Portable propane campfires

[nevadatear]

After seeing several in person, different brands, at IRG last week, we have decideded to purchase one. However, we are unsure of which model. So those who are current owners, please fess up. Pros, cons, cost and propane use on low and high would be great . Thanks! We are convinced of the advantages, I.e. can use under the easy up in poor weather, no smoke related head ache, save the trees, don't have to haul wood, use it no burn area. Just looking for specifics with specific models. Thanks!

-Edit- I found a good comparison chart here. http://www.campfirecompare.com/. Although it is clearly sponsored by campfire in a can, it does give a nice comparison and a video of each item's flames. I think I have it down to the Redwood by camp chef, but I want to wait to hear what you all say. Campfire In a can does seem to have it all, including a high price and the most use of propane, so it is out. Redwood can be fetched at Costco online currently for 99$ including shipping. The down side of this one is it is not infinitely adjustable, has pre-set settings and although it does come with a bag, it is not the nice hard case of Campfire in a Can or Little Red campfire. Little red campfire, per reviews and ratings, I don't think will be warm enough. Fire dancer has a nice flame which is fully adjustable , warm, but not a huge propane user, but cheesey looking logs or messy vermiculite, and greater price. I like the overland a lot, but seems to be only availables from Canada. It is very similar to the Redwood, but costs more plus shipping.

I still want to hear from actual users

[desertmoose]

Kat and I picked up the "Yukon Legend" model. It's bigger than some of them. This is both a plus and a minus. Looks larger, more like a "real" campfire while using it, but on the other hand, it's bulky to carry and store.

I have no idea what the propane usage is, we've never ran out while using it on a tank.

(I have hooked it up so I can use it on a tank as a standalone, or plug it into the toyhaulers gas BBQ outlet.)

It came with a cooking grate, and some ceramic logs. Looks pretty good actually.

Sam

[campmaster-k]

Debbie and Randy - It was good to see you again at IRG. I too was sold on the fake fire at IRG many had them and they were warm when I was not. I think I am going to get the Little Red Fire. It is not the best looking one but it is very small. Dragonfire had one and it put out a big flame it you wanted or very small.

[Maureenm]

Not as an owner, but a benefactor of a friend's Firedancer, don't dismiss this as an option too quickly. In real life, I think it has one of the more realistic flames I've seen and the vermiculite helps to spread the flame out so it's not just gas coming out of some holes. The logs are definitely not the cheesiest and this thing is LIGHT and warm. Just another opinion..

Thanks for the chart, very helpful!

[Crazy4Kits]

I purchased one after sitting around one at this years Dam gathering. In all honesty, I purchased two. Both on the way home from the Dam gathering on my way to Wilsonville, Oregon. One from Cabelas and another at Costco. They are very similar except the Costco one is taller due to a higher base and a ring around the top. Both are made by the same company. I like the Costco one better. It's very warm, reasonably light and effecient on gas if u use the low or medium valve settings. The advantage to the Cabelas one is it's shorter, more compact and easier to store but other wise identical including brand Camp Chef.

I have used it on two camping trips and love it. I wanted to use a 5# propane bottle but I think it would be to small unless u can fill it daily. I've run mine about 2-3hrs nightly for 4 days and still had propane left using a standard full size propane tank. Also, I have two eazy up's and light it under one of them. I feel they need something to reflect the heat back down or they are NOT near as warm to sit around.

Overall, the Costco unit by Camp Chef has been great.

Dominic

[suckerpunched]

I bought one on Amazon.com from campchef. It's small (15 inches) but puts of lots of heat. It uses lava rocks, but I'd like to get a couple ceramic logs to add to it....It was $87.00

[dano]

Randy & Debbie,
I brought a Camp Chef Model # GC-LOG-2. I got it from Cabelas for 100.00 dollars and love it. It Throws off good amt. of heat. And uses lava rocks. I older models used logs but the lava rocks for me work a lot better. We used it at the IRG everyday. I forgot to turn off my lantern that was mounted on a propaine tree and loss all of my propaine for the last night. Neigbors were nice enough to let us use some they had.
Very happy with it.

Dan

[nevadatear]

Thanks Maureen, I appreciate your comments. I think i came off a more negative than intended about the fire dancer. I was actually quite Impressed with it. I think it is a great unit and glad Bird was toasty All fake logs look like fake logs to me. In reality, it came down to between the fire dancer and Costco redwood camp chef. It was the aesthetic appeal and price that finally made the decision. We went with the Costco camp chef. It was 99 with shipping. It did end up being both heavier and bigger than anticipated. Not really a size for a teardroppers, but more for an rv. However, after living with it for a couple of days, we decided to keep it. It was Randy's birthday present and he really liked the looks of it, especially the top ring. This one does not have foldable legs. Randy may do some machinist adaptations to make it more portable to the bottom ring. It does come with a bag, but the overall height, which is what actually made it so appealing, closer to your body, makes it less packable.

We decided against the little red campfire as I kept having visions of Austin gathering ( wolf farmer, Kay and grant, Courtney, and Mary, you feel my pain). I just don't think, at least from the reviews, it could handle 12 degree weather! Wouldn't it have been great to have one (or seven) propane campfires there?

Campfire in a can seemed like best built unit, but way too expensive. $300 with shipping was not in the cards right now.

All the other ones were either too small or too big.

Since we now have one, and grant and Kay, and dano, we should be able to handle any unexpected weather at Unionville.

I think we are going to see more and more of these showing up at campsites.

Thanks everyone for your help.

[Maureenm]

Glad you found the one that meets your needs! I haven't succumbed yet,but I think you're right on the money about more and more of these showing up. I'm thinking about getting one for my daughters family for Christmas, since they already lug along the propane tank and we go through a LOT of firewood on our family camping trip?
Happy camping to you! And maybe I'll have my block of the month quilt finished by the next IRG.

[dano]

Glad you got one and its what you want.
"Since we now have one, and grant and Kay, and dano, we should be able to handle any unexpected weather at Unionville. "
Instead of a lantern light up we can do a propaine fire pit light up at Unionville!! Ha Ha cant wait to see you guys and do some more teardropping.

Dano

[nevadatear]

Slow, Your little red campfire is different from campfire in a can. I can get yours for 99 free shipping on amazon, campfire in a can looks similar, but is grey and rated to put out much more heat, and way more expensive at almost 300. We aren't winter campers either. But spring in Nevada can be surprising. One Easter 12 degrees and one memorial day 6 inches of snow on Friday and 80 degrees by Sunday. We can only go camping about once a month, so we are trying to push it into as much of three seasons as possible and handle unexpected weather. Our trips with our friends are few and far between and we are hundreds of miles away from each other. A little snow, rain or cold are not going to send us home. We have created a decent protection from rain out of an ez up and two tarps with windows sewn into them now with our campfire, we be good! You have the Tetons but we have the sierras. I ain't afraid of no ghost (weather)

And dan, looking forward to the propane campfire light up!

[wincrasher]

Amazon shows both of these with about the same BTU rating. Campfire in a can may be a bit larger. Space is at a premium, so I bought the red one. So far I love it and it's plenty hot. Also bought a 10lb fiberglass cylinder - it's very cool - compact, light weight and you can actually see how much lp is left.

[nevadatear]

Hope it works out for you. It is just so hard to really compare. Slow certainly seems happy with his. We have a Fiberglas tank too. Had it for 3 years. Love it!

[halfdome, Danny]

We have the Camp Chef that's available from Amazon for around $100 including shipping.
The Camp Chef one Costco sells is bigger and felt it would consume more space in the tow vehicle than we are willing to sacrifice.
Don't know or care about BTU ratings just know it heats just fine at about half open for as many as can gather around it.
We are very satisfied with it's performance. Danny

[DragonFire]

I bought my Little Red Campfire from Camping World on sale..I later bought the cooking grate from Amazon. That was one feature I wanted. I like my 'fake fire'..its' compact, has the cooking grate, and I can really vary the flames.I have not put it under the EZ Up yet. Others have and it seems to really help with heating your space...Rich and Elaine Clarke (Sunhopper) have a First Up with matchstick blinds on a couple or 3 sides that they keep down when it's cold to hold the heat in..and that really works. It was nice and toasty in there at the IRG!

I'm still working on my setup...I will break out the canopy sides next week to keep the sun/heat out while camping in Lodi. Not taking the campfire because it's going to be too dang hot anyway. So until October, I can't test out the EZ Up/sides/Little Red Campfire to tell you if it keeps ME toasty (I'm almost always cold..)

The Clarkes have the Camp Chef fire with lava rock. Mine has the cheesy logs. But then I have a 70's trailer, so what is more cheesy than that? Cheesy can be a good thing sometimes, as long as it doesn't mean 'flimsy' and just means 'tacky'...(like my 70's decor in my Grasshopper...)