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Portable 8lb Fire Pit/Pan

57K views 140 replies 59 participants last post by  MT4Runner 
#1 ·
Hey Everyone!


We invented a new product and would love some feedback from the Mountainbuzz community.

The Campfire Defender Pop-Up Fire Pit is the first truly portable, full-size fire pit. Made from Aluminum Alloys and a proprietary Fire Mesh, the Pop-Up Fire Pit weighs only 8lbs. and will never rust. The Pop-Up Pit packs down smaller than a folding camp chair (27” x 5” x 5”) and unfolds to a standard fire pit size. (24” x 24” x 15”)



The Pop-Up Pit was engineered to be entirely NPS Fire Pan Compliant.

We wanted to reach out to the Mountainbuzz community for any suggestions or to answer any concerns/questions you guys/gals might have about the Pit.


For More Information You Can Visit Our Website:
www.campfiredefender.com

Or Contact Us Here.


Thank You!
 
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#5 ·
Answer time

Looks good send me one and I’ll give you an opinion. We’ve warped the hell out of brand new steel ones. How do these hold up?


The Pop-Up Pits are obviously engineered to hold up to large campfires, through our testing with fire experts and other independents we've never had any issues with warping.

Although the Ember guards are aluminium the ribbing on the outside allows them to release heat to the ambient air quicker than it can build up. Even with the coals burning directly against the Ember Guards the outside temp is never much above 500F.


--

"Mesh should be good for over 50 uses"

How much is a replacement mesh? Are the side guards aluminum? Seems like they would warp.
The Replacement Meshes are going to retail for $18.95 – To be frank we wanted to put a number on the uses for the mesh because in our experience other fire pits don’t really say much about the number of uses but rust and warp after a year of use, so you have to buy a new one at full pop every other year.
If you treat your fire mesh well there’s no reason it won’t last you 100 fires. As a quick side note that 50 uses mean 50 fires burning for 6-8 hours not a quick cooking fire or the like.

By breaking everything down into replaceable parts we feel it makes it easier on you guys if something ever wears down.

The Ember Guards are aluminium, it is counter-intuitive that they do not warp we fully understand that, we were skeptical at first too. If you notice on the outside of the Ember guards are ribbed, this essentially works as a heat sink for the guards. As the fire mesh in the center is a mesh it causes air to circulate around the pit as it sucks in cold air from the environment and the heat column forces the air up. This constant airflow allows the aluminium to keep itself cool even when flames or coals are directly against them.



So have you talked with NPS to see if they agree that it's compliant? I just read the language as "it should work" not "it is NPS approved". And the 50 fireish longevity isn't that long, but the price point is nice... assuming the mesh is less than half the price of the pit, I could see that being ok... if it lasts that long in practice. What kind of trials have you done, how many do you have out being tested and for how long? Some testimonials will go a long way to alleviating fears about longevity.

BTW, thanks for stepping up, sponsoring the site and legitimately requesting feedback. Good on ya!
We are in the process of getting the Pop-Up Pit entirely approved by all regulatory bodies which is why our expected ship date isn’t until Early-Mid June. These processes take some time. As it sits now the Pop-Up Pit meets all regulations for fire pits and fire pans including the regulations stated by NPS here: https://www.nps.gov/cany/planyourvisit/riverregulations.htm
And the BLM here: https://www.blm.gov/or/resources/recreation/files/brochures/firepans.pdf

We’ve had this Pit tested by many experts including fire chiefs and fire scientists/investigators. It is also currently in the process of being reviewed by the BSA as a No Trace fire alternative. We’ve done a number of longevity tests as well testing for off-gassing and such. Fortunately, this is not our first campfire related product, so we already knew who to go to and what tests to run to ensure safety.
You can research our other product here: https://www.amazon.com/Campfire-Def...=1525976158&sr=8-1&keywords=campfire+defender
I’ve linked our Amazon, so you can see the outsider reviews!

The 50 uses as I had stated above is a number we feel very comfortable with but there’s no reason the fire mesh couldn’t last longer. It is made from a special stainless-steel alloy designed to withstand repeated heating and cooling cycles without forming or warping. Now you will see some discoloration on the mesh after your first use but that is totally normal. Our goal by putting a number of uses on the Fire Mesh was to try and remain entirely transparent with the product.
The Fire Mesh will retail for $18.95




Thanks for the great questions everyone! Keep em coming!
 
#4 ·
So have you talked with NPS to see if they agree that it's compliant? I just read the language as "it should work" not "it is NPS approved". And the 50 fireish longevity isn't that long, but the price point is nice... assuming the mesh is less than half the price of the pit, I could see that being ok... if it lasts that long in practice. What kind of trials have you done, how many do you have out being tested and for how long? Some testimonials will go along way to alleviating fears about longevity.

BTW, thanks for stepping up, sponsoring the site and legitimately requesting feed back. Good on ya!
 
#7 ·
We appreciate the kind words! We're excited to start getting these out in the field to hear back from everyone. The most exciting part is how flexible the Pop-Up Pit is - The four posts allow for all sorts of accessories that I'm sure we'll have people suggest attachments for that we haven't even thought of yet!


Let us know if you have any questions!
 
#9 ·
We can absolutely get that done for you. We actually have one that we used for pictures sitting around the office that is brand new. We could send out to you in the next couple of days so you can check it out even before your trip.

Go ahead and private message us when you place your order so we know it's you and we'll get that shipped out. :)
 
#15 ·
Preordered mine last week.

Hitting the Middle Fork next week; don't think I will get it in time for that trip. But I'm hoping to get it for my Hells trip July 8th.

BTW, somebody else is bringing their firepan on the Middle Fork next week. I am not concerned about meeting the regulations for that trip as their firepan will be sufficient. I just want it to show it off!
 
#18 ·
Great question, we cannot speak for any of the pits overseas but our mesh is spaced at around 60 microns.

This means only the finest powder will fall through the mesh. From the testing we've done, you can expect around a teaspoon of ash to fall through over 8 hours of burning.


Hope this helps!
 
#20 ·
I use a fire pan mostly to support Dutch Oven cooking. This means 3 somewhat pointed legs on your wire mesh. Can the mesh support this type of use? On a standard flat (heavy) fire pan the DO is very stable. Can it wiggle on this mesh or is it fairly stable? A lighter fire pan is very desirable to me.
 
#22 ·
We've done some testing with a dutch oven on the mesh, the mesh does hold up to the weight but it stretched the mesh a little funny because of the concentrated weight.

Here in 6-8 weeks, we'll be launching our portable grilling grates. These will fit over top of the Pop-Up Pit yet still, fit inside of the bag to keep the portability.

We'll keep everyone updated as things progress!
 
#21 ·
Mine came in while I was out on a trip at the end of last week so I haven't gotten to try it out yet.

It looks to be very well built with high quality materials. I'll be out on the river for an overnighter next weekend and will break it in then and take some pictures of it in action. I'm also going to bring along my IR laser thermometer so I can get some measurements of how well it dissipates heat.

It looks bigger in person than what the measurement would suggest. I guess I had the image of a "traditional" river fire pan set up in my head and this is considerably larger.
The only drawback I see so far is that there is no way to easily set up a cooking grate...which is fine because then you start nullifying the benefits of a lightweight design.
 
#24 ·
I have had mine out on a multi-day trip. I was worried that the ranger would not accept it when the gear inspection took place. But she just thought it was "really cool".

The first "fire" wasn't a fire; we started the charcoal and placed a 14" aluminum dutch oven on it. It handled it without issue. The only thing to be aware of with this when using the dutch is that the coals burn faster then when sitting in the bottom of a traditional fire pan.

I ordered it with the optional heat shield. I attached the heat shield close to the top of the pit. The Velcro attachment strips melted during the first real fire we lit. But that was the only bad thing. I will be ordering another heat shield and attaching it lower.

My rating: 5 stars! Super lightweight. Super easy to setup. Super easy to move around. And, as advertised, due to the screen bottom, the wood burned quickly, hot, and down to very small ash.

BIG thanks to the Fireside Outdoor team for this design!
 
#25 ·
WOOO!






Fantastic to hear your pit worked out great!


Sorry to hear about the heat shield. We realized a little too late that some of the direction for how to use the heat shield is confusing so we're redoing that with a video here shortly. The heat shield has to be about two inches below the top connectors of the frame.

Go ahead and message us your order number/address and we'll get you a new heat shield on the way free of charge.

Also, would you mind if we used your review on our website? We will not alter it in any way and will post it in its entirety.
 
#30 ·
I have one. I really like the weight and the way the legs fold up. I like to do kayak self support and fire pan weight is a big problem on self support.



My issue so for is the mesh bottom does not look to me like it will last, but that is to be found out as these units get more use.


My intended primary use is for my dutch oven. I emailed the manufacturer that I planned to use some scrap aluminum I have on top of the mesh as a firm support. Was told that was not a good idea and to wait for the aluminum grate the manufacturer has planned.



I will probably run some tests and report back here on solutions to make the unit work better for dutch ovens.
 
#31 ·
Glad to hear you're happy with the Pit so far! The Fire Mesh is made from a special stainless steel alloy designed to withstand repeated heating and cooling cycles. It will eventually break down and stretch (we're estimating this point to be at around 50 fires) at which point you'll need a new Fire Mesh ($18.95).

One of the big features we wanted to have with the pit was the modular design that way if you accidentally break something on the pit you just buy what you broke instead of a whole new pit.

We are working as fast as we can on the new grilling grates but we did only launch the Pit two weeks ago so we're still getting the lead out as far as production goes!

-Triston

Let us know if you have anymore questions!
 
#32 ·
Hey All,


Quick Update: We were having some questions from other customers about how the Pop-Up Pit folds up to actually pack away. Figured we post the video of it going together to give everyone a better idea of the construction of the pit and I've also added an image of everything that comes with the base kit.




Here ya go: https://youtu.be/bv8hIghQV0I




Let me know if you have any questions

-Triston
 
#33 ·
I just got back from my Smith trip.

As advertised it burned the wood to a fine ash. I built a BIG fire in it and other than the expected discoloration it is none the worse for wear.

I held the mesh up to the light and it shows no signs of damage.

The only thing I wasn't sure about is how it would hold up to a week of being packed and unpacked, and buried in the stack with my kids climbing all over everything. It held up great and there is no noticeable...anything. I didn't baby it, but I didn't try to break it either. I just used common sense and packed it with the rest of the gear.

Unless I do something stupid with it, I expect it will last a very long time.

Now the trick will be to see if it gets past the gear check for my Main Salmon trip...
 
#34 ·
Good for Grand?

Interested in adding one of these to my rafting equipment but more immediately so for an upcoming Grand. The NPS link you folks provided earlier shows the dimensions required for Canyonlands NP where the lip height only has to be 2 1/2" high but the GC has to be 3". What is the actual side height on this firepan? I looked on your site but could only find area size. Probably getting one regardless , just curious on the Grand compliance. Thanks ...
 
#35 ·
Interested in adding one of these to my rafting equipment but more immediately so for an upcoming Grand. The NPS link you folks provided earlier shows the dimensions required for Canyonlands NP where the lip height only has to be 2 1/2" high but the GC has to be 3". What is the actual side height on this firepan? I looked on your site but could only find area size. Probably getting one regardless , just curious on the Grand compliance. Thanks ...


Great Question - We actually built the pit to be entirely compliant with the strictest of regulations GC included - The requirement calls for 3" sides so we went with 3.5" just to be safe.

Hope this helps!
-Triston
 
#39 ·
I bought one a couple weeks ago, showed up right before my JD trip... no fires on that trip so I didn't take it nor use it, but I handed it to my 7 yo in the garage and he set it up in about a minute without reading directions and only one suggestion from me... sooo, it's definitely the easiest firepan I've ever seen to set up. Well maybe except the oil pan on the ground... but it's twice that size for sure. I'm liking it so far!

I can see at least 2 future mods, not to fix anything but add functionality. I'll post more on those when I get to them.
 
#40 ·
Proof of Compliance

Hey Tristan. I bought one of your new fire pans as soon as I saw it. I think it looks great. I was hoping you could provide some documentation that it meets the river requirements. The only ranger I got to show it to was a bit skeptical. Let me know as soon as you get your grill up for sale - I'll buy one of those too!
 
#43 ·
Hey All,

Sorry I've been travelling and haven't been able to get back to everyone.


Hey Tristan. I bought one of your new fire pans as soon as I saw it. I think it looks great. I was hoping you could provide some documentation that it meets the river requirements. The only ranger I got to show it to was a bit skeptical. Let me know as soon as you get your grill up for sale - I'll buy one of those too!
Hey Murph,

Funny enough there isn’t any official certificate or documentation that anything meets river requirements, which may be why gear checks are done every time? From speaking with representatives from the NPS, BLM, and USFS the big three for fire pan requirements are:
300sq inches – The Pop-Up Pit sits at 576sq inches
3inch sides – The Pop-Up Pit has 3.5inch sides
Elevated off the ground by its own structure – This one is self-explanatory
One of the biggest reservations we’ve seen have been the questions about the Fire Mesh, because the ranger may be skeptical that it will hold the ash. Fortunately, the Mesh is measured at 60 micron so even very fine ash is contained within the Pop-Up Pit. You can demo this for yourself at home with some charcoal ash to get a better idea. Maybe take a video to alive the rangers concerns?

Further info at: https://www.nps.gov/grca/planyourvisit/upload/noncommercial_river_trip_regulations.pdf
Page 17 of 33

Let me know if you have anymore questions!
-Triston

I have one of these Campfire Defender fire pans. My main reason for buying was for self support (basically just to meet the ranger requirements to have a fire pan along) and for my DO cooking. Love the Campfire Defender stand design, very skeptical of the mesh bottom. I thought about cutting a couple sections of solid aluminum to place on the mesh for a solid base so my DO legs would not punch thru the mesh. Manufacturers advised no to this idea.
However, a cheap Walmart pizza pan fits easily on the mesh and that is my solution for DO cooking.
I have used the real steel heavy weight fire pans for many years and often times built big time camp fires that ended up with red hot fire pans. After cooling, no issues.
These old style steel fire pans are built like a tank and weight like a tank. My opinion is if you want big time camp fires this Campfire Defender unit is not the answer. However, if you want a light weight fire pan for small fires and with my pizza pan liner for DO use - I think this new fire pan is gonna work well. Thanks for coming up with the idea Campfire Defender.
Awesome feedback! Dutch Oven cooking is a bit limited right now, but we’re hoping to get out our grilling grates ASAP to help remedy this. They’re going to be just as portable as the Pop-Up Pit as to not defeat the purpose of a portable fire pan in the first place.
Let us know if you have any further questions or concerns!
-Triston

Just got off of Lodore and we put the Pop Up Pit to the test.

After reading this thread and the positive responses, I purchased the kit that included the heat shield and an extra screen during their Father's Day sale for just over $100. Right off the bat, I feel like I'm getting a good deal if the pan holds up to expectations.

It was less than a week when I ordered, but Triston fired it off before the end of the day and it was here just in time to load up. I set it up in my living room in a couple of minutes without looking at the directions. Everything looked good so far and they even threw in a little swag in the form of a t-shirt.

Night One: We set it up with the express intent of putting this thing to the test. We built up a decent fire and it burned very cleanly with little ash. Later in the evening, we put in a "color packet" and continued to burn a full sized fire. The next morning there was a hole about an inch in diameter in the screen (see attached pics). We assumed that it had either been the result of a faulty screen or the color packets. We were a little bummed that after one use we had a hole in our new fire pan.

Night Two: We decided we would eliminate the variable of the color packet and build the biggest fire we safely could on night two.

Mission Accomplished.

Morning came and there were no new holes in the screen and the consensus was that the packets must have been the culprit.

Night three (our last): The plan was to build a huge fire AND use two different brands of color packets. Our logic was that the screen was already ruined and this would clear up the variables. We burned the rest of our wood and strategically placed the packets noting their positions. Morning revealed no new holes in the screen other than the initial one.

SO...our results:

The Screen & the Hole: We were left with more questions than answers with regard to the screen. No real conclusions could be drawn. Fireside Outdoor does say in the instructions not to use lighter fluid or gasoline on the screen as they can damage it. We concluded that the color packet was the most likely culprit. Fifty uses seems achievable with normal use but only time will tell on that one.

Overall, myself and the majority of our group (21 ppl) felt that it was a great product that, with the addition of a few tweaks (grill, etc), could be even better. Set up and tear down were a breeze. The fires we built were as big as any I could need on the river. No one complained about carrying the fire pan to camp and back. I am looking forward to the grill attachment.

Jason

Jason,

First off, I want to say very thorough review. Get me out your Order # and I’ll get you a new Fire Mesh sent out, just to ensure you can keep using the Pop-Up Pit!
You are very right that it was the color packet that caused the damage. We hadn’t even considered those! Generally, they’re made from phosphate which can get as hot as 4,000F much beyond the melting point of Fire Mesh.
We had mentioned the liquid petroleum because if you use too much it will seep through the mesh, sending lighter fluid on the heat shield or ground creating another fire hazard. We have to state this as we are not sure of our users experience level and we are trying to keep everyone safe. We’re going to be updating our warning sheet to include those color packets.

Thanks again!
-Triston
 
#41 ·
I have one of these Campfire Defender fire pans. My main reason for buying was for self support (basically just to meet the ranger requirements to have a fire pan along) and for my DO cooking. Love the Campfire Defender stand design, very skeptical of the mesh bottom. I thought about cutting a couple sections of solid aluminum to place on the mesh for a solid base so my DO legs would not punch thru the mesh. Manufacturers advised no to this idea.



However, a cheap Walmart pizza pan fits easily on the mesh and that is my solution for DO cooking.


I have used the real steel heavy weight fire pans for many years and often times built big time camp fires that ended up with red hot fire pans. After cooling, no issues.


These old style steel fire pans are built like a tank and weight like a tank. My opinion is if you want big time camp fires this Campfire Defender unit is not the answer. However, if you want a light weight fire pan for small fires and with my pizza pan liner for DO use - I think this new fire pan is gonna work well. Thanks for coming up with the idea Campfire Defender.
 
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