Best Portable Camping Firepits in Australia – Enjoy Fire In The Great Outdoors!

When most of us think about heading out to go camping, images of sitting around a campfire having a yarn with our mates or family is something that springs to mind.

Given the combustible nature of most of Australia's native trees, it’s often not possible to have a large open fire pit at your campsite, especially around summer when the bush can react like a tinderbox.

But have no fear! There is a range of portable camping fire pits available that are designed primarily to allow you to enjoy an open fire but more safely than the large bonfires of yesteryear. Portable fire pits allow you to still enjoy sitting around a campfire while reducing the risk of starting a bushfire.

We have reviewed some of the best portable camping fire pits available in Australia for you, so you can take some of the guesswork out of your purchasing decisions. So read on and learn about the best portable camping fire pits for purchase in Australia.

Best Portable Camping Firepits Australia

Darche Stainless Steel BBQ 450 Firepit

Once you have decided to purchase and use a portable fire pit for your camping adventures, a secondary decision on whether you would like to cook on your fire pit as well needs to be made. If you love fire-based cooking or BBQing, then the Darche BBQ 450 Firepit could just be the unit you are looking for.

This firepit is easy to set up in a matter of seconds from its carry bag and uses a baseplate with the rest of the firepit locked down on it for a secure fire. After that, it's a case of setting and lighting your fire and waiting until the embers are suitable for cooking.

If you plan to cook, you can easily place the high-grade stainless steel grill on top and get to it. Once done, remove the grill, stoke the fire and sit back and relax.

Customer reviews are all very positive, with literally almost every review being a 5 star. It's solid, holds a great fire and is also easy to cook on. The only real downsides are its weight, coming in at over 11 kg and the fact the baseplate can leave rust marks if you're using this fire pit on a concrete base.

Regardless, the Darche Stainless steel BBQ 450 Firepit is the perfect buy if you are looking for a solid and safe fire pit that can double as a BBQ and you don't mind the weight of moving this around when you move.

Coast Steel Portable 600mm Fire Pit & Ember Tray Kit

The largest and heaviest firepit in this review is the Coast Steel Portable 600mm Firepit and Ember Tray Kit. This firepit is designed to contain a larger fire than other models, which can accommodate more people sitting around it.

It really is a simple design and it is made from BlueScope steel, which is a zero-emission made steel that is sturdy and will retain heat. This fire pit is a very stylish one that is very stable and once burning, will radiate heat out in all directions.

The biggest issue with this firepit is its weight, coming in at 24kg, which means just moving and setting it up can be a two-person job. While it's not designed for cooking, you can still place an external grill over it if needed, or collect embers from the tray for use elsewhere.

Customer reviews are very positive about this firepit, but the weight makes it less practical to take out camping with you and it's often better suited to a backyard or another semi-permanent location around your house. This is definitely worth the purchase as long as you are aware of how heavy it actually is.

BioLite FirePit+ - Wood & Charcoal Burning Fire Pit

When it comes to the best camping and outdoor firepits, the BioLite FirePit+ comes close to taking the crown. This next-generation style of firepit has a battery pack that will blow air all around your fire to ensure it burns more efficiently and reduce overall smoke.

The battery pack can also be used to charge USB devices if needed. You can also control the airflow to the fire by your phone via Bluetooth for ultimate control of your smokeless firepit.

The rectangular shape allows for longer pieces of wood to be burnt, without taking up loads of space when packed up and not in use. There are also mesh grills around three sides of the firepit to allow for great visuals of your fire when you and your friends are sitting around it.

It can also be used for cooking, however, this is not its primary design and you need to know how to cook with very high heat, hibachi style. There are additional accessories for cooking such as a griddle pan.

Customer reviews are all very positive due to its ease of use, ability to get a fire going quickly and easily, great visuals while the fire is going and a safe and quick extinguish when done.

As long as you can afford the almost $400 price tag, this firepit will keep you happy at home or out camping for a long time to come.

Fireside Portable Popup Fire Pit

Here is a little firepit with a great concept – it packs up small and then folds out into a larger area for a bigger fire.

The Fireside Portable Popup Fire Pit mostly does a good job at this. The sturdy models we have reviewed above are all quite heavy, whereas this firepit is much lighter due to its folding design, making it more portable in general.

The problem with the folding design however is that it’s just not quite as sturdy as the other models, which means it’s a good idea to ensure this is sited away from your tents in the unlikely event that it’s knocked over.

The biggest issue with this firepit however is the mesh degrading fast, in some cases after only a few uses. While not a factor for everyone, this mesh issue has had enough poor reviews because of it, it's worth highlighting it here. It's covered under warranty for 6 months, but after that, you would need to buy a new one or jerry-rig something else.

While not cheap, it's far cheaper than some of the other units, however, we recommend caution due to the degrading mesh issue.

BCF Fire Pit with Grill

We don't have to spend hundreds of dollars on a portable fire pit to suit our needs and the BCF Fire Pit Grill comes in at under $100 making it more affordable for the occasional camper. It has a nice circular design with a removable grill for cooking when the embers die down a little.

There is a glaring issue with this firepit and all the reviews below 5 star all centre on the same problem – it's not very sturdy. There appear to be some issues with the legs either not tightening up enough to be completely stable or the overall weight of this firepit not being heavy enough to ground it.

This means you need to be careful when using it as fires tend to shift their weight as they burn and a fire that one minute appears stable, could burn weirdly and topple over not long after. While still a good product for its price – you really need to consider this before making a purchase of this firepit.

23Zero Stainless Steel Firepit and BBQ

Lastly, a new product with very few reviews so far is the 23Zero Stainless Steel Firepit and BBQ. While some of the other fire pits are designed for cooking as well as being a fire pit, this one prioritises cooking first and a firepit second.

This means it’s designed with cooking functionality in mind with an adjustable grill that can move up and down so you can control the heat far easier. It also means this firepit has quite a few more parts that need to go together when using it, which takes a little more time to set it up.

Reviews are very positive with the only real downside being the more complicated set-up. But once you have done cooking, you can remove the top grill section and get a nice after-dinner fire going easily. This is recommended for those who love to cook over coals.

What To Look For When Buying Portable Camping Firepits

Fire Pit FAQ

Can you put a fire pit in a tent?

No, you should never have a flame in your tent, whether that is a gas burner or an open fire as apart from the hazard of burning your tent down, they create fumes and reduce the oxygen levels making it dangerous.

Is it safe to have a firepit in a gazebo?

No, for the same reasons as above, even though a gazebo has open sides, a flame fire will still create smoke and fumes that will linger. Having a gas heater outside, blowing air inside your gazebo, however, is a much better choice.

Are portable fire pits safe?

Yes, provided they are sited properly away from tents, trees and easily combustible bush. They need to be on sturdy ground too.

They also need to comply with any local laws, such as these ones by the Brisbane City Council.

Are gas or wood fire pits better?

A gas fire pit is really a gas heater. While gas heaters or cooking grills can be used for heating, nothing throws out the heat and creates an atmosphere quite like burning wood.

Final Thoughts

A fire is one of the things many people enjoy the most about camping. Just sitting around, staring at it and chatting with your mates is a pastime enjoyed by millions every year in this country.

If you are unsure about fires or always camp when it’s a high fire danger – then a portable fire pit may be just what you need, especially if you like to cook over flames or coals as well.

While a firepit like BioLite FirePit+ is highly rated and will ensure your camping life is managed quite easily, you can still go for a much cheaper model like the BCF Firepit With Grill and enjoy both cooking and a campfire while out in the bush.