# Portable 8lb Fire Pit/Pan



## Panama Red

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?


----------



## MontanaLaz

"Mesh should be good for over 50 uses"

How much is a replacement mesh? Are the side guards aluminum? Seems like they would warp.


----------



## elkhaven

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!


----------



## CampfireDefender

*Answer time*



Panama Red said:


> 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.


--



MontanaLaz said:


> "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. 





elkhaven said:


> 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!


----------



## carloritschl

Love the design and if everything you've stated above is true... will be picking one up!

Also, as a marketer, love that you are getting into the trenches and getting direct feedback from your consumers. Good work!


----------



## CampfireDefender

carloritschl said:


> Love the design and if everything you've stated above is true... will be picking one up!
> 
> Also, as a marketer, love that you are getting into the trenches and getting direct feedback from your consumers. Good work!




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!


----------



## MontanaLaz

I've got a Smith trip coming up on June 10th. What are the odds of getting one shipped before then if I go ahead and pre-order? I can post a review here for the community.


----------



## CampfireDefender

MontanaLaz said:


> I've got a Smith trip coming up on June 10th. What are the odds of getting one shipped before then if I go ahead and pre-order? I can post a review here for the community.



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.


----------



## MontanaLaz

CampfireDefender said:


> 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.


PM sent.

I'm your guinea pig fellow buzzards


----------



## seantana

MontanaLaz said:


> I've got a Smith trip coming up on June 10th. What are the odds of getting one shipped before then if I go ahead and pre-order? I can post a review here for the community.


I have a June 10th as well, I'm going to wander around Baker looking for this thing!


----------



## elkhaven

Lucky bastards!


----------



## MontanaLaz

seantana said:


> I have a June 10th as well, I'm going to wander around Baker looking for this thing!


See you there. I'll have a bottle of bourbon handy to share


----------



## CampfireDefender

Thank you, everyone, for your questions so far. Let us know if anyone has any more questions or concerns - well be posting some videos later this week addressing some of the common reservations about the Pit.


----------



## LJPurvis

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!


----------



## CampfireDefender

LJPurvis said:


> 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!




Go ahead and private message us your order number - I'll see if we can get you one out for the Middle Fork trip.


----------



## yardsells

Im just curious:

The 2 mesh fire pits I've seen overseas seemed to leave fine white ash under the device.

Does yours allow ash to fall through?


----------



## CampfireDefender

yardsells said:


> Im just curious:
> 
> The 2 mesh fire pits I've seen overseas seemed to leave fine white ash under the device.
> 
> Does yours allow ash to fall through?




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!


----------



## yardsells

Neeto. Thanks.


----------



## wlslattery

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.


----------



## MontanaLaz

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.


----------



## CampfireDefender

wlslattery said:


> 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.



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!


----------



## desertSherpa

What about the Grand?
Any positive confirmation if I can rely on this for a winter self support effort ?


----------



## LJPurvis

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!


----------



## CampfireDefender

*WOOO!*



LJPurvis said:


> 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!





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.


----------



## tress33

does the current "FIRE" 20% off PROMO code work for the fire pit? i cant seem to get it to apply when checking out


----------



## LJPurvis

CampfireDefender said:


> 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.


I would be happy to allow you to use this as a review. However, I would prefer to write a better review for you. I was not complaining about the melting heat shield connectors; I figured it was a learning experience for me. I also took some pictures if you want them.

I did PM you my order number.


----------



## CampfireDefender

tress33 said:


> does the current "FIRE" 20% off PROMO code work for the fire pit? i cant seem to get it to apply when checking out



We were having issues with the discount code applying in some geographical locations for some reason. Everything should be fixed now! 

If you have anymore issues at checkout go ahead and give me a call and I'll take care of ya. 623-251-8284


----------



## Paul7

I ordered one, I'm a sucker for peoples intersections of craft and passion. 

Sent from my SM-G965U using Mountain Buzz mobile app


----------



## okieboater

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.


----------



## CampfireDefender

okieboater said:


> 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.



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!


----------



## CampfireDefender

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


----------



## MontanaLaz

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...


----------



## Raft Dad

*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 ...


----------



## CampfireDefender

Raft Dad said:


> 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


----------



## Raft Dad

Ok that quick reply gets a sale right there. Thanks Triston. Certainly don't expect you guys to answer work e-mails at night but appreciate the response. Checking in with buddy as we may get one each. Thanks again.


----------



## lll100

*got one ordered*

I'm a sucker for lighter firepans.


----------



## CampfireDefender

lll100 said:


> I'm a sucker for lighter firepans.



Aren't we all? 

Lemme know if you got any questions!

Cheers,
-Triston


----------



## elkhaven

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.


----------



## tmurph

*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!


----------



## okieboater

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.


----------



## JK_44

*Pop Up Pit Review*

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


----------



## CampfireDefender

Hey All,

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




tmurph said:


> 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



okieboater said:


> 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



JK_44 said:


> 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


----------



## CampfireDefender

Hey All,


As a thank you to the community for all of the great feedback and support so far we wanted to offer an exclusive MountainBuzz Discount of 20%

For anybody interested in picking up a Pop-Up Pit just use the discount code "Buzzard20" at checkout or follow this link: https://firesideoutdoor.com/discount/BUZZARD20

We're also doing free T-shirts this week for Fourth of July as a little added bonus.

Thanks again, everyone!

Cheers,
Triston


----------



## Osprey

I'm all over that, thanks!


----------



## mgpaddler

Just got off the MFS and one of our participants brought the Pop Up Pit along for a trial work out. I think we were all a little skeptical of the light weight and fine mesh as mentioned in earlier posts, but under scrutiny, this didn't prove out. This thing is amazing. It is extremely light weight, packs small, and is very sturdy. The size is great for very large fires as well. We started small and increasingly became more emboldened by the amount of wood we could pile on it. By the last night we had a pyre that would warm anyone within 8 feet. No problem with warping or screen burn through. With charcoal it held up just as well. we did not use lighter fuel to start the briquets but did use a propane torch to get them started. I would be concerned with adding any fuels to the screen.

My observations and take away from a thorough testing of this is; It burns very efficiently, to a fault, goes through wood like its drawing air through the bottom. Which is precisely what it does. With charcoal briquets, it will not last long. We would start them on the screen and then remove them for Dutch oven cooking, placing D.O. on the ground (with foil) to contain the heat under the D.O.. Use a fire blanket or welders tarp to contain the chunks that fall off the ends. There is really zero ash under this thing when the fire goes out- everything burns. We did not use the provided fire shield or try to grill food over this unit. Not sure I would want to because of dripping and the shortened time of charcoal life. Maybe the included fire shield cuts down on the convection effect- was not able to determine.

For big clean fires and super efficient charcoal lighting, as well as size, weight, and packability, this thing can't be beat.


----------



## CampfireDefender

mgpaddler said:


> Just got off the MFS and one of our participants brought the Pop Up Pit along for a trial work out. I think we were all a little skeptical of the light weight and fine mesh as mentioned in earlier posts, but under scrutiny, this didn't prove out. This thing is amazing. It is extremely light weight, packs small, and is very sturdy. The size is great for very large fires as well. We started small and increasingly became more emboldened by the amount of wood we could pile on it. By the last night we had a pyre that would warm anyone within 8 feet. No problem with warping or screen burn through. With charcoal it held up just as well. we did not use lighter fuel to start the briquets but did use a propane torch to get them started. I would be concerned with adding any fuels to the screen.
> 
> My observations and take away from a thorough testing of this is; It burns very efficiently, to a fault, goes through wood like its drawing air through the bottom. Which is precisely what it does. With charcoal briquets, it will not last long. We would start them on the screen and then remove them for Dutch oven cooking, placing D.O. on the ground (with foil) to contain the heat under the D.O.. Use a fire blanket or welders tarp to contain the chunks that fall off the ends. There is really zero ash under this thing when the fire goes out- everything burns. We did not use the provided fire shield or try to grill food over this unit. Not sure I would want to because of dripping and the shortened time of charcoal life. Maybe the included fire shield cuts down on the convection effect- was not able to determine.
> 
> For big clean fires and super efficient charcoal lighting, as well as size, weight, and packability, this thing can't be beat.



Absolutely awesome to hear! The Pop-Up Pit definitely does burn fuel a lot faster than a regular fire but this does slow down as your wood burns down and the ash plugs the holes up. 

The heat shield doesn't do much to slow down the airflow, but it does do a great job protecting the ground, you could burn a fire on a plastic table if you wanted (or just a wood deck/grass)

Funny enough we've been doing some testing with the grilling grates and charcoal and we were also worried about the shortened lifespan of the charcoal. What we've found so far is that the Pit does burn the fuel fast but also a lot hotter and with consistent heat (due to the circulating air). We were able to cook about 12 T-Bone steaks over the Pit in about 12 minutes to a medium rare. Once the grilling grates are ready we'll be sure to hook up the Mountainbuzz community with a few to test out. 

We're also working on a DO solution for the Pit, we'll keep you guys posted on the progress of everything.


Thank you for taking the time to write your review, it really is very encouraging for us to see.

-Triston


----------



## protechie

Are you able to provide any pictures or sketches of the grill? And do you have a firm release date in August yet? I'm really intrigued by this product but a grill for cooking is a must for me, so I'm pretty interested in what you've come up with. I've got a couple trips the last half of August and may want to pick one up before then.


----------



## CampfireDefender

protechie said:


> Are you able to provide any pictures or sketches of the grill? And do you have a firm release date in August yet? I'm really intrigued by this product but a grill for cooking is a must for me, so I'm pretty interested in what you've come up with. I've got a couple trips the last half of August and may want to pick one up before then.



Sorry for the late reply, things have been hectic. 

Unfortunately, we are behind schedule on the grilling grates we had an issue with getting our mold built for the connectors and basically have to start from scratch, hence why it has been hectic lol.

I know we've personally tested this grill: https://www.amazon.com/Sunnydaze-X-...1532360674&sr=8-3&keywords=24x24+grill+grates

and although large, it does fit perfectly over the Pop-Up Pit as is. 

Sorry for the delay on this, I promise we're working as quickly as we can to get this done. 

-Triston


----------



## Down River Equipment

All,

We do have the Fireside Pop-Up Pit and Heat Reflective Shield in stock. Come on down and check them out. We will be getting them up on our website in the next few days.


----------



## wlslattery

I just ordered one of these. I use my fire pan to do Dutch Oven cooking and following the logic of the person who puts his Dutch Oven on a pizza pan, I realize that I could use my old very light weight oil collection pan fire pan to support the Dutch Oven. This way, I can do 4 things at once. 1) The Dutch Oven is supported easily and stably, 2) I don't have to re-calibrate how many charcoal briquettes I need for cooking because of the increased air flow through the mesh, 3) The Dutch Oven is off of the ground, so I don't have to bend over very much to work with it and 4) Just in case the put in ranger hasn't seen this super light weight Pop-Up fire pit, I have a very generic fire pan with me with the oil collection pan.


----------



## Osprey

Just got back from Cataract and the ranger was pretty thorough. When he asked to see our firepan I started explaining how it wasn’t a conventional one and it could set it up and right away he goes, “oh is it one of those pop up ones? I saw them in a shop the other day and we thought it was pretty cool” So it passed muster for at least one NPS ranger. He didn’t sound 100% convinced about the mesh but didn’t have any problem accepting it. Of course he wanted to know how it worked but I had just gotten it and haven’t even fired it up yet, and couldn’t on the trip due to restrictions.


----------



## jamesthomas

As long and you have a fire blanket under the whole shebang I can't see how a ranger could complain.


----------



## Down River Equipment

We were able to show the Pop-Up Pit to one of the rangers at Westwater. His thoughts were as long as you have a fire blanket and a container to pack out your ash, he didn't think there would be any issues. He did say he would like to see how it performs and how much ash does get through. We are working with the manufacturer to get him in contact with the Moab and Grand Junction BLM offices. We'll keep you posted.


----------



## Electric-Mayhem

Get the official ok from the Grand Canyon rangers/management and all others will follow.


----------



## mr. compassionate

Bought one of these and very happy after setting it up. Unbelievably light weight and small. Unfortunately couldn't use it last weekend at Yarmonygrass!


----------



## Electric-Mayhem

I poked around the one they had at Downriver on display and was pleased by the build quality, lightness and the size of the thing. It is definitely bigger then it seems from online pictures. Might have to pick one up....I'd love to go on a trip with one. Probably not gonna happen for a bit because of fire bans though.


----------



## CampfireDefender

*Amazon Review*

Hey All,



We recently listed the Pop-Up Pit on Amazon and would really appreciate if those of you who have used the Pop-Up Pit took a second to leave us your honest review. 


We had someone leave a pretty negative review, which is one of the first negative reviews we've received on the pit but unfortunately, he is one of only 2 reviews which greatly impacts our rating. 



Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G9NY6G8


Cheers,

-Triston


----------



## heyben

CampfireDefender said:


> Hey All,
> 
> 
> 
> We recently listed the Pop-Up Pit on Amazon and would really appreciate if those of you who have used the Pop-Up Pit took a second to leave us your honest review.
> 
> 
> We had someone leave a pretty negative review, which is one of the first negative reviews we've received on the pit but unfortunately, he is one of only 2 reviews which greatly impacts our rating.
> 
> 
> 
> Here's the link: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B07G9NY6G8
> 
> 
> Cheers,
> 
> -Triston


Happy to leave a positive review, mine has worked great so far!


----------



## [email protected]

I went on the web site and found no negative review, what's really going on?


----------



## Electric-Mayhem

[email protected] said:


> I went on the web site and found no negative review, what's really going on?


He's was talking about Amazon....someone wrote a 1 star review (that seems to have disappeared now) there claiming he had ash and embers flying everywhere and that their stated need for a fire blanket underneath was indicative of their huge design flaw and because of that the product was crap. It kind of read like a review of someone who has never actually tried it to me and was making judgement just based on the pictures.


----------



## CampfireDefender

[email protected] said:


> I went on the web site and found no negative review, what's really going on?


Hey Bighorn,


Once a couple of you guys went on and refuted everything the guy had said he deleted his review. We have a suspicion that it was one of our competitors as he recommended a competing product by name. 


--
Thanks to those of you who took the time it really means a lot of us, I'm sure we'll find a way to pay it forward with this community!


----------



## Kilroy

We just got off of an 8 day Main Salmon trip Monday. It included 2 layover nights where we put your new fire pan to the torture test. Let me first say it was a great pan and 2 other members of my party committed to buying their own when we got back to civilization. I mentioned the buzzard discount you previously offered and they are keeping an eye out for future discount offerings. 

The pan could not take as much wood as a steel one, but still held a good sized fire as seen in the photos. It gets sooty & stained pretty quickly but it's a fire pan - what do you expect right? I'm a career military man who spends enormous amounts of time cleaning, inspecting, and maintaining stuff prior to battle (in accordance with technical orders) so this is just a personal shortcoming I've got to deal with. I'm considering using aluminum mag wheel cleaner after each trip to clean the pan up, but was worried about damaging any coatings it may have. I could just let it stay dirty, but I lose sleep over this shit...

Occasionally the sides bent with a large piece of wood (beach driftwood) but it was easy to tweak them back. The thing is super light so what do you expect? It packs down smaller than a folding chair and the fire blanket also fits inside the carry bag. In full disclosure we had a few beers during evening fire times so we were sorta rough with it. 

The grate you recommended in an earlier post worked awesome. It fit like a glove. For cooking one bag of briquettes would suffice. We used 2 and it got hot as hell on our steak nights. 

Overall we gave it a solid A. Hopefully you sell a bunch of them. Maybe this review will help someone out with an unbiased personal opinion from our trip. We plan to take this on back-country exploration trips in the jeep as well.


----------



## CampfireDefender

Kilroy said:


> We just got off of an 8 day Main Salmon trip Monday. It included 2 layover nights where we put your new fire pan to the torture test. Let me first say it was a great pan and 2 other members of my party committed to buying their own when we got back to civilization. I mentioned the buzzard discount you previously offered and they are keeping an eye out for future discount offerings.
> 
> The pan could not take as much wood as a steel one, but still held a good sized fire as seen in the photos. It gets sooty & stained pretty quickly but it's a fire pan - what do you expect right? I'm a career military man who spends enormous amounts of time cleaning, inspecting, and maintaining stuff prior to battle (in accordance with technical orders) so this is just a personal shortcoming I've got to deal with. I'm considering using aluminum mag wheel cleaner after each trip to clean the pan up, but was worried about damaging any coatings it may have. I could just let it stay dirty, but I lose sleep over this shit...
> 
> Occasionally the sides bent with a large piece of wood (beach driftwood) but it was easy to tweak them back. The thing is super light so what do you expect? It packs down smaller than a folding chair and the fire blanket also fits inside the carry bag. In full disclosure we had a few beers during evening fire times so we were sorta rough with it.
> 
> The grate you recommended in an earlier post worked awesome. It fit like a glove. For cooking one bag of briquettes would suffice. We used 2 and it got hot as hell on our steak nights.
> 
> Overall we gave it a solid A. Hopefully you sell a bunch of them. Maybe this review will help someone out with an unbiased personal opinion from our trip. We plan to take this on back-country exploration trips in the jeep as well.
> View attachment 31805




Thanks for taking the time to write this review Kilroy!


Glad to hear you had a great experience with the Pit. I just wanted to address the cleaning for you to ease your mind a little. 

The aluminum is all anodized so that coating really shouldn't come off as its infused into the metal. All we do is take a greenie scotch pad and scrub the sides off, they come pretty clean very easily. The Fire Mesh doesn't really get any better with cleaning because most of the color change is permanent but you can wash the ash and soot out of it. 

Crazy you guys had a side bend, we've bent them before too but only after trying to climb on the thing for a strength test. (It looked as ridiculous as that sounds) 
In the future, I'd try and keep and logs from resting on top of the actual sides especially if they've got some weight to them. I know that isn't always possible when you're out and about but just something to keep in mind. 

Glad to hear that grate worked - We should have our version which will be significantly more portable ready to go by Oct. 

Cheers!


----------



## Kilroy

The vertical portion of the sides (while deployed) had slight bends from weight and movement. The integrity of the overall L shape of the sides was fine. Yes, too heavy of wood! 

Sent from my SM-G960U using Mountain Buzz mobile app


----------



## Waterdog

*Pop-Up Fire Pit on Deso/Gray*

We just got back from 8 days on Deso/Gray and used the 8lb Pop-Up Fire Pit.

At the put in we set up the whole thing for the ranger and he thought it was pretty cool. Commented how he'd like to try one. We passed the check in process with no issues and set off. We were pretty excited that the fire ban had been lifted so we could have fires. Unfortunately we did have wind and that prevented us from having a fire on several nights. However, we did get to have a fire on the other nights and the Pop-Up Fire Pit worked great. We loaded it up and it took a reasonable amount of wood with no issues. I worried about the weight but decided to let the pyromaniacs have their way with it. Can't check it out if you don't stress it a bit. We never did load it up heavy but did have good sized fires every time. 

Set up and take down was easy but I needed an extra set of hands to get the screen over all four leg poles at the same time. The challenge was to get all four corners of the screen on before one side slid down far enough that the other side no longer reached the holes in the screen. Not a major issue but did provide a bit of a puzzle.

The biggest difference I saw was with the screen bottom really allowed the air to flow nicely and the wood burned great with all that air flow. The wood burned hot and more completely than a normal fire pan.

I was surprised that essentially no ash went through the screen down onto the reflective blanket underneath. I kept looking to empty it into the ash can but nothing was there. Or at least no more than was on the fire blanket around the fire pan. The Velcro that held the reflective blanket under the screen also had no issues. I did follow the instructions to put it 2" below the screen, but it worked fine. 

We're looking forward to trying the grill grate.

Nicely done CampFireDefender!!

The next test is how long will it really last. Only time will tell but it's now replaced my big heavy fire pan and will be my go to fire pan. I will keep my big heavy fire pan for the heavy duty dutch oven cooking.


----------



## Jake D

We got back Sunday from a 7 day trip down the Middle Fork of the Salmon River. I was happy to save 25-ish pounds by leaving the steel fire pan at home. It passed inspection at the ramp, though the ranger asked several times if any ash passed through the screen. I said no and that we would use the heat shield below it. 

Our group of 11 put the pan through its paces, having a fire most nights and a couple mornings. I think they might have sold a couple more to the people on my trip. The fires started easily, burned beautifully, with little leftover ash. 

Also, I'm very impressed with the customer service of Fireside Outdoor. I had pre-ordered a grill grate and asked if there was any chance they could send me one in time for the trip. They poked around for a prototype, boxed it up, and sent it to me just in time for the trip. Worked awesome.

I'm wondering if I may have used the heat shield incorrectly. After our fire on the first night, I noticed that the shield had burned in the center and that the velcro straps had melted. I don't think we had it too close, but I made sure it was much lower for subsequent use. We didn't have any further issues. 

The carrying bag held up well, though it seems susceptible to some of the sharp edges. Time will tell on that. It may work just as well to get a piece of canvas and a couple straps to roll it up than to shove it into a bag with a drawstring. The canvas might also contain the leftover ash dust a little better than the bag. I noticed the bag would give off dust when putting it into my dry box.


----------



## Jake D

Just went to write a review on Amazon, and received the following message: 

Sorry, we are unable to accept reviews for this product. This product has limitations on submitting reviews. There can be a number of reasons for this, including unusual reviewing activity.

Thought you might want to know.


----------



## CampfireDefender

Wow, guys, absolutely fantastic reviews. Thank you for taking the time to go in-depth on all of this.

Jake, unfortunately, Amazon has blocked all of our reviews for about the past 4 weeks now. We have yet to get to the bottom of this but it is very frustrating on our end. 

If you guys have any suggestions for future accessories please let us know and we'll do our best to build you guys something during the off-season. 

Thanks to everyone for their continued support!


----------



## GeoRon

Alright. I'm sold. Jake D. Please send me a box of those cooked steaks. I'd prefer that they still be sizzling when they arrive.

Nothing but positive reviews and excellent support. I'm getting me one of these firepans.


----------



## zercon

*Fire pan, Grand Canyon*

I'm sure this has been covered but I had to ask, has anyone checked to see if the Grand Canyon rangers will allow this product?


----------



## JFOinCO

I'd also like to know if the Pop-Up Pit passes the Grand inspection. I bought one last October before a late October Westwater trip. I was driving shuttle during the inspection, so I don't know that it passed or not as someone also had a traditional heavy fire pan in our kit.



However, we did use the Pop-up on the night in the canyon with a fire blanket underneath, and it performed amazingly well. Overloaded with firewood, the mesh sagged, but held together. My friend even baked a cake in a dutch oven on it using charcoal without the grate. Everyone was impressed, both with the cake and the pit. The only question was about the longevity of the steel mesh, so I think I'll buy a backup mesh because that seems like the most likely point of failure, but so far so good.


Regardless, has anyone had the Pop-up pit pass inspection on the Grand yet?


----------



## jamesthomas

There was another thread about the pit a month or so ago and someone posted up that the rangers at Lees Ferry had a discussion about the pop up pit at check in and ended up giving it the ok. FWIW.


----------



## zercon

*November trip*

Yes the ranger did have a look at it and they did give it a OK. They still want you to have a fire blanket.


----------



## Pigpen

Just put in my order!


----------



## villagelightsmith

I believe the acceptance of new ideas depend a lot on the individual river "ranger" the first few times a new idea is deployed. From there, a lot of its future will depend on the feedback those individual give in the employee meetings with each other and with "overhead." Sell the idea as one that will make the NPS look good. Remember their priorities: "First, last and always, CYA. Second and not really separated from the first, make your overhead supervisory ladder look good." And inescapable in the final scheme of things, remember that if it gets all the way to the clowns in Washington D.C., the National Park Service can become quite indistinguishable from a Police State. That was, in fact, the very definition which the late Charles Peterson, a Superintendent, was sorry to use upon his retirement after a 40 year career with the outfit. In that 40 years on the inside, he had seen it evolve. That was 30 years ago, and in many ways it has changed, but has become no better. It's just Government. Should you ever disagree, just roll with it. It probably isn't them who is being the fool.
Be kind, gentle, and be understanding. And in all things be flexible. "No Problem, Guy! We always appreciate the ideas and the help!"


----------



## Fly By Night

Is there any word on the development of the oven setup?


----------



## CampfireDefender

Fly By Night said:


> Is there any word on the development of the oven setup?


Nothing to report yet. The MountainBuzz community will be the first to know when we have a production prototype I assure you!


----------



## Fly By Night

Sounds good, let me know if you need some assistance with field testing. 




CampfireDefender said:


> Fly By Night said:
> 
> 
> 
> Is there any word on the development of the oven setup?
> 
> 
> 
> Nothing to report yet. The MountainBuzz community will be the first to know when we have a production prototype I assure you!
Click to expand...


----------



## kayakingphotog

Took the plunge and ordered the complete pop-up kit. Will test it out on an upcoming Salt trip in early April and a Deso trip mid June. Always hated hauling that 25 pound fire pan around. Will give you my feed back.


----------



## Pigpen

The snow is knee deep in the yard, but setting this up in the house has me excited for some river side fires! This is a well designed, and built, product. 

Does the mesh stretch after some use? Getting it on is pretty tight.

I'm really excited about this grill. STEAK NIGHT!!!


----------



## kayakingphotog

Pigpen said:


> The snow is knee deep in the yard, but setting this up in the house has me excited for some river side fires! This is a well designed, and built, product.
> 
> Does the mesh stretch after some use? Getting it on is pretty tight.
> 
> I'm really excited about this grill. STEAK NIGHT!!!


According to their promo video it is purposely tight out of the box. Over time it loosens.....


----------



## CampfireDefender

Pigpen said:


> The snow is knee deep in the yard, but setting this up in the house has me excited for some river side fires! This is a well designed, and built, product.
> 
> Does the mesh stretch after some use? Getting it on is pretty tight.
> 
> I'm really excited about this grill. STEAK NIGHT!!!



The Mesh will stretch, especially after the first fire in it. When you put the mesh on it is easier to leave the grommets at the tops of the poles until you have all four holes over the poles so everything goes down together if that makes sense. 

If you have any questions I recommend taking a couple of minutes just to review this video: https://youtu.be/IRTny39TK1Y?t=132

I skipped ahead for you to the part about the fire mesh


Let us know if you have anymore questions! 


Cheers,
Fireside Outdoor Team


----------



## Down River Equipment

Just like Triston with Fireside said, put the all corners of the mesh down evenly. If one side gets into place before the other sides, it will be much more difficult. If all 4 sides get pushed down evenly, it is much easier. The same goes when removing it as well.


----------



## CampfireDefender

Hey All,


We made up our own regulation ember mat if you still don't have one for the season. 

It has coated silicon on both sides so it shouldn't absorb much water/is easier to clean and has the reflective taping around the outside to help you see at night. The reflective taping also produces a bad-ass lighting effect when a fire is burning 

These are NOT available to the general public right now because we don't have enough inventory in stock, so the only way you can buy them is through this link: 

https://firesideoutdoor.com/products/ground-ember-mat


----------



## 90Duck

I just received one of these pop up pits as a birthday present from a rafting buddy. It is a really cool piece of gear, and can't wait to actually put it to use once all of this snow melts!


----------



## kayakingphotog

Good timing I needed one for my upcoming Salt trip. On order!


----------



## Pigpen

CampfireDefender said:


> Hey All,
> 
> 
> We made up our own regulation ember mat if you still don't have one for the season.
> 
> It has coated silicon on both sides so it shouldn't absorb much water/is easier to clean and has the reflective taping around the outside to help you see at night. The reflective taping also produces a bad-ass lighting effect when a fire is burning
> 
> These are NOT available to the general public right now because we don't have enough inventory in stock, so the only way you can buy them is through this link:
> 
> https://firesideoutdoor.com/products/ground-ember-mat


What kind of burn/ scorch resistance do these have?


----------



## WaZach

Ordered one a couple weeks ago, came in last week. It looks like a good product, light, easy to set up/take down. I like that the bag is big enough to get it all packed in easily. I DON'T LIKE the sharp corners. Just setting it up and taking it down and putting it in the bag a couple times, I can already tell the bag won't last half a season with those corners. Corners also pose a serious hazard in camp. Not a huge deal, nothing that a rasp and 20 minutes didn't fix. Maybe later iterations will feature rounded corners. Also, as others have said, I'm wondering how long this thing will last. Super cool that you can order pieces as they break down instead of buying a whole new setup. Even if longevity is only half the life of a Cambridge or the like, you're still getting a better bang for your buck over time.


----------



## kayakingphotog

Pigpen said:


> What kind of burn/ scorch resistance do these have?


This is the answer I got from the manufacturer:

Thanks for your order. We started with a 50% silica, non flammable fiberglass sub straight. We then coated it with high temperature 100% pure silicone. Similar silicone to oven mitts and pot holders. We dual coated it so it won’t absorb moisture. The reflective edging is a non-toxic reflective material used in firefighter apparel.

The grommets are standard steel and the thread we used is kelvar. 

Product will be tested on the salt in three weeks......


----------



## wack

Ordered and got it last week and used it to grill some burgers last weekend.
Needed to use a fair amount of charcoal, because the grill-grates are farther from heat than I'm used to, but otherwise a kick ass product. Easy set-up/breakdown and super light. Like others have said coals burn faster with screen and airflow. I can't wait to use in the desert next week.


----------



## CampfireDefender

WaZach said:


> Ordered one a couple weeks ago, came in last week. It looks like a good product, light, easy to set up/take down. I like that the bag is big enough to get it all packed in easily. I DON'T LIKE the sharp corners. Just setting it up and taking it down and putting it in the bag a couple times, I can already tell the bag won't last half a season with those corners. Corners also pose a serious hazard in camp. Not a huge deal, nothing that a rasp and 20 minutes didn't fix. Maybe later iterations will feature rounded corners. Also, as others have said, I'm wondering how long this thing will last. Super cool that you can order pieces as they break down instead of buying a whole new setup. Even if longevity is only half the life of a Cambridge or the like, you're still getting a better bang for your buck over time.


The corners is something we are already working on! They're just aluminium so you can round them down pretty easily yourself if you care to take the time. If you ever have trouble with a bag failing just give us a call and we'll take care of ya.


----------



## missiongravity

MFS Salmon trip coming up at the end of May and was debating on what fire pan to buy. Found this thread and there is no way I couldn't try one for the price. Ordered a fire pan and extra screen today. What a deal. Will see about upgrading with the grill kit soon.

As others have said, thanks for being a stand up sponsor of the site and standing behind your product and following up on issues.


----------



## CampfireDefender

missiongravity said:


> MFS Salmon trip coming up at the end of May and was debating on what fire pan to buy. Found this thread and there is no way I couldn't try one for the price. Ordered a fire pan and extra screen today. What a deal. Will see about upgrading with the grill kit soon.
> 
> As others have said, thanks for being a stand up sponsor of the site and standing behind your product and following up on issues.


And thank you for giving us a shot. I'm sure you're going to be more than happy with the Pop-Up Pit's performance but if you do have any issues or questions don't hesitate to reach out. 

Cheers!


----------



## CampfireDefender

We'll be at Overland Expo this weekend if anyone of you guys wanted to stop by and say Hi or check out the Pit!


----------



## Alpnrafter

How about a mini Campfire Defender designed to fit the Pop-Up Pit? Would be nice to put out a fire faster, particularly if the wind picks up.

Also would like one bag that holds the Pit, grills, and fire blanket (perhaps some tongs and spatula too) so it's all one tidy package.


----------



## CampfireDefender

Alpnrafter said:


> How about a mini Campfire Defender designed to fit the Pop-Up Pit? Would be nice to put out a fire faster, particularly if the wind picks up.
> 
> Also would like one bag that holds the Pit, grills, and fire blanket (perhaps some tongs and spatula too) so it's all one tidy package.



We are working on all of the above right now! The current issue with the campfire defender material is how expensive it is so we're playing with a few different ways to combat this. 

We are also working on some different gear bag designs so that is in the funnel as well! 

Love the suggestions, keep em comin'


----------



## Bobthegreat

I bought the pop up fire pit just prior to spring break, had it out on over 100 plus miles. The thing is amazing, almost no ash to pack out in the morning.


----------



## swiftwater15

*Review*

Got one. Used it on several trips so far. Pluses:

Lightweight
Compact
Roomy
Burns great
Nachos underneath from radiant heat --!!!!!!!

Nitpick
Grommets for screen should be stainless. They started to rust after the first use.

five stars from me.


----------



## Bobthegreat

*Update*

So had the pit out on it’s third trip(grande Ronde River). After having an issue with the first mesh. It developed holes after the first fire. I called the company and talked with Mark. He sent me out a new one. It seemed like a different material. It has performed flawlessly. 6 fires on the new mesh, one of those was a burn everything we are off tomorrow fire. All I can say is it’s a great design and the guys at fireside industry have some of the best customer service around. If you have a problem just give them a call and they take care of it.


----------



## didee99

*Love it!*

Our group used the pop-up fire pit on a 2 night trip just recently and we all loved the performance. A lot of real estate to play with so the logs are far less like to fall out of the fire (a problem we have had with the Cambridge fire pan). 

Overall, the fire we had was nice and hot and the embers were mesmerizing. It just had a nice look and feel as far as fires go. We were all really impressed with it. I hope the pop-up pit continues to perform for the long-term. We did not use the grill this time around so can't report on that.


----------



## Riverboat Works

*Pop Up Pit in Stock!*

RiverBoat Works has 'em in stock.

What a great product!


----------



## Dsuth82

Purchased the pit and tri fold grill during the memorial day sale. Used it on two night Chama trip. The weight and size of the pit is nice and it's easy to set up. Cooked one dutch oven meal on it and it did fine. With charcoal briquets a lot more ash falls through than with wood. Way more than 2 tablespoons. Added bonus of this pit is it's easy to pop off the screen to dump ash into your ash can. It's also interesting watching the fire draw air from underneath.


----------



## WaZach

Anyone taken one of these on the middle fork of the salmon yet this year? I’m planning on bringing mine next week and and there’s no backup fire pan in the group, so I’d like to know for sure that the rangers are cool with it. Side note, had this thing out on the Owyhee earlier this year and it kicked ass. Super sturdy even as a featherweight.


----------



## Raft Dad

*MFS or Selway acceptance?*

WaZach, had mine on the MFS two weeks ago. All good. Used it considerably for the first time also and it worked great. Have a fun trip.


----------



## GS Dave

just used it this past weekend on the Chama, works great. 

Dave


----------



## Fly By Night

GS Dave said:


> just used it this past weekend on the Chama, works great.
> 
> Dave


Were you on river left mile 13-14ish, 2-3 boats and some duckies?


----------



## GS Dave

Fly By Night said:


> Were you on river left mile 13-14ish, 2-3 boats and some duckies?


we had 3 boats, no duckies (one dog)


----------



## Fly By Night

That sounds right, I wasn't positive on the duckies and it seems like everyone else had at least a few if not a whole flock. I saw a few of your group and pointed out your pop up pit to the girls on the front of my boat, its a small world.


----------



## whateverfloatsurboat

I recently purchased the full monty. Pop Up Pit w/ Grill accessory and I have to say it's pretty awesome. My favorite part it the lightweight and portability. I also own the Camp Chef Fire Pan and as great as that is, 47 pounds vs. 8 pounds is no contest. 24"x 24" is plenty of room to grill for a medium to large group. That said, I've only used mine a couple of times so far, but I really like it. Seems to hold up well and we've had some good size fires in it with no issues to date. I would like to see a NPS certification attached to this product as I can bet this issue is holding off a lot of potential buyers.


----------



## 90Duck

*First extensive use*

Just back from 7 days on the MFS, and used the pop up pit extensively for campfires every night and grilling one night. While it performed well, we did end up melting and warping a couple of the side walls pretty significantly when a really strong microburst wind storm kicked up just as we were getting the fire going for the night. It literally turned into a blast furnace with 40mph winds and ended up damaging the side walls pretty badly. We managed to do some riverbank repairs with a mallet and a squared-off piece of wood and hammered them back into useable shape. The screen, legs, and everything else performed flawlessly, and after reshaping the sides do still work and got us through the rest of the trip. While the weight savings of the all-aluminum sides is great in most circumstances, steel would have held up no problem to the heat that melted the aluminum on mine. Maybe too much compromise for weight saving?

For those nervous about ranger inspection, at Bounday Creek they were clearly familiar with them and approved its use without hesitation.


----------



## CampfireDefender

90Duck said:


> Just back from 7 days on the MFS, and used the pop up pit extensively for campfires every night and grilling one night. While it performed well, we did end up melting and warping a couple of the side walls pretty significantly when a really strong microburst wind storm kicked up just as we were getting the fire going for the night. It literally turned into a blast furnace with 40mph winds and ended up damaging the side walls pretty badly. We managed to do some riverbank repairs with a mallet and a squared-off piece of wood and hammered them back into useable shape. The screen, legs, and everything else performed flawlessly, and after reshaping the sides do still work and got us through the rest of the trip. While the weight savings of the all-aluminum sides is great in most circumstances, steel would have held up no problem to the heat that melted the aluminum on mine. Maybe too much compromise for weight saving?
> 
> For those nervous about ranger inspection, at Bounday Creek they were clearly familiar with them and approved its use without hesitation.



Well that's never something you want to see, shoot us a DM and lets get you a whole new set of ember guards out. 

This may sound ridiculous but what order did you assemble the pit in? We've had a few customers put the pit together the wrong way and it makes it much more susceptible to damage. 

Obviously, the aluminium does have its limitations, especially when you add in 40mph winds. Glad you were able to make the field repairs and get everything operational. 
This looks like it was most likely just a freak accident with the right combination of wind, fire, and fuel. Through all of our testing we've only been able to get similar results using lighter fluid and a leaf blower. (Professional I know) 

We will be looking at other solutions for this to ensure something like this doesn't happen again. 

Thanks,
Triston
Fireside Team


----------



## 90Duck

Hey, thanks for the response. I would definitely categorize the event under freak circumstances. It was the two downwind shields that bore the brunt of the damage. The fire was literally roaring like someone had a leaf blower going on it. No lighter fluid involved, though.

In all transparency to those following this thread, the pit actually was assembled in the wrong order for this particular fire; despite our best efforts, we could not get the mesh to stretch over the supports with the side guards in place, so we had to put it on first with the base slightly closed and then fully extend is. As a result, the mesh was below the aluminum side guards which did not help the situation. We never had any issues fitting the mesh over the uprights above the side guards on subsequent days, as it mush have stretched out a bit from the heat.

The only other criticism of the pit was regarding the cooking grate; our chef that night wished he could extend the grate up higher from the heat than the threads would allow. Some foil on the grates made it work and the chicken was delicious, but maybe something to consider addressing. Note that the grilling took place the night following the melting event, and once we hammered it back into shape you can't really tell other than the once piece that melted a hole in it.

I will send you a dm.


----------



## CampfireDefender

90Duck said:


> Hey, thanks for the response. I would definitely categorize the event under freak circumstances. It was the two downwind shields that bore the brunt of the damage. The fire was literally roaring like someone had a leaf blower going on it. No lighter fluid involved, though.
> 
> In all transparency to those following this thread, the pit actually was assembled in the wrong order for this particular fire; despite our best efforts, we could not get the mesh to stretch over the supports with the side guards in place, so we had to put it on first with the base slightly closed and then fully extend is. As a result, the mesh was below the aluminum side guards which did not help the situation. We never had any issues fitting the mesh over the uprights above the side guards on subsequent days, as it mush have stretched out a bit from the heat.
> 
> The only other criticism of the pit was regarding the cooking grate; our chef that night wished he could extend the grate up higher from the heat than the threads would allow. Some foil on the grates made it work and the chicken was delicious, but maybe something to consider addressing. Note that the grilling took place the night following the melting event, and once we hammered it back into shape you can really tell other than the once piece that melted a hole in it.
> 
> I will send you a dm.



That does make sense, the couple of millimeters that mesh gives the aluminium actually makes a huge difference in its ability to transfer and release the heat from the fire. 
When trying to put on the fire mesh you should make sure to keep the grommets at the tops of the poles before sliding all four corners down at the same time. The tolerances get really tight, due to the nature of the design. 

We can definitely get you out some new ember guards and it sounds like a fresh mesh too just in case. 

We are pretty happy with the grill design right now, obviously there is some room for improvement so we we will keep everyone updated when/if those changes do come around.


----------



## 90Duck

Thanks Triston - you've got a great product here, exceeded only by your outstanding customer service.

I also wanted to add that I was super impressed by how thoroughly the wood combusted on the steel mesh. at the end of 6 nights of use, our 20mm rocket box ash can was only about 1/4 full. Pretty remarkable, really.

If anyone is considering purchasing one of these, they are the real deal and everything is 30% off on Fireside Outdoor's website right now. A great time to pull the trigger.


----------



## 90Duck

Thanks Triston, I received the replacement ember guards, mesh screen, and bonus fire gloves yesterday. Much appreciated, and those gloves are actually really nice. They will be replacing the harbor freight cheapo welding gloves I was using before.

By the way, after witnessing the melting event and your response to it, two members of our boating party have pulled the trigger on getting their own pop-up fire pits.

Thanks again!


----------



## CampfireDefender

90Duck said:


> Thanks Triston, I received the replacement ember guards, mesh screen, and bonus fire gloves yesterday. Much appreciated, and those gloves are actually really nice. They will be replacing the harbor freight cheapo welding gloves I was using before.
> 
> By the way, after witnessing the melting event and your response to it, two members of our boating party have pulled the trigger on getting their own pop-up fire pits.
> 
> Thanks again!



Always great to hear! We try and do our best to make sure you guys are always taken care of. 

Always feel free to reach out if you have any questions or concerns. 

Cheers,
Triston


----------



## panicman

So are they still 30% off? I don't see that on your site. If they are I would get one now.


----------



## CampfireDefender

panicman said:


> So are they still 30% off? I don't see that on your site. If they are I would get one now.



Hi Panicman,

The 30% off was a limited sale for the Fourth of July, that has ended.


----------



## mttodd

Used the PUP on our MFS as well. Best fire pan on the market. Total game changer. I think it is the best advancement in river camping gear in the last ten years. Right there with sand mats and woodland power stoves.


----------



## 90Duck

mttodd said:


> Used the PUP on our MFS as well. Best fire pan on the market. Total game changer. I think it is the best advancement in river camping gear in the last ten years. Right there with sand mats and woodland power stoves.


Totally agree - the holy trinity of rafting gear!


----------



## Coastgeo

I just used one on the Main Salmon. It worked great until sand got in the frame and we were unable to collapse the frame down to pack. Has anybody else had this problem? Based on my experience I would not recommend.


----------



## CampfireDefender

Coastgeo said:


> I just used one on the Main Salmon. It worked great until sand got in the frame and we were unable to collapse the frame down to pack. Has anybody else had this problem? Based on my experience I would not recommend.



That is an odd issue to have. There are channels cut out from the inner poles specifically meant to prevent this. Could you provide pictures or better yet a video of what you're experiencing and I might be able to pin down the issue. 

In the mean time shoot me a DM and we can get you a replacement sent out so you don't miss any days on the water.

Cheers,
Triston
Fireside Team


----------



## Wadeinthewater

Coastgeo said:


> It worked great until sand got in the frame and we were unable to collapse the frame down to pack. Has anybody else had this problem?


Never had this problem, but I wash mine before I collapse and pack it.


----------



## Conundrum

I’ve had the same sand in the legs problems. I also went a little overboard with bacon wrapped jalop poppers that dripped a lot grease so my fault. I’m going to take some stove cleaner to it one of these weekends.


----------



## ciggyboy

*pop up pit review*

Got one of these this summer and had the screen fail after the first use - big, late night, fire with juniper logs... It had a couple of holes from the 1st night and when I took it out of the bag a few weeks later the screen was rusting and completely falling apart. The Campfire Defender guys quickly sent out a replacement without hassle - THANKS! The new screen has performed without issue so far and I did start putting the heat shield at the bottom of the legs instead of a couple inches below the screen. My first fire did slightly torch the foil and my thought was maybe the heat shield reflected too much heat the first time and overheated the screen. Who really needs to reflect the heat up anyways, to me it's just an ash catcher. My only other issue is the canvas bag has several good sized rips from the mesh screen. CD any reason you don't make the bags out of tougher PVC like the grill comes with? Seems like that would stand up to the screen better. 

Has anyone taken this down the GC and put a good 20+ days of fires on the screen? Seems like most of the reviews are for about a week or so use at best. 

Love this product and the fact that these guys seem to want to improve their product with our feedback!


----------



## CampfireDefender

ciggyboy said:


> Got one of these this summer and had the screen fail after the first use - big, late night, fire with juniper logs... It had a couple of holes from the 1st night and when I took it out of the bag a few weeks later the screen was rusting and completely falling apart. The Campfire Defender guys quickly sent out a replacement without hassle - THANKS! The new screen has performed without issue so far and I did start putting the heat shield at the bottom of the legs instead of a couple inches below the screen. My first fire did slightly torch the foil and my thought was maybe the heat shield reflected too much heat the first time and overheated the screen. Who really needs to reflect the heat up anyways, to me it's just an ash catcher. My only other issue is the canvas bag has several good sized rips from the mesh screen. CD any reason you don't make the bags out of tougher PVC like the grill comes with? Seems like that would stand up to the screen better.
> 
> Has anyone taken this down the GC and put a good 20+ days of fires on the screen? Seems like most of the reviews are for about a week or so use at best.
> 
> Love this product and the fact that these guys seem to want to improve their product with our feedback!


Thank you for the review and sharing your experience. We are really working to improve our category of products to make them as bulletproof as possible when dealing with fire. 

Some things that can be done to improve longevity is to remember this fire pit works with the air draw from the fire. The fire is drawing up the cold air and actually cooling the aluminum and stainless steel as the fire radiates heat. Keeping your fire in the middle of the pit helps substantially. Also, please never use Magic Flames or any other flame color changer as this is actually magnesium powder and burns at over 4000F deg. This fire color changer product will burn right through most metals. 

The Heat Shield should be placed about 6-7" below the Fire Mesh for optimum distance(This is a recent change with our testing). Every inch below the Fire Mesh is appx. 250F-300F degree difference. 

Finally, please rinse the Fire Mesh off with water before storing for 4 weeks or longer. The fire ash mixed with humidity can turn into a caustic Base that will eat at the stainless steel possibly reducing its lifespan. 

We are working on an upgraded bag as this is being written. Hope to have this in stock before Christmas. Thank you again for your trust and support. We will keep updated on all product information and new products on the horizon.

Best,
Triston
Fireside Team


----------



## Electric-Mayhem

All I gotta say is I, along with everyone else on my recent Lodore trip, was super impressed by the pop up pit. Very light weight yet well built, easy to put together after you figure it out the first time and it does an amazing job of fully burning the wood and charcoal you put in it with minimal leftover ash or chunks. I swear there was less smoke coming off the fire into peoples eyes as well. Oh, did I mention that its less then half the price of any other decent NPS/BLM compliant firepan setup I know of?

The grilling grate system is "great" as well. We did everything from cook burgers and fish on it, to dutch ovens (I put the grate down on top of the mesh to rest the DO's on) to large campfires( I think we had two bundles of wood on in there the last night) and it held up admirably in all situations. I think you'll be selling a couple more of these based on what other people on the trip said.

They all remarked that "it was about time came up with some major modern innovations for a firepan". I got mine by contacting Fireside directly via PM here on mountainbuzz and they gave me a great deal. Truly impressed and I obviously highly recommend them.


----------



## jrice345

We just received ours and we're looking forward to see how it handles five nights on the Deschutes next week . May need to stake it down if the canyon decides to blow. Anyone have a good staking system?


----------



## Electric-Mayhem

jrice345 said:


> We just received ours and we're looking forward to see how it handles five nights on the Deschutes next week . May need to stake it down if the canyon decides to blow. Anyone have a good staking system?


We had a couple of very windy days (40+ mph winds) on my Lodore trip last week and I just placed a medium sized rock in one corner of the pan and it didn't budge.


----------



## CampfireDefender

Hey Everyone! 


We were recently nominated by USA Today as one of the top 10 best gifts for adventurers. I'm not sure what we get for winning but it would be cool to win a national competition. 

If you guys wanted to support us in a totally free way you can vote here once per day:

USA Today's 10 Best

As always we appreciate the continued support

Cheers,
Triston
Fireside Team


----------



## Fly By Night

I voted earlier, you guys were #2 of 20! Let show some love everyone.


----------



## mtgreenheads

We took a pop up pit on last week's Desolation Canyon trip. Seriously awesome product, zero issues. Good reminder on weighing the pan with a rock or two, we had insane winds last week, and am glad ours didn't blow away. I bet everyone on our trip ends up buying one, sure was nice to leave the rusty old beast in the truck.


----------



## swiftwater15

Pop up fire pan nachos


----------



## Uncle Steve

*A couple of PUP problems*

Dear Campfire Defender: I recently used my new pit for four nights down the lower Rio Grande. Came home with a damaged pit. Problem one was entirely my fault- I carelessly left the corner grill holders on after cooking and completely melted one. Second is una mysteria- one corner rivet on the mesh popped off, leaving just a hole in the mesh. Can you send a grill-holder to replace the one I melted? And what do you recommend I do to fix the grommet? Thanks for reponse


----------



## CampfireDefender

Uncle Steve said:


> Dear Campfire Defender: I recently used my new pit for four nights down the lower Rio Grande. Came home with a damaged pit. Problem one was entirely my fault- I carelessly left the corner grill holders on after cooking and completely melted one. Second is una mysteria- one corner rivet on the mesh popped off, leaving just a hole in the mesh. Can you send a grill-holder to replace the one I melted? And what do you recommend I do to fix the grommet? Thanks for reponse



Uncle Steve, 


I do have to say I believe this is a first for either of these problems. Not sure why the grill holders had an issue, I almost never take my grill connectors off personally. (Should probably start doing that). 

With the Fire Mesh it was probably a manufacturing issue with sealing that grommet down all the way. 

I would make a terrible insurance rep because I'm gonna go ahead and say you're covered on this one. 

Private message me your address and we'll get replacements sent out.

Cheers,
Triston
Fireside Team


----------



## Uncle Steve

Thanks, Triston: If you send me a spare heat shield and a spare mesh, I'll keep them handy for the day they wear out (and pay the costs). Love the product and your dedicated service. Uncle Steve Harris


----------



## CampfireDefender

Uncle Steve said:


> Thanks, Triston: If you sned me a spare heat shield and a spare mesh, I'll keep them handy for the day they wear out (and pay the costs). Love the product and your dedicated service. Uncle Steve Harris



On its way! 

Cheers,
Triston
Fireside Team


----------



## CampfireDefender

Hey everyone,

In case you missed it, we are launching a smaller version of the Pop-Up Pit, coined, The Trailblazer. 

You can check it out here


----------



## big_shootr

CampfireDefender said:


> Hey everyone,
> 
> In case you missed it, we are launching a smaller version of the Pop-Up Pit, coined, The Trailblazer.
> 
> You can check it out here



Hey Campfire Defender folks, I'm torn between the two options you guys have. While the larger model would be great to have for any future trips with NPS restrictions, I generally packraft areas that aren't in the NPS (but still require a pan), and the extra 5lbs over the trailblazer is a hard sell when you have to hike it out.

My question is - a model directly in between the two - 18x18, would be just enough to meet the 300in^2 NPS requirement, save bulk, and be a great all rounder for the kayakers and packrafters - have you considered making something of this size? I happen to have a permit for memorial day weekend and would happily purchase a prototype if you could get one to me by then


----------



## MT4Runner

big_shootr said:


> Hey Campfire Defender folks, I'm torn between the two options you guys have. While the larger model would be great to have for any future trips with NPS restrictions, I generally packraft areas that aren't in the NPS (but still require a pan), and the extra 5lbs over the trailblazer is a hard sell when you have to hike it out.
> 
> My question is - a model directly in between the two - 18x18, would be just enough to meet the 300in^2 NPS requirement, save bulk, and be a great all rounder for the kayakers and packrafters - have you considered making something of this size? I happen to have a permit for memorial day weekend and would happily purchase a prototype if you could get one to me by then


Great idea. I have both the large version and the Trailblazer. The trailblazer is absolutely a small boat firepit, packs to the size of a thermos. An 18x18 midway between the two in size and weight would be great for small self-support trips to meet regulatory minimums.

I also understand that _some_ regulatory agencies allow smaller firepits for self-support kayak trips. You might contact your permittor to see if they'd allow the Trailblazer.


----------

