowpeak Takibi Portable Fire Pit & Grill
Snowpeak has been in the camping innovation game for decades, and their Takibi portable camping fire pit and grill is in line with their reputation for making rugged, high quality gear. Precision made in Japan with high quality and substantial stainless steel, the Takibi folding portable camping fire pit includes an adjustable height grill, base plate to help catch coals and embers, and a durable carrying case.
Materials: 100% Stainless Steel
Open Dimensions: 17.7" L x 17.9"W x 12" H
Closed Dimensions: 22” L x 21.6 W x 5.4” H
Weight: 31 lbs
The Takibi’s price point is commensurate with the quality of its craftsmanship. But if you’re looking for a budget option with a similar design, the Campingmoon MT-55 Portable Fire Pit & Grill* may be worth a look.
Wolf & Grizzly Fire Safe Portable Folding Fire Pit for Camping
The Wolf & Grizzly Fire Safe is an ultra compact portable fire pit for camping or even backpacking and can be combined with their Grill Kit* to make a complete campfire cooking set. While its diminutive form factor won’t suffice for a group, it’s perfect for solo camping or for a couple.
Materials: 100% 304 Stainless Steel
Open Dimensions: 11.4" L x 11" W x 4.13” H
Closed Dimensions: 11.4" L x 1" W x 4.13" H
Weight: 2.2 lbs
Solo Stove Ranger
Solo Stove got its start as a high-quality wood-burning camping stove manufacturer and is now renowned for making one of the best smokeless fire pits on the market. Their Ranger smokeless fire pit is their most compact model and the double walled design creates a highly efficient burn that, if used properly, will help you avoid going to bed smelling like the campfire. The stand keeps the fire elevated to protect the surface below the fire pit and helps ensure you’re Treading Lightly while camping.
Materials: 100% 304 Stainless Steel
Open Dimensions: 15” L x 15" W x 12.5" H (15.25” with stand)
Closed Dimensions: 15” L x 15" W x 12.5"
Weight: 15 lbs (16.1 lbs with stand)
Carry case not included, sold separately
REDCAMP Portable Smokeless Fire Pit for Camping
A budget-friendly alternative to the Solo Stove is REDCAMP’s smokeless portable fire pit for camping. This wood burning portable fire pit uses 201 stainless to help cut costs, which won’t have the same corrosion resistance as the higher priced varieties that use 304 stainless. However, unlike the Solo Stove Ranger this model does collapse to help save space when stored and also includes a pot stand and 304 stainless grill grate for cooking, as well as a carrying case.
Materials: 201 Stainless Steel
Open Dimensions: 16” L x 16" W x 19.5" H
Closed Dimensions: 16” L x 16" W x 10" H
Weight: 15.3 lbs
Best Portable Propane Fire Pits for Camping
Howl R4 Portable Propane Campfire
The Howl R4 Propane Campfire is bar-none the absolute best portable propane fire pit on the market. It’s the only portable propane fire pit that actually feels like a real wood-burning campfire.
Their revolutionary Barcoal technology provides up to 1200 degrees of radiant heat to keep you toasty in the coldest of climates, plus there’s an adjustable firelight that creates the same mood-setting ambiance (or you can dial back the flame while keeping the heat pumping for “star gazing” mode). Howl Campfires are built in the USA out of the highest quality materials, and they sip propane with an incredible 6.5-10hrs of run-time on a single 20lb propane tank. And it was designed to be easily strapped around a standard 20lb propane tank for simple and secure transport. The team at Howl also went through the rigorous UL Certification process that makes the Howl R4 50-state legal to use in Stage I and Stage II burn bans, despite it’s impressive 61,800BTU output!
The only downside to the Howl R4 is the price, and there’s no debating that it’s steep; but this is an heirloom quality piece of kit that works better than anything else on the market, and odds are you’ll still be sitting around it with your grandkids decades from now if you decide to invest in one.
Materials:
304 Stainless Steel, aircraft aluminum, and brass
Open Dimensions: 22.09” L x 16.24" W x 12.73" H
Closed Dimensions: 22.09” L x 16.24" W x 12.73" H
Weight: 34 lbs
Camp Chef Compact Fire Ring
The Camp Chef Compact Fire Ring is one of the more compact propane fire pits for camping, with legs that fully retract underneath to save space. It uses a 55,000 BTU burner which equates to approximately 7-7.5 hours of run-time on high using a 20lb propane tank, and the included 12 lbs of lava rocks give off an authentic campfire glow once heated up.
Materials: Steel Alloy
Open Dimensions: 15” L x 15" W x 7" H
Closed Dimensions: 15” L x 15" W x 5" H
Weight: 23 lbs
Camco Portable Campfire
The Camco Portable Campfire shares a very similar design to Camp Chef’s offering with a slightly higher 65,000 BTU burner and a longer 8ft propane hose.
Materials: Steel Alloy
Open Dimensions: 15” L x 15" W x 7" H
Closed Dimensions: 15” L x 15" W x 5" H
Weight: 15 lbs
Camco Little Red Portable Campfire
If you’re needing something a little smaller, Camco’s Little Red Campfire, at only 13 inches in diameter, may fit the bill. It uses an adjustable 65,000 BTU burner and artificial logs to give off a realistic campfire aesthetic, and the latching steel cover doubles as a carrying case when not in use.
Materials: Steel Alloy
Open Dimensions: 13” L x 13" W x 10" H
Closed Dimensions: 13” L x 13" W x 10" H
Weight: 15 lbs
Outland Living Firecube Portable Campfire for Camping
The Firecube by Outland Living is a great mid-size portable fire pit for camping. It includes a cover and carrying case and is still small enough to be easily carted to and from your car at camp. It also includes a longer-than-average 10ft propane hose so you can more easily keep the tank tucked out of the way as well as a toasty 58,000 BTU burner.
Materials: Steel (stainless steel burner)
Open Dimensions: 14” L x 14" W x 9" H
Closed Dimensions: 14” L x 14" W x 9" H
Weight: 19.4 lbs
Ignik FireCan Portable Propane Fire Pit for Camping
The FireCan is a super portable collapsible camping fire pit that packs to the size of an old military ammo can and includes a lid with handle that makes it easy to transport. It doesn’t include a heat diffuser, but you can add your own ceramic logs, pebbles, or lava rocks to boost the radiant heat a bit.
Materials: Steel
Open Dimensions: 15.5” L x 6.5" W x 10.75" H
Closed Dimensions: 12” L x 6.25" W x 8.5" H
Weight: 11.5 lbs
Best Portable Fire Pit Accessories
Ember Mat* - An ember mat is great for keeping the embers from wood burning portable fire pits from damaging the surface below and are a great way to improve the safety of your portable campfire in general.
Gas Fire Starter* (Butane, Iso/butane, or Propane [with optional adapter*]) - While we love the process of gathering kindling and starting a good old fashioned campfire, sometimes you just want to get the campfire lit NOW. This gas fire starter will get the fire going quickly, so you can focus on enjoying the ambiance or roasting some marshmallows without the wait or hassle.
Ember Blow Pipe* - This is a great way to stoke your wood burning portable fire pit while keeping enough distance to not smell like the campfire when it’s time to crawl in the sleeping bag.
Carrying a portable fire pit for camping is a real gamechanger! Whether you’re wanting to Leave no Trace, enjoy a campfire safely while complying with local fire restrictions, or just have an easy portable campfire you can take anywhere, we hope this guide helps you find the best one for your next camping trip or overland adventure!
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And as always, thank you for reading!
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