Outbound Reviewed: The BioLite FirePit is Perfect for Car Camping

As an avid explorer, I often find myself camped out on BLM or National Forest land where there isn't exactly a dedicated campsite or fire pit, but rather just a space to park and throw up a tent. A campfire is always such a nice way to wind down at the end of the night, but when there is no designated fire pit, it's very difficult to have a fire yet still leave no trace. Luckily, on my most recent micro-adventure to the Alvord Desert of Southeast Oregon, I was able to bring the BioLite FirePit along.

When I first found out about the BioLite FirePit, I definitely had my doubts. It was very different from anything I'd ever seen before since this FirePit has airflow technology, which allows the fire to burn cleaner with less smoke. The yellow piece on the side is what pushes air all throughout the bottom and sides of the pit, and this is either charged via solar (more on this in a second), or you can even plug it in using a micro-USB. The whole pit even has a bag that it fits inside of for easy carrying.

I also got to test out the Solar Carry Cover, which allowed me to charge the FirePit in the sun while we were setting up camp! The cover was excellent in terms of having something else to help carry the FirePit, but as expected, it did not charge fast. We had it in the sun for about 5 hours and it still was not charged all the way, although I expected this knowing how inefficient solar charging is. However, I imagine that on a multi-day trip, you could leave it out all day and it would be charged! Also, I found that I didn't even need a full charge for the one night we were there.

I was first impressed by how quickly I was able to start my fire. Normally, this involves lighting paper and doing a lot of waiting. However, once I lit the paper and turned on the airflow, my fire kicked right up almost immediately. This was an amazing feature in the morning because it gave me almost instant warmth once it was lit.

After you start the fire, you really do notice how much cleaner it burns. I didn't have to deal with smoke in my face, and my clothes didn't even smell like campfire! I was able to fit a fair amount of wood inside, and it burned clean and quick. The airflow does cause a slight amount of noise when on high, but otherwise, I never really noticed it.

Once we got the fire going, it was perfect to roast marshmallows on! The FirePit also comes with a grill that goes on top, should you want to cook something over the fire. We didn't use it on this particular trip, but I am definitely going to give it a shot on a future trip! 

Last, one of the best things about packing the BioLite FirePit with you is the fact that all the ashes stay inside the FirePit, which has an easily removable bottom section which allows for you to brush the ashes out into a trash bag. I loved this feature because it meant that I wasn't leaving my ashes on the ground for the next person to see, and I also didn't have to worry about picking them up since they were just in the bottom of the pit. 

The BioLite FirePit was an amazing addition to car camping gear that will allow me to have a fire almost anywhere where fires are allowed. It's an excellent item that helps you leave no trace and burn a cleaner fire. It's nice and compact, so it easily fits inside a car or rooftop box, and it helps make any place feel like home!