Best alternative campfires in Colorado
Fire restrictions and bans are becoming commonplace across the state. But they don’t have to put a damper on your summer camping plans.
Many Coloradans have fond memories of sitting around an open campfire without a care in the world.
But wildfires have so ravaged the Centennial State in the past few years that traditional campfires, long a staple of the Rocky Mountain outdoor experience, are often subject to restrictions and bans across Colorado.
“Of course, recreational outdoor fires are important,” said Scott Heiss, a former Denver Fire Division chief and affiliate professor in Metropolitan State University of Denver’s Fire and Emergency Response Administration program. “But numerous factors — including our weather, topography and the rural-urban interface — mean that the risks that accompany them have increased tenfold.”
Luckily, Americans are resourceful people and canny inventors. There are already lots of safe, alternative campfire options on the market such as liquid- and gas-fueled devices that are permitted even under the strictest restrictions.
One of the best, the LavaBox, is the brainchild of MSU Denver graduate Josh Thurmond. During fall 2020, the self-styled inventor had the bright idea of hooking up a propane lead to an old-style military ammo can mixing indestructability, utility and a certain cool.
“I thought if I want people to adopt this idea and not burn Colorado down, I’ll have to both make it good and put a rock ’n’ roll idea around it,” he said. The plan worked. Almost immediately, orders came flooding in and buyers started posting photos of themselves with their shiny new flaming toy. In 18 months, he has sold 4,000 units.
RELATED: Cities and suburbs face growing wildfire threat
Thurmond’s ultimate goal, like that of all the other alternative-campfire manufacturers, has been to create a product that captures the joy and freedom of a blazing campfire while avoiding the risks.
“Obviously, the overall ambience of these propane fires may be slightly different,” Heiss said, “but there are no flying embers and extinguishing the flames simply means turning a control knob. And ultimately, safety has to be paramount.”
Best alternative campfires
Keep the flames going even during a fire ban.
The most powerful and arguably the best option for outdoorsy Coloradans. It’s incredibly tough and easy to operate and can be used pretty much anywhere — out in the wild, at campsites or just in your back yard (and even in the middle of a river). Handmade in the U.S., these ammo cans with attitude produce 3-foot-high flames and have been getting rapturous reviews across the board. Extra points for the effortlessly stylish look, which has spawned a hundred Instagrammable moments.
There’s a lot to like about this product: It’s light and highly portable and comes with a handy carrying case. (The realistic-looking logs are either a nice touch or a bit too cute, depending on your taste.) But be warned: That “little” in the product name isn’t just for show. This really is quite a small product and wouldn’t produce nearly enough flames to keep a genuine campfire group warm. However, it’s perfect for a cozy couple, hunkered in nice and close.
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It’s not hard to see why this midsize model is enormously popular. Like the LavaBox, it hits that sweet spot of being highly portable and yet plenty powerful in terms of heat. And the nifty design means the fire pit’s bottom doesn’t get hot. The only real downside is that the rocks take around 15 minutes to fully heat up. And that could be a long quarter-hour on a chilly night.
Outland Living Cypress Fire Pit
Planning on having a larger group of happy campers sitting around your alternative blaze? Then this might be a good choice. Its larger-than-average diameter (21 inches) means it can keep up to six people all roasty and happy, but at 26 pounds it’s still (just) manageable to carry around. Unlike some other fire-pit products, this one includes a decent cover-and-carry kit so you won’t have lava rocks spilling everywhere in the car.
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Billed as “the world’s most unique fire pit,” this wood-burning product cleverly sucks up air within its patented double wall to create a strong flame that’s light on smoke. The good news: It produces powerful flames and is sleekly designed. The bad news: It gets really hot and has no handles, so you can’t move it for hours after use. And because it burns wood, you won’t be able to use it under Stage 2 restrictions.
This product looks really nice. You can even buy S’mores Kits to use with it. And there’s a cute website, with a nice story of how the company was founded by two dads during the pandemic. But this “personal and portable fire pit” is basically a big candle. It makes for a lovely outdoor flaming ornament, and you can toast marshmallows with it to your heart’s content. But there’s little chance one of these things is going to keep anyone warm.
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