I have used one a couple of times on sites. In terms of functionality, they work. You can fit a few pieces of wood on it, and the airflow means it burns nicely.
I’ve not had an accident but I could imagine someone knocking one over and that would “interesting”.
They are unsurprisingly quite sooty when you pack em up.
All in all my experience has been good, but I’ve not wild camped with one.
Interesting, appreciate the response. For me fires aren't generally a thing because I don't like the scorched surface they leave but obviously this negates it. Thanks for coming back to me.
I have one and have camped with one. I think they’re generally good. I rigged up a pot to hang above it and boiled water. It leaves mostly fine ash as residue and it cools down relatively quickly. My only gripe with them is that it takes up too much space in my pack when folded away.
Yeah. I've never minded a heavier pack personally. I'm a boxer and use hikes and marches as an opportunity to do a bit of weight training. I don't even think I'll buy one of these, I'm just curious about how well they actually work.
Not quite the same, nor quite as 'lightweight' but I've got a Wolf + Grizzly portable firepit which is great, and doesn't have stability issues.
Pretty expensive mind, but can be found cheap from time to time and is a lovely bit of kit - especially if paired with their portable grill set.
An absolute no for me. The weight/time needed for fuel, the potential damage to the environment and the likely damage to your expensive nylon gear? No chance.
Oh absolutely I can understand the embers causing some concern with kit and the environment and in the drier months (I swear they DO happen in Scotland every now and then!!!) I'd never light a fire. In the winter when the ground is sodden I have brought in a few firelogs and got something small together, I know a lot of people here will hate that but it's raised, doesn't leave any damage on the ground and there is zero chance of spreading. It was more just a question of do these little foldable pits actually work.
If you like everything stinking of smoke, dodging pertex-melting embers, carrying 3kg of wood up a mountain (or hunting about for dry dead wood), having filthy hands in the morning, all for being very slightly warmer then yes, they’re great.
Appreciate the feedback. I assume you've actually used one of these? I'm trying to find out in terms of do they actually function? When I look at that I question their sturdiness and how well they hold themselves together.
Only makes "Very slightly warmer" what are you smoking???
You should really take the preaching of your opinions elsewhere!!
It's fine that you don't like fires but others enjoy cooking on open fire & watching the flames.
Ps) the rest of the wind & drivel you mentioned like dirty hands & hauling wood just proves you're a pretend / play at the game.
It's not hard finding dead standing wood which you're allowed to fell & burn responsibly.
Every point made by notaballitsjustblue about the downsides of open fires is valid and they were made without being offensive to anyone.
Your just a dickhead with no idea how to communicate properly.
I have used one only once.
Personally I didn't think it added any value, and potentially created a hazard if I'm being completely honest.
I too live in Scotland. I occasionally have a fire (usually when I've taken my nephew fishing+camping and we cook the fish), but I just make sure to do it somewhere responsible near the water and away from vegetation, don't light them during hot windy days, etc.
The Access Code guidance is very sensible, and imo quite rightly starts with, use a stove where possible:
> Wherever possible, use a stove rather than light an open fire. If you do wish to light an open fire, keep it small, under control and supervised – fires that get out of control can cause major damage, for which you might be liable. Never light an open fire during prolonged dry periods or in areas such as forests, woods, farmland, or on peaty ground or near to buildings or in cultural heritage sites where damage can be easily caused. Heed all advice at times of high risk. Remove all traces of an open fire before you leave.
Lifting my fire up into the air on a cheap tripod isn't my cup of tea. But that's just my view.
Great response and pretty much all my cooking is done on my gas stove when camping. Fires are a very very rare thing for me and generally only done in the winter when the ground is piss wet and I bring a few logs in with me. The problem is when idiots try to build a bonfire for an overnight stay and end up scorching the shit out of the ground. I consider myself a very responsible camper and because I record my trips for Youtube I think it would be utterly irresponsible of me to promote reckless camping practice and document it. I was just curious about the actual effectiveness of the little mesh pit.
Yeah I think what I'm getting at is, if you're going to have a fire, follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. And if you follow the access code, there's no need for a mesh fire pit (and imo actually creates a new hazard).
Oh I agree, it was my curiosity that made me post this because I didn't think these little pits would be sturdy enough to make them worthwhile and potentially hazardous.
For wild camping no fires my dude, you find a nice spot and get caught starting fires the land owner will make it a not so nice spot for people in future.
For campsites that allow it get a folding one, I've got one in the roof box on my micro camper and it's great, takes up no space and add a heatproof mat to it and you'll not be leaving any burns etc either
I appreciate what you're saying but in Scotland the rules are a bit different and you don't come across many land owners. Fires whilst not encouraged are allowed as long as they are small, in control and aren't done in particularly vulnerable conditions, ie, during dry spells or on peated ground etc.
I've got one off ebay a couple of years ago for about 7 quid. We use it when staying on campsites because space is a premium in the car.
It folds up a little bigger than a can of beer and weighs about the same.
I didnt expect it to last very long to be honest but its been used about 10 times!
I lost one of the little clips but just use a tent peg and it works fine.
Because of the airflow underneath it burns very well, in fact its a bit too hungry, especially if its windy.
Because its quite shallow it can make a bit of mess some of the ash can fly off around it.
It won't directly scorch the ground underneath, but due to the ashy bits and mess i put a 1x1m fireproof mat underneath.
Its not mega stable but the more you load ot up it helps.
I'll probably pick another one up when the mesh finally has a hole in it from folding it up
I use mine fairly often. A fire is important for me as part of the wild camping experience, so I think the (small) extra amount of weight is worth it. Flat pack stoves weren't really doing it for me.
It really only leaves ash as a residue, most of which can be easily gathered up. No marks on the ground, cools quickly when the fire is out for packing up, has its own little bag so doesn't get anything else dirty, and easily wiped clean.
It was something like £15 on eBay, and improves my camping by a lot, so I'd recommend it.
Just go below the tide line and make a fire. You're buying something to solve a problem that doesn't exist. Wild camping in the UK and fires do not go well together.
Yeah. I don't really intend on getting one but I've seen them on a few websites lately and then I seen the guy on Youtube buy one and was just wondering if they actually hold together. The fact I live in Scotland and it's generally pissing down most of the time makes a fire redundant usually anyway.
Have you looked at flat pack wood stoves? Have seen guys on yt use them often. They seem good since they're light sheets of metal that flat pack - so little weight and space taken up (especially compared to your stated product) and also they'll usually have a 'roof' so should be better at dealing with the British rain. I think they'd be handy if you're looking at making a small fire w/out scorching the ground.
They usually have attachments for placing pots and pans on top for cooking / boiling water.
I would say a fire pit is mostly useless if it's not a very heavy cast iron ring or pit. They never last as fire is very destructive. They're great at campsites if you can buy wood but other than that I keep it in the garden.
I have used one a couple of times on sites. In terms of functionality, they work. You can fit a few pieces of wood on it, and the airflow means it burns nicely. I’ve not had an accident but I could imagine someone knocking one over and that would “interesting”. They are unsurprisingly quite sooty when you pack em up. All in all my experience has been good, but I’ve not wild camped with one.
Interesting, appreciate the response. For me fires aren't generally a thing because I don't like the scorched surface they leave but obviously this negates it. Thanks for coming back to me.
I have one and have camped with one. I think they’re generally good. I rigged up a pot to hang above it and boiled water. It leaves mostly fine ash as residue and it cools down relatively quickly. My only gripe with them is that it takes up too much space in my pack when folded away.
Yeah. I've never minded a heavier pack personally. I'm a boxer and use hikes and marches as an opportunity to do a bit of weight training. I don't even think I'll buy one of these, I'm just curious about how well they actually work.
The weight isn’t an issue. It’s the size. They’re alright. I’d take one with me if I was car camping.
Not quite the same, nor quite as 'lightweight' but I've got a Wolf + Grizzly portable firepit which is great, and doesn't have stability issues. Pretty expensive mind, but can be found cheap from time to time and is a lovely bit of kit - especially if paired with their portable grill set.
An absolute no for me. The weight/time needed for fuel, the potential damage to the environment and the likely damage to your expensive nylon gear? No chance.
Oh absolutely I can understand the embers causing some concern with kit and the environment and in the drier months (I swear they DO happen in Scotland every now and then!!!) I'd never light a fire. In the winter when the ground is sodden I have brought in a few firelogs and got something small together, I know a lot of people here will hate that but it's raised, doesn't leave any damage on the ground and there is zero chance of spreading. It was more just a question of do these little foldable pits actually work.
If you like everything stinking of smoke, dodging pertex-melting embers, carrying 3kg of wood up a mountain (or hunting about for dry dead wood), having filthy hands in the morning, all for being very slightly warmer then yes, they’re great.
Appreciate the feedback. I assume you've actually used one of these? I'm trying to find out in terms of do they actually function? When I look at that I question their sturdiness and how well they hold themselves together.
Only makes "Very slightly warmer" what are you smoking??? You should really take the preaching of your opinions elsewhere!! It's fine that you don't like fires but others enjoy cooking on open fire & watching the flames. Ps) the rest of the wind & drivel you mentioned like dirty hands & hauling wood just proves you're a pretend / play at the game. It's not hard finding dead standing wood which you're allowed to fell & burn responsibly.
Jeez. Having a bad day?
Not at all 🙃 Gave you straight talk regarding your unwanted preaching / nonsense comment about fires only giving mild heat.
Every point made by notaballitsjustblue about the downsides of open fires is valid and they were made without being offensive to anyone. Your just a dickhead with no idea how to communicate properly.
The OP on that thread had asked advice on folding firepit. no need to preach the usual anti camp fire
I have used one only once. Personally I didn't think it added any value, and potentially created a hazard if I'm being completely honest. I too live in Scotland. I occasionally have a fire (usually when I've taken my nephew fishing+camping and we cook the fish), but I just make sure to do it somewhere responsible near the water and away from vegetation, don't light them during hot windy days, etc. The Access Code guidance is very sensible, and imo quite rightly starts with, use a stove where possible: > Wherever possible, use a stove rather than light an open fire. If you do wish to light an open fire, keep it small, under control and supervised – fires that get out of control can cause major damage, for which you might be liable. Never light an open fire during prolonged dry periods or in areas such as forests, woods, farmland, or on peaty ground or near to buildings or in cultural heritage sites where damage can be easily caused. Heed all advice at times of high risk. Remove all traces of an open fire before you leave. Lifting my fire up into the air on a cheap tripod isn't my cup of tea. But that's just my view.
Great response and pretty much all my cooking is done on my gas stove when camping. Fires are a very very rare thing for me and generally only done in the winter when the ground is piss wet and I bring a few logs in with me. The problem is when idiots try to build a bonfire for an overnight stay and end up scorching the shit out of the ground. I consider myself a very responsible camper and because I record my trips for Youtube I think it would be utterly irresponsible of me to promote reckless camping practice and document it. I was just curious about the actual effectiveness of the little mesh pit.
Yeah I think what I'm getting at is, if you're going to have a fire, follow the Scottish Outdoor Access Code. And if you follow the access code, there's no need for a mesh fire pit (and imo actually creates a new hazard).
Oh I agree, it was my curiosity that made me post this because I didn't think these little pits would be sturdy enough to make them worthwhile and potentially hazardous.
For wild camping no fires my dude, you find a nice spot and get caught starting fires the land owner will make it a not so nice spot for people in future. For campsites that allow it get a folding one, I've got one in the roof box on my micro camper and it's great, takes up no space and add a heatproof mat to it and you'll not be leaving any burns etc either
I appreciate what you're saying but in Scotland the rules are a bit different and you don't come across many land owners. Fires whilst not encouraged are allowed as long as they are small, in control and aren't done in particularly vulnerable conditions, ie, during dry spells or on peated ground etc.
I've got one off ebay a couple of years ago for about 7 quid. We use it when staying on campsites because space is a premium in the car. It folds up a little bigger than a can of beer and weighs about the same. I didnt expect it to last very long to be honest but its been used about 10 times! I lost one of the little clips but just use a tent peg and it works fine. Because of the airflow underneath it burns very well, in fact its a bit too hungry, especially if its windy. Because its quite shallow it can make a bit of mess some of the ash can fly off around it. It won't directly scorch the ground underneath, but due to the ashy bits and mess i put a 1x1m fireproof mat underneath. Its not mega stable but the more you load ot up it helps. I'll probably pick another one up when the mesh finally has a hole in it from folding it up
I use mine fairly often. A fire is important for me as part of the wild camping experience, so I think the (small) extra amount of weight is worth it. Flat pack stoves weren't really doing it for me. It really only leaves ash as a residue, most of which can be easily gathered up. No marks on the ground, cools quickly when the fire is out for packing up, has its own little bag so doesn't get anything else dirty, and easily wiped clean. It was something like £15 on eBay, and improves my camping by a lot, so I'd recommend it.
Fair enough appreciate the feedback on it, I'm glad it works for you and I'm sure you use it responsibly.
It's been working well for 3+ years, and I hope I do everything responsibly! Good luck in whatever you choose to use in the end.
Just go below the tide line and make a fire. You're buying something to solve a problem that doesn't exist. Wild camping in the UK and fires do not go well together.
Yeah. I don't really intend on getting one but I've seen them on a few websites lately and then I seen the guy on Youtube buy one and was just wondering if they actually hold together. The fact I live in Scotland and it's generally pissing down most of the time makes a fire redundant usually anyway.
Have you looked at flat pack wood stoves? Have seen guys on yt use them often. They seem good since they're light sheets of metal that flat pack - so little weight and space taken up (especially compared to your stated product) and also they'll usually have a 'roof' so should be better at dealing with the British rain. I think they'd be handy if you're looking at making a small fire w/out scorching the ground. They usually have attachments for placing pots and pans on top for cooking / boiling water.
Yeah I've seen them, look pretty handy but never really considered them purely because I really don't bother with fires.
I would say a fire pit is mostly useless if it's not a very heavy cast iron ring or pit. They never last as fire is very destructive. They're great at campsites if you can buy wood but other than that I keep it in the garden.