Propane Fire Pit - Worth It?

[JoeHannaford]

I'm thinking of getting a propane fire portable pit.

For those of you with one, is it worth it?

And is a 20 lb tank needed or will a 10 lb tank be OK? I don't want to be tethered to my RV so I can use it even when not camping.

Thanks.

We are full-timers and more often than not in dry/drought areas, wood fires are not allowed. The propane fire rings are really nice -- no smoke, sparks, or splinters. We bought the Outland Living Deluxe Fire Pit with cover and storage case. 20lb tank a must. As others said, it will last depending on your usage.

[StonewallJ]

We've used an Outland Cypress Firebowl for the last 2 years. Love it. I don't run it wide open, probably 3/4 at most. Seems like it just burns extra gas for no benefit of heat. The rocks will retain heat when you cut it off. It actually looks like a charcoal grill they glow so much. I was super skeptical about it but we love it. I've actually placed it in a brick campground fire pit and worked great. I need to add some more lava rock before next year. That's all it's needed so far. A 10 gallon tank probably would give you 2-3 evenings of burn time. It's also considered a food cooking device so can be used during burn bans but people will ask about it. I've been asked plenty times about ours in normal conditions. We've done smores on ours but have talked to people who have cooked hot dogs on theirs.

So, do the Outland Firebowls put out a good bit of heat, or is it mostly about ambience?

[alias100]

They put out a nice amount of heat. Great for cool mornings and/or evenings.

[Yosemiteman]

We too have an Outland fire bowl we bought at Costco for $72. We added another bag of lava rock. It doesn't take long for the rock to heat up and put off quite a bit of heat. We love a real campfire, but as many of said it's not always allowed or possible. I would definitely go with the 20 pound tank at a minimum.

[JeffD68]

We keep the propane fire bowl in the pass-through for all the reasons mentioned previously. Most of the time, I set it up inside the fire ring to really enhance the facade. I consider it mostly for ambiance as it gives off much less heat than a wood fire. I did recently buy a Solo Stove Bonfire, though. It was on sale at Costco a few weeks ago. I do miss a real wood fire sometimes, but not the smoke. On Monday, we're heading out to dry camp in the the desert where we can burn wood to our heart's content. Looking forward to checking out the Solo Stove for the first time.

[Bwood BBQ]

So, do the Outland Firebowls put out a good bit of heat, or is it mostly about ambience?

It keeps my wife happy and she's definitely one sensitive to cold. I've used it in the 30s and been comfortable. It puts out close to the same amount as a wood fire to me. Not the same heat level but close in my opinion. At the beach in March a couple years ago it was extremely windy. A light to mid wind doesn't mess wit h it much but some of the cold heavy gusts would dissipate the heat, but it would recover quickly.

[GNRWhite]

We have used a propane fire pit during the last spring and a little bit of this fall season. It is an easy switch from the wood fire, but will never replace a real fire. It works well for a quick, after dinner drink, fire when you don't want to start a real fire. They do tend to run through the propane though.

[jsm180]

Outland Firebowl on Amazon for $80 today. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KY4S388..._ov_lig_dp_it#

[WhittleBurner]

Outland Firebowl on Amazon for $80 today. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00KY4S388..._ov_lig_dp_it#

It's 70 today following that link.

Today there are size choices
https://smile.amazon.com/deal/7f25be...e89_dt_sl21_16

[JCR GD]

It's 70 today following that link.

Today there are size choices
https://smile.amazon.com/deal/7f25be...e89_dt_sl21_16

That's a good price for the 21" ... $80