The Best Portable Fire Pits for Camping
A mesh floor on a folding frame weighs a few pounds and keeps the fire off the ground, which is exactly what a leave-no-trace or elevated-fire rule requires.
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A packable fire pit is a stainless mesh floor on a folding aluminum frame. It weighs 3 to 7 lb, sets up in under a minute, and holds the fire above the ground so nothing scorches underneath — which is what leave-no-trace and elevated-fire rules require.
| # | Product | Best for | Key spec | Price |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Fireside OutdoorPhoto via Amazon Fireside Outdoor Pop-Up Fire Pit, 24 in7 lb, folds flat, and holds the fire on a mesh above the ground, which is exactly what a leave-no-trace or elevated-fire rule requires. | Leave-no-trace camping | 7 lb | Check price on Amazon |
| 2 | Fireside OutdoorPhoto via Amazon Fireside Outdoor Pop-Up Fire Pit Ultra LiteThe same 24 in design at 3.2 lb. It gives up frame rigidity to get there, and the listing still rates it to hold 80 lb of firewood. | Carrying it far | 3.2 lb | Check price on Amazon |
| 3 | BioLitePhoto via Amazon BioLite FirePit+The only pit here that forces air with a fan instead of relying on convection, and the only one that is a competent charcoal grill in the same object. | Cooking and portability | — | Check price on Amazon |
| 4 | Solo StovePhoto via Amazon Solo Stove Ranger 2.015 in and 15 lb. The smallest fire that still reads as a fire pit rather than a camp stove, and the one that fits a patio where the clearance math rules out everything larger. | Small patios and travel | 304 stainless steel | Check price on Amazon |
Prices are pulled live from Amazon. Where no live price is showing, the button reads “check price” rather than a number we cannot stand behind.
Fireside Outdoor Pop-Up Fire Pit, 24 in
Fireside Outdoor7 lb, folds flat, and holds the fire on a mesh above the ground, which is exactly what a leave-no-trace or elevated-fire rule requires.
7 lb, folds flat, and holds the fire on a mesh above the ground, which is exactly what a leave-no-trace or elevated-fire rule requires.
- The mesh floor keeps the fire off the ground, which is the whole point where ground fires are banned
- Airflow from underneath burns hotter and leaves less unburned material
- 7 lb and flat, so it goes where a bowl cannot
- The heat shield is a separate purchase, and you need it on any surface you care about
- Mesh is a consumable and will eventually need replacing
- It is a camp tool, not a backyard centerpiece
Campers, tailgaters and anyone on a site where elevated fires are the only fires allowed.
This is your only pit and it lives at home. Buy something that stays put.
We have not burned this unit. These are the things a specification sheet cannot answer, listed rather than glossed over.
- Mesh service life, which Fireside does not publish in hours or burns
#ad how we are funded · no live price right now
Fireside Outdoor Pop-Up Fire Pit Ultra Lite
Fireside OutdoorThe same 24 in design at 3.2 lb. It gives up frame rigidity to get there, and the listing still rates it to hold 80 lb of firewood.
The same 24 in design at 3.2 lb. It gives up frame rigidity to get there, and the listing still rates it to hold 80 lb of firewood.
- Less than half the weight of the standard Pop-Up
- Still rated for a serious fuel load
- A lighter frame means less rigidity over rough ground
- Heat shield still separate
Anyone carrying the pit any real distance from the vehicle.
The pit lives in a truck bed. Buy the sturdier 7 lb version.
We have not burned this unit. These are the things a specification sheet cannot answer, listed rather than glossed over.
- How the lighter frame holds up against the standard model over time
#ad how we are funded · no live price right now
BioLite FirePit+
BioLiteThe only pit here that forces air with a fan instead of relying on convection, and the only one that is a competent charcoal grill in the same object.
The only pit here that forces air with a fan instead of relying on convection, and the only one that is a competent charcoal grill in the same object.
- Forced air lets you dial the burn up or down, which no convection pit can do
- Genuinely packs flat, so it travels in a way a 20 in bowl does not
- The grill grate is part of the design rather than an accessory
- A battery and a fan are two failure points a steel bowl does not have
- Rectangular mesh sides throw heat forward and back, not evenly in a circle
- Bluetooth control is iOS-only per the listing
Campers, tailgaters and anyone who wants one object to be both the fire and the grill.
You want a backyard centerpiece. This is a tool, and it looks and behaves like one.
We have not burned this unit. These are the things a specification sheet cannot answer, listed rather than glossed over.
- Battery longevity over several seasons
- How much of the smoke reduction depends on the fan being charged
#ad how we are funded · no live price right now
Solo Stove Ranger 2.0
Solo Stove15 in and 15 lb. The smallest fire that still reads as a fire pit rather than a camp stove, and the one that fits a patio where the clearance math rules out everything larger.
15 in and 15 lb. The smallest fire that still reads as a fire pit rather than a camp stove, and the one that fits a patio where the clearance math rules out everything larger.
- One-hand carry, which is the whole argument for it
- Small enough that a workable clear radius is achievable on a real patio
- Same stainless and same warranty as the big units
- You will be feeding it constantly, because the chamber holds very little wood
- Radiant heat at this diameter warms two people, not six
- Requires cutting nearly all firewood down to size
A townhouse patio, a campsite where fires are allowed, or anyone who wants the smokeless burn without a 40 lb object to store.
You want the pit to be the heat source for a group. Buy diameter instead.
We have not burned this unit. These are the things a specification sheet cannot answer, listed rather than glossed over.
- How well secondary combustion holds at this small a chamber volume in wind
- Practical refuel interval, which no maker publishes for any pit in this category
#ad how we are funded · no live price right now
Why the mesh floor is the point
Most campsite fire restrictions that are not outright bans ask for the same thing: the fire must not be on the ground. The reasoning is straightforward — a ground fire sterilizes soil, leaves a scar, and can ignite root systems and duff that smolder underground long after the visible fire is out. Requiring an elevated container solves all three.
A mesh floor also burns better than a solid one. Air enters from underneath across the entire fuel bed rather than from the sides, so the fire runs hotter and consumes more of each piece. What you get at the end is fine ash rather than half-burned chunks, which is also easier to pack out.
The two Fireside pits
| Pop-Up 24 in | Pop-Up Ultra Lite | |
|---|---|---|
| Weight | 7 lb | 3.2 lb |
| Open size | 24 x 24 in | 24 in |
| Rated fuel load | Not stated | 80 lb of firewood |
| Frame | Aluminum and stainless | Lighter frame |
| Setup | Under 60 seconds, no tools | Folds flat |
| Heat shield | Sold separately | Sold separately |
Both are 24 in open. The choice is rigidity against weight — and 3.8 lb is a real difference if you are carrying it.
If the pit lives in a truck bed or a car boot, buy the heavier one: the sturdier frame handles rough ground and repeated setup better, and 7 lb is nothing in a vehicle. If you are carrying it any real distance, the Ultra Lite exists for exactly that and still takes a serious fuel load.
The heat shield is not optional
Both Fireside pits sell the heat shield separately, and both need it. The mesh holds the fire perhaps a foot off the ground, which is enough to prevent a scar but not enough to prevent scorching on grass, or heat damage on a picnic-area surface or a wooden platform. The shield is a reflective panel that hangs below the mesh and takes the downward radiation.
Budget for it at the same time as the pit. Discovering you need it at a campsite is the wrong moment.
The alternatives in this list
The BioLite FirePit+ is a different proposition: heavier at 19.8 lb, but it packs flat, includes a grill grate, and has a fan you can turn up. If the camping trip involves cooking, it is arguably the better tool. The Solo Stove Ranger is a 15 lb stainless bowl — it does not fold, so it is a car-camping object, and it gives you the smokeless burn a mesh pit does not.
Camping fire rules, briefly
- Check the current restriction, not last year's. Fire restrictions change weekly in dry conditions.
- Elevated-fire rules usually mean off the ground, which is what this format provides. Some sites specify a container with a lid instead.
- Some restrictions exempt only gas. In that case no wood pit qualifies and you need a certified propane bowl.
- Buy firewood locally. Moving firewood spreads invasive insects and many states restrict it.
- Pack out the ash where the site requires it. Mesh pits produce very little, which helps.
- A steel bowl as a camping pit
Bowls are heavy, awkward in a vehicle and do not fold. They also sit directly on the ground, which is the thing an elevated-fire rule exists to prevent.
- Skipping the heat shield
It is a separate purchase on both Fireside pits and it is the accessory that makes the format work on grass, sand or a picnic-area surface. Buy it with the pit.
- Weight first, because it is the whole reason this format exists.
- Rated fuel load second — a light pit that cannot hold wood is not useful.
- Whether the fire stays off the ground, which is what most site rules actually require.
- What we did not do: take any of them camping.
We have not burned any of these units, and we do not claim to have. The full method, including what it cannot tell you.