Best Camping Propane Fire Pit: Enjoy Legal Burn Ban Campfires

Some public land camping locations in the United States seem to always be under restrictions that prohibit campers from having a traditional fire. If you do a lot of dispersed camping in national forests in the western part of the country, you know what I’m talking about.

An outdoor propane fire pit has safety features that meet the Stage 1 Fire Restrictions criteria of being able to quickly turn a knob to shut off the fuel source and extinguish the flame. So it is legal to use during times when a wood fire pit is restricted.

8 Reasons We LOVE Our Propane Pit

Outland Living Portable Propane Fire Pit, 19-inch, 58,000 BTUs

 

1. A portable propane campfire does not produce sparks, smoke or ashes.
2. It does not require gathering wood and using a fire starter like traditional wood fires.
3. Propane’s smokeless burn prevents your hair, clothes and gear from smelling like a campfire. (If you do have stinky campfire hair, here’s tips on how to get campfire smell out of hair without washing it!)
4. With the proper accessories, you can use it to cook camp stove recipes.
5. Just like a wood fire, it produces mesmerizing dancing flames.
6. The heat output is comparable to a small size wood burning fire.
7. It is legal to use when Stage 1 campfire restrictions are activated.
8. It’s great when we want to have a quick morning fire, then, leave our campsite for the day to go hiking or kayaking. We don’t have to worry about putting out a wood-burning fire, we just turn off the knob and we’re done.

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How To Use A Propane Gas Fire Pit

The ease of use makes it really convenient to use the best portable fire pits.

1. Set up the pit.
   • As with any flame, there is always a fire danger so you want to make sure to place your outdoor fire pit a safe distance from any flammable objects including, tents, awnings, trees etc.
2. Set up the propane tank.
   • Place your propane tank as far away from the pit as possible. Make sure it is a safe distance from any type of flammable ignition source.
   • Make sure the valve is closed.
3. Connect the hose.
   • Connect the hose to your propane tank.
   • If not already pre-attached, connect the other end of the hose to your fire pit.
4. Open the valves.
   • Open the propane tank valve first.
   • Then, turn the fire pit regulator knob to the starting position.
5. Light the flame.
   • Use a lighter to ignite the flame. Stand in a position so you can step back if the flame flashes upon ignition. (If your pit has an automatic starter, you can just push the starter button without needing a hand-held lighter.)
6. Adjust the flame height.
   • Turn the knob to adjust the flame. I recommend a small size flame if you just want a little ambiance. If you want a lot of heat output from your pit, it is a good idea to start the flame on high, once the volcanic rocks get hot, they will retain heat even after you lower the flame to conserve on propane consumption.
7. Turn off when finished.
   • First, close the valve on the fire pit, turn the knob to the “off” position.
   • Next, close the valve on the propane tank.
   • Disconnect the hose from the propane tank.
8. Let it cool & store your kit.
   • Let the unit cool completely.
   • Use a damp cloth to wipe down the hose, bowl and stand/legs.
   • Place your pit in it’s carry kit (with straps) and the carry bag (with zippers) for transportation and storage.

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How Much Heat Do Portable Propane Fire Pits Provide?

British Thermal Unit is a measurement of the quantity of heat.

The average BTU rating of most portable fire pits that use propane as a fuel type ranges from a total output of 50,000-60,000 BTU/HR.

By comparison, a wood-burning pit can have a total output between 30,000-100,000 BTUs.

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How Much Propane Do They Use?

The amount of propane your pit burns depends on how many hours you are using it and how high you have the flame. If it’s cold outside and you want to get really high temperatures from the flames, you will go through a significant amount of propane during a Friday-Sunday camp trip.

We get plenty of heat from ours when we run it on a low-middle setting when the outside air temperature is in the 35-45 F degree range. We’ll start on a high setting to get the rocks heated through, then, lower the flame to maintain the heat and conserve on fuel consumption.

On our outdoor adventures we use a 20-pound propane tank for our pit.

• If we run it continuously on the low setting, we get about 10 hours out of the tank.
• If we run it on the high setting we only get about 7 hours out of it.

On a typical weekend trip, we’ll use the pit for about 3 hours each night on the low-mid setting so a full 20 lb propane tank will be more than enough to get us through the entire weekend.

Don’t think you’ll be able to power a standard portable gas fire pit with a standard camping 1 lb propane tank. It will run dry very quickly. Instead, you may want to get a Fire Ring to be used with a 1 pound propane cylinder.

Useful tool to empty propane tanks

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Buying Decisions

The best fire pits come with a fire bowl, regulator, hose and natural lava rocks. They usually have some sort of handles, but, carry bags are usually sold separately.

Size

Consider the number of people who will be gathering around the pit.

• A smaller size, like 14-inch, is one of the best options for couples or small families, but, there is a range of sizes for larger groups.
• A 24-inch model is still a compact size but comfortably accommodates about 6-8 people.

We decided a 19-inch pit was large enough for our typical group size while still small enough to manage in our storage space.

Weight

Most smaller units weigh approximately 22 pounds, the larger bowls weigh approximately 35 pounds.

With durability in mind, you want equipment that is lightweight. But, if it gets too light, it will be flimsy and won’t withstand the rigors of packing and unpacking in outdoor conditions.

We purchased a 23 pound kit which is a very easy weight to manage for the way we camp and pack our gear.

BTUs

One of the reasons we settled on the Outland brand is because of their standard 58,000 BTU output. Less expensive brands may suffer a bit here.

Hose Length

You’ll find attached hoses typically range from 5-10 feet, depending on the brand. You want to maintain a safe distance between the propane tank and the fire ring.

We like the added safety that comes with a longer propane hose so we purchased a model with a 10-foot hose.

Automatic Ignition

You won’t find many options with push-button ignition. Most units require the use of a lighter. The BLUU Deluxe Portable Propane Gas Fire Pit With Auto Ignition does have a built-in igniter, but, like all camping gear, it works intermittently. So, you need to bring a handheld lighter as a backup.

We decided we did not want a model with a built-in ignitor.

Accessories

I would never try to grill meats or any other foods directly over the flames. I don’t want grease or food to be falling into the pit. For these types of recipes, I would cook with my propane camp grill.

But, some campfire cooking equipment accessories allow you to do more cooking than you might imagine. You can place a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet on a grill grate to cook above the flames. This Campfire Swivel Grill can be used over hot coals, open flame fire, or on top of the fire pit. This is great for making things like campfire corn on the cob over your fire pit.

Extendable roasting sticks are great for roasting marshmallows and hot dogs directly over the open flames.

Price Range

Low-end units start around $100 and the higher-end units are usually priced just under $200.

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Best Propane Fire Pit Brands

Outland Living is one of the most popular brands in portable camping fire pits. They come in different sizes.

Larger Sizes

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Our Top Pick

Use It At Home

At home, our outdoor living space has a wood-burning fire pit.

When we want a cozy fire in our backyard but we don’t want to deal with a wood-burning fire, this is a great fire pit to pull out of our best camping gear box and use on our patio. We love that we can easily move it around and basically it’s ready for outdoor use anywhere.

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More Propane Camping Gear

Camping propane is one of the most efficient fuels you can use. Whether you want to use it for lighting, cooking or heating, it can make trips fun, safe and comfortable. Check out our picks for the best propane camping gear on the market today.

If you are a member, make sure you take advantage of the Costco propane refill service because it will save you a lot of money on your fuel.

Also, if you like using the little cylinders, see how to refill 1lb propane tank using a refill adapter.

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