Smokeless Fire Pits Are All The Rage, But Do They Work? Let’s Find Out…
Smokeless Fire Pits Are All The Rage, But Do They Work? Let’s Find Out…Avoiding smoke is one of the most frustrating parts of having a campfire or backyard fire.
It seems like no matter where you sit or how often you move, the smoke manages to find you! Making you either sit there to tough it out or scuttle your camp chair around constantly.
And that’s just when you’re sitting around the fire at a normal distance.
It’s even worse if you’re hovering over it to keep your hands warm, to dry clothing, or to cook over the flames.
In these scenarios, staying out of the thick, nasty white smoke is nearly impossible.
Leaving you a hot smokey mess with campfire clothes and irritated eyes. Instead of just “living with it,” you should consider getting a smokeless fire pit.
So today, we’ll be deep-diving into the world of smokeless fire pits, specifically:
- Best Smokeless Fire Pits & Grills On The Market
- What A Smokeless Fire Pit Is & How They Work
- 3 Reasons To Invest In A Smokeless Fire Pit
- How To Dig A Simple Smokeless Fire Pit
- How To Build A Smokeless Rocket Stove
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Best Smokeless Firepits & Grills On The Market
Sometimes it’s easiest to order the stove that fits your needs. Even if a DIY solution might sound cheaper, remember that your time should be worth a LOT!
Fortunately, there are several options on the market today for a “smokeless” firepit:
The BioLite FirePit+ grill manages airflow via built-in fans. These fans run off a battery and are controlled via Bluetooth and a smartphone app.
This active air management can take you from spark to fire in seconds and keep your fire roaring.
It uses a 10,400 mAh rechargeable battery power pack which also sports USB outputs. So you can charge your devices while out at the firepit!
Further proof that you can add Bluetooth and a USB battery pack to just about any product!
Check out my full review of this incredible product here!
My Personal Video Review:
Solo Stove is one of the most visible smokeless fire pits on the market.
They have a wide range of products in their lineup. They have a small backpacking stove all the way up to a Bonfire stove.
The bonfire stove is a free-standing fire pit designed for backyard use. Or it's lightweight enough to take with you camping.
So feel free to add it to your cool camping gear.
All Solo Stove’s designs incorporate a double wall.
This design provides plenty of air and preheating for better combustion. But also provides a cooler outside surface than other backyard fire pits.
Plus, the stainless steel construction and precision-cut pieces look great.
Finally, their solid warranty means they stand behind their products.
The Tiki Fire Pit reduces smoke using its "Patent-Pending" internal airflow system.
It's also constructed with 16-gauge stainless steel. This means it's built from the ground up to prevent rusting. Plus, it's highly weatherproof due to the black powder-coated exterior.
This 25" Diameter - 16" depth fire pit includes an ash pan for easy cleanup and less mess.
It's an extremely popular "smokeless" firepit with a proven track record.
The CastMaster BON 2000 Bonfire Pit features an advanced, stainless steel design built to last for years of use. So it resists corrosion, looks great, AND saves you money since you won’t have to replace your rusty, big-box store fire pit every season!
BON 2000 reimagines the old smokey fire pits that most of us have. By channeling hot air, it increases combustion & temperature, decreases unburnt logs, and ELIMINATES SMOKE.
Simply place the perfect-fit cooking grate over the pit using the attached metal tongs and your fire pit becomes an outdoor barbecue pit!
Cook brats, burgers, or veggie kabobs for your beach bash or campsite crew. NOTE: there may be some smoke/steam when cooking.
100% USA DESIGN, 100% USA CUSTOMER SUPPORT - Cast Master stands behind all their products!
The Blue Sky Smokeless Fire Pit utilizes an efficient design with the ability to burn super hot, which reduces smoke, sparks, ash, or odors.
This fire pit is made out of "durable steel" so it claims to have a very long life.
The Blue Sky Firepit has a sleek modern design but is heavy and awkward to move. It would be nice if it had some handles welded into the top or side.
It also does not come with a screen or cover.
The Inno Stage Patented Double Wall Fire Pit Bowl maximizes the airflow and burning process producing less smoke and more flame!
The bottom vent holes allow oxygen while the double walls warm it. So no more smoky clothes or holes in fabrics from sparks.
This awesome fire pit has been painted black, antirust, and resistant to high temperature, perfect for wood pellet burning (if desired).
It has an outer diameter 15"( inner diameter 11.4") X height 12.5".
The Inno Smokeless Patio Firepit also comes with a waterproof carrying bag. And it's great for small spaces, car camping, or even for a patio. You can take it anywhere you want.
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What’s A Smokeless Firepit Is & How They Work
This type of firepit uses controlled airflow and temperatures to achieve better combustion.
Just like a well-tuned engine produces very little exhaust.
A “smokeless” fire is also highly-efficiency and creates minimal smoke (significantly less than typical fire pits) AND puts out far more heat from each log you toss in.
Dakota Fire Pit
Drawing Of Dakota Fire Pit
Original smokeless fire pits were two small pits in the ground connected with a vent tunnel.
This design provides fresh air to the base of the flames.
Nomads have used this type of fire pit for thousands of years, allowing them to burn sparse fuel and conserve resources.
This subterranean firepit also has the added benefit of hiding the flame. Concealment helps to keep traveling tribes hidden from enemies looking for fires at night.
And when the time came to move on, it was simple to fill in the fire pit and replace the sod, leaving no trace of their passage.
One type of smokeless fire pit, the Dakota pit, is still taught to US military troops for these very reasons.
When it comes to covert heat, low visibility, and reliability (even in strong winds), the Dakota pit is hard to beat!
Rocket Stove
Drawing Of A Rocket Stove
If a below-ground fire isn’t going to cut it for you, consider another “smokeless” option – a rocket stove.
Rocket stoves come in a wide variety of sizes.
The smallest ones are portable, while large ones can heat entire cabins (called Rocket Mass Heaters).
These stoves use the same central idea as Dakota fire pits.
They use a constant stream of fresh air to supply the bottom of the fire’s fuel.
Backyard Fire Pits
Nowadays, more people are becoming familiar with smokeless backyard fire pits.
These are either bought as a smoke-free fire pit insert or as a free-standing patio fire pit.
They channel fresh air through passages along the inside of the fire pit. This design pre-heats the air and mixes it with the smoke exiting the fire pit.
This input of fresh oxygen causes a secondary burn-off of most of the particles in the smoke. This setup is how these firepits produce copious amounts of heat and far less visible smoke.
It’s sort of like an afterburner for your fire pit!
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3 Reasons Why YOu Should Invest In A Smokeless Firepit
No matter what kind of smokeless fire pit you choose, they share many of the same benefits.
1. Improved Efficiency
Due to their high-temp burn and better combustion, smokeless fire pits are efficient.
They put out more heat from the same amount of fuel used.
This setup allows you to burn less fuel and conserve your resources.
Long-term fuel and firewood management are of utmost importance if you’re into preparedness and survival.
2. Reduced Smoke & Smell
Since more chemicals in wood smoke are burned in this pit, the resulting smoke is thinner and less acrid.
It still smells like a campfire, but it’s far less likely to saturate your clothes with that smell.
The reduced soot also means less staining on your pots and pans and around the fire pit.
3. Covert
The flame is contained more within a burn chamber (underground or inside the fire pit shell). This results in less visible light signature to give away your location at night.
During the day, the thinner smoke column is also harder to spot.
This is a massive advantage if you want to remain undetected and remain low-profile.
This could become an essential survival skill (if bugging out) when evasion is the primary goal.
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Ultimate Survival Gear Checklist. Click Here To Get Your FREE Copy Of It.How To Build A Smokeless Firepit In The Wild
There are lots of videos online that show how to build a Dakota Fire Pit. For the most part, they all boil down to digging two adjoining holes.
A large hole for the combustion chamber and chimney and a smaller one as an air intake tunnel.
Then add firewood into the larger hole.
To start, remove a 12″ circle of soil and plant roots and set it aside to replace them later.
Continue digging straight down roughly 12″. Then expand the base of the hole several inches on each side. This leaves a broader area to accommodate larger pieces of firewood.
Next, repeat the process to create a 6″ airway tunnel that angles down to meet the combustion chamber at the base.
This tunnel will provide fresh air to the base of the flames. This allows your fire to draft better and burn clean.
Once your Dakota fire pit is complete, build a fire in the combustion chamber. Make sure to use plenty of dry fuel and small kindling to get it going.
After the fire is lit, you should see a strong draft down into the airway tunnel, with flames and heat building inside the combustion chamber.
As the fire heats up, the smoke will taper off, and you’ll be rewarded with a clean, even heat!
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How To Build A Smokeless Rocket Stove
While you can buy a rocket stove, a well-built one isn’t always cheap.
You can also build your own IF you have the right metal-working skills (and equipment).
If you do, you can make a long-lasting rocket stove in a couple of hours.
This DIY build is more involved than a simple Dakota fire pit. So make sure you watch the video and plan your parts before you start cutting and welding!
Final Thoughts
Dealing with smoke around the fire pit is an age-old dilemma.
It can sometimes be so frustrating that people avoid sitting around the fire altogether. But you don’t have to ignore this problem anymore. You can do something about it.
You also get the added benefits of letting your firewood last longer, and you’re being more environmentally friendly.
So whether you go DIY or buy- you can have a “smokeless” fire. It’s time you got an efficient, clean, smokeless fire pit you and all your friends will love.
Jason K.
P.s. Are you ready for the tough times ahead?
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