Portable Propane Fire Pit

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I just purchased a portable propane fire pit. My question is about the “rocks” that you are suppose to place inside the pit. After spending last week bouncing around on some very rough terrain, is it safe to transport the rocks still in the fire pit or could it cause damage to the burners? Do people remove the rocks for transport? Do people even use the rocks while out over landing? Too much hassle or weight? Thanks.

 

[Road]

I just purchased a portable propane fire pit. My question is about the “rocks” that you are suppose to place inside the pit. After spending last week bouncing around on some very rough terrain, is it safe to transport the rocks still in the fire pit or could it cause damage to the burners? Do people remove the rocks for transport? Do people even use the rocks while out over landing? Too much hassle or weight? Thanks.

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I've had a Camp Chef fire pit with lava rocks for several years and use it a LOT. I keep the lava rocks in the pit full-time, with the bag they came in draped over them and the propane hose and brass valve over that, all zipped in the carry bag. I just never stow it on edge but always flat, usually on top of my stack of awning sidewalls and other tarps.

Never hurt the fire ring in the least. TIP: dont know which one you have, though it's best to remove the brass valve for transport. I left it in one time, it got bent a bit, then broke when I tried to straighten it.

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[my134Runner]

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I've had a Camp Chef fire pit with lava rocks for several years and use it a LOT. I keep the lava rocks in the pit full-time, with the bag they came in draped over them and the propane hose and brass valve over that, all zipped in the carry bag. I just never stow it on edge but always flat, usually on top of my stack of awning sidewalls and other tarps.

Never hurt the fire ring in the least. TIP: dont know which one you have, though it's best to remove the brass valve for transport. I left it in one time, it got bent a bit, then broke when I tried to straighten it.

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Same here, I leave them in the pit, with everything buttoned up, and strapped down to my roof rack, really hasn't been an issue. Open it up, spread the rocks around a little, hook up the hose and turn it on! In about three weeks, it will be my fire pits third trip on the Mojave Road......and that's a Lot of bouncing around!!! So far, so good! And I'll be out there for six (6) days...….so a few Extra days of bouncing around in the desert!

 

[Road]

Oh...and yes, the porous lava rocks (if that's what you have in yours; it usually is) help in retaining and spreading the heat. Much better to use them than not. I wouldn't consider using my fire ring without them.

I have the one with the folding legs, which when readied for the bag and transport is only 4-5" tall. I'm not a fan of the taller ones with an upper (and sometimes lower, too) ring.

It's usually all I use under my awning in cold weather, hooked with an extension to one of my 20# tanks. In the image below, a free-standing tank. At other times, hooked to the tank on the tongue of my trailer.
It's been quite impressive, really, the amount of heat I can contain in my kitchen/work area, even without sidewalls all the way around, but just to the windward side.


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At other times I just set it up on drizzly days under the awning for sitting around:


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I do this a lot: Set my small aluminum folding table up and put the fire ring close, then set one of the two forks that came with the fire ring in the crook of the table legs, where it sits quite happily, waiting for me to rotate it by hand or foot on the other end so my hot dogs, sausages, chicken, or steak tips cook evenly:


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Packs up nice and small. Smaller than a skottle, as seen side by side below (I sold the skottle):

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Cold weather set up, with more sidewalls up and the fire ring providing heat in an almost enclosed area. Provides a lot of light, too, actually, a lot of which is reflected by the interior of the side walls and awning. I much prefer the warm glow of the fire ring than the cold light of LEDs.


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Roaddude - On the Road In North America - ROADDUDE

Roaddude - Traveling Photographer/Writer/Artist On the Road In North America. Gear, reviews, people, places, and culture.

roaddude.com

 

[my134Runner]

Oh...and yes, the porous lava rocks (if that's what you have in yours; it usually is) help in retaining and spreading the heat. Much better to use them than not. I wouldn't consider using my fire ring without them.

I have the one with the folding legs, which when readied for the bag and transport is only 4-5" tall. I'm not a fan of the taller ones with an upper (and sometimes lower, too) ring.

It's usually all I use under my awning in cold weather, hooked with an extension to one of my 20# tanks. In the image below, a free-standing tank. At other times, hooked to the tank on the tongue of my trailer.
It's been quite impressive, really, the amount of heat I can contain in my kitchen/work area, even without sidewalls all the way around, but just to the windward side.

View attachment 208420
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At other times I just set it up on drizzly days under the awning for sitting around:

View attachment 208417
.

I do this a lot: Set my small aluminum folding table up and put the fire ring close, then set one of the two forks that came with the fire ring in the crook of the table legs, where it sits quite happily, waiting for me to rotate it by hand or foot on the other end so my hot dogs, sausages, chicken, or steak tips cook evenly:

View attachment 208419
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View attachment 208418
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Packs up nice and small. Smaller than a skottle, as seen side by side below (I sold the skottle):
View attachment 208421
.

Cold weather set up, with more sidewalls up and the fire ring providing heat in an almost enclosed area. Provides a lot of light, too, actually, a lot of which is reflected by the interior of the side walls and awning. I much prefer the warm glow of the fire ring than the cold light of LEDs.

View attachment 208422
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.

Roaddude - On the Road In North America - ROADDUDE

Roaddude - Traveling Photographer/Writer/Artist On the Road In North America. Gear, reviews, people, places, and culture.

roaddude.com

Nice trailer set up! I want to get one when I grow up!! Lol! I forget who makes the one I have, but it's from Costco, and doesn't fold down anything like that. So far, I've just been using the box it came in, but that can only last so long before it goes to hell. The one I have has a lid and that contains the rocks, it straps and locks in four different spots. I need to have a padded case/bag made for it, tough enough to be strapped down on the roof and give cushioning and protection to the fire pit. Or, see if the company makes one! LOL! For what I want, it would probably have to be custom.

We'll be in the Mojave National Preserve, this time of year is not very cold, but still nice having a fire and knowing I don't have to sweat every damn ember that comes off the fire and wonder if I'm going to burn down my park!!

Do you break that whole set up down every morning? Guess it wouldn't be that bad, as it all just goes into the trailer. Seems like a get there and set up a massive camp for a couple of days type of thing, vs a pack it up every morning to set up at the next campsite. I like the kitchen set up for sure, nice job.

 

[Road]

Nice trailer set up! I want to get one when I grow up!! Lol! I forget who makes the one I have, but it's from Costco, and doesn't fold down anything like that. So far, I've just been using the box it came in, but that can only last so long before it goes to hell. The one I have has a lid and that contains the rocks, it straps and locks in four different spots. I need to have a padded case/bag made for it, tough enough to be strapped down on the roof and give cushioning and protection to the fire pit. Or, see if the company makes one! LOL! For what I want, it would probably have to be custom.

We'll be in the Mojave National Preserve, this time of year is not very cold, but still nice having a fire and knowing I don't have to sweat every damn ember that comes off the fire and wonder if I'm going to burn down my park!!

Do you break that whole set up down every morning? Guess it wouldn't be that bad, as it all just goes into the trailer. Seems like a get there and set up a massive camp for a couple of days type of thing, vs a pack it up every morning to set up at the next campsite. I like the kitchen set up for sure, nice job.

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I saw somewhere some outfit is making bags for fire rings. Mine came with one; a simple single-layer non-padded bag that has held up well, as much as I throw it around and store in different places.

Re: Set up and break down of my adventure rig:

The beauty of my trailer set up is that I can just pop up the tent for quick overnights, or just tent and awning, or tent, awning, sidewalls, and counter, etc. It is very versatile and easily adapted to a wide variety of situations. Most of it unfolds from the trailer itself, and does so in quick fashion.

From the time I am unhooked (if I decide to unhook) to the time I'm sitting and popping a cold drink is usually under 20 mins, with tent up, awning out, full kitchen counter and water hooked up, and table and two chairs ready for use.

So, depending on weather and time of day I start setting up, I often set up tent, awning, and kitchen even just for a night. I like getting to a spot at least an hour or two before dark. All packs up quick, too. I basecamp a lot, too, though, and will stay several nights to a couple weeks in a spot. That's when I set up more sidewalls or awning extensions against the wind, cold, or rain.

To set up something like in the image below takes no time at all, really. Undo four latches and give the tent a shove and it pops up. Unzip and undo two straps and the awning unfolds around both ends and one side. If I'm gonna put up sidewalls, then I add a couple poles for more support. Otherwise the awning is self-supporting, as in the bottom image.

These two images show my two most common setups.


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The only manmade light in this image, by the way, other than an LED inside the rooftop tent, is from my propane fire ring, shielded from the camera by a couple of storage boxes by the table.

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[my134Runner]

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The beauty of my trailer set up is that I can just pop up the tent for quick overnights, or tent and awning, or tent, awning and sidewalls, etc. It is very versatile and easily adapted to a wide variety of situations. Most of it unfold from the trailer itself, and does so in quick fashion.

From the time I am unhooked (if I decide to unhook) to the time I'm sitting and popping a cold drink is usually under 20 mins, with tent up, awning out, full kitchen counter and water hooked up, and table and two chairs ready for use.

So, depending on weather and time I set up, I often set up tent, awning, and kitchen even just for a night. All packs up quick, too. I basecamp a lot, too, though, and will stay several nights to a couple weeks in a spot. That's when I set up more sidewalls against the wind, cold, or rain.

To set up something like in the image below take no time at all, really. Undo four latches and give the tent a shove and it pops up. Unzip and undo two straps and the awning unfolds around both ends and one side. If I'm gonna put up sidewalls, then I add a couple poles for more support. Otherwise the awning is self-supporting, as in the bottom image. These two images show my most common setups.

View attachment 208423
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View attachment 208424

The only manmade light in this image, by the way, other than an LED inside the rooftop tent, is from my propane fire ring, shielded from the camera by a couple of storage boxes by the table.

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Very nice, hell, I'm still taking stuff out of my134Runner at the 20 min mark!! I pack a weeks worth of stuff into and onto my134Runner and I'm ready and able to go basically, anywhere I want! But that is definitely something I want to get someday.
How long is that exposure, do you remember what iso, fstop?

 

[Road]

Very nice, hell, I'm still taking stuff out of my134Runner at the 20 min mark!! I pack a weeks worth of stuff into and onto my134Runner and I'm ready and able to go basically, anywhere I want! But that is definitely something I want to get someday.
How long is that exposure, do you remember what iso, fstop?

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Thank you. A lot of my gear, like so much available these days, is from, or based on, what the Australians and South Africans have learned over the years about setting up quick and tearing down just about as fast while back country, while maintaining a great deal of comfort and convenience. I have to do very little unpacking of items after setting up the main elements of tent, awning, and counter, really. My kitchen box and fire gear are always self-contained and ready to go in a box (or bag for the fire ring) of their own. Sort of a Swiss-Army knife approach to trailering. My bedding is always already in place in the rooftop tent and van.

Re: Night sky imagery - A great deal of my night sky work is at 1.4, 1.8, and often 2.8 for 15-20 secs or so with a good fast and wide lens, and as low as an ISO as I can get away with. It's all experimentation depending on gear, lighting, environment, and subject.

Though this is a thread about the OP's fire ring, not my gear. Ha!
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[my134Runner]

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Thank you. A lot of my gear, like so much available these days, is from, or based on, what the Australians and South Africans have learned over the years about setting up quick and tearing down just about as fast while back country, while maintaining a great deal of comfort and convenience. I have to do very little unpacking of items after setting up the main elements of tent, awning, and counter, really. My kitchen box and fire gear are always self-contained and ready to go in a box (or bag for the fire ring) of their own. Sort of a Swiss-Army knife approach to trailering. My bedding is always already in place in the rooftop tent and van.

Re: Night sky imagery - A great deal of my night sky work is at 1.4, 1.8, and often 2.8 for 15-20 secs or so with a good fast and wide lens, and as low as an ISO as I can get away with. It's all experimentation depending on gear, lighting, environment, and subject.

Though this is a thread about your fire ring, not my gear. Ha!
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Yep, threads often end up that way. I've got a new 10-24, but it's 3.4-4.5......need a faster wide angle!

 

[Road]

Yep, threads often end up that way. I've got a new 10-24, but it's 3.4-4.5......need a faster wide angle!

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Fast lenses with good glass are the way to go.

I love my fast prime lenses, but for night sky work I most often reach for my Nikkor 14-24 2.8, which has actually gone down in price by 150 bucks since I bought mine years ago. I have a 12-24, too, though it's only f4, and other lenses that are 1.4 and 1.8, though not as wide.
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[my134Runner]

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Fast lenses with good glass are the way to go.

I love my fast prime lenses, but for night sky work I most often reach for my Nikkor 14-24 2.8, which has actually gone down in price by 150 bucks since I bought mine years ago. I have a 12-24, too, though it's only f4, and other lenses that are 1.4 and 1.8, though not as wide.
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I almost got that lens, but wanted to mess around with more wide, so I got the 10-24, also picked up an 8mm fisheye, that's fun to play with too. I'll play around at night on the second half of the trip, after most people have headed home......I'm staying out a week.

Anyway, nice chatting on the OP's thread.....but I'm confident that we answered his questions!