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Review: Solo Stove Ranger Portable Fire Pit

The Solo Stove Ranger is a portable fire pit that can be easily packed up and moved between backyard and campsite.

By: Neonconflagrations + Save to a List

Specs:

Materials: 304 Stainless Steel

Weight: 15 pounds

Footprint: 15" wide, 12.5" tall

Where To Get It:

$189.99 • Solo Stove | REI | Amazon 

Our Experience:

Solo Stove manufactures a range of stoves and fire pits ranging from ultralight hiking stoves to the stationary that can make a centerpiece to a home backyard, along with accessories to dress up your bonfire experience as much as you would like.  Designed to maximize function, along with overall ease of use, Solo Stove's Ranger model takes one of the oldest methods of heat and energy known to civilization and puts it into a form that can be packed and carried with you to the campground or just to a friend's backyard.

While Solo Stove makes a range of sizes from personal rocket stoves to heavy duty backyard fire pits, their Ranger model is the most portable mid-size model, which worked the best with our desire for a fire pit that fit well in our backyard, but that we would be able to throw in the car and take camping as well. Weighing 15 pounds, the Ranger comes with a fitted bag for easy movement and storage when not in use. The stove consists of two parts: the main drum body which has ventilation holes placed to make oxygen flow most efficient, and a stainless steel ring which fits atop the barrel to protect the flame from wind and concentrate flames upwards. 

The stainless steel body radiates heat inward, helping the wood to burn slowly and thoroughly, while eliminating almost all smoke. The small amount of ash that remains after the fire collects at the bottom of the barrel rather than spilling or staining the ground beneath it can easily be dumped out once the stove cools (typically overnight). And luckily the wood fire smell is still there, though with the heat focussed upwards, we found that that wood smell doesn't stick to your clothes like an open fire would.

The drum resonates heat to the sides, as well as upwards. The shape and design that go into the Ranger make the wood burn slower and last longer, eliminates most of the smoke and the amount of ash, and reduces the amount of the wood smell that sticks to your clothing versus a typical campground fire ring. As far as portability, it remains extremely hot to the touch even after the fire dies, so must be left in place for a few hours before it can be picked up and packed back in its bag.

Solo Stove seems to have really figured out the science of creating a contained fire that ignites easily and burns slowly, and the portability is a great quality for those who spend a lot of time camping out - especially in areas where existing fire pits don't exist - or who may have limited space or live in places where wet weather may rust their own backyard fire pit. The biggest draw for the Solo Stove Ranger is how easily we can pack it with us, or just move it into our backyard on those evenings we feel like setting out the chairs and having a fire.

Solo Stove offers a range of accessories such as bases, wind screens, utensils and cookware, we haven't tried any of these. But the Ranger compact fire pit has been a great addition to our backyard, and is a nice for quickly packing up and taking with us into the outdoors or just over to a friend's backyard as well. 

We want to acknowledge and thank the past, present, and future generations of all Native Nations and Indigenous Peoples whose ancestral lands we travel, explore, and play on. Always practice Leave No Trace ethics on your adventures and follow local regulations. Please explore responsibly!

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