From flames to food, these accessories make your fire pit perfect for year-round fun.
Whether it’s hot or cold outside, hanging around a fire is rarely a bad thing when the sun goes down. From relaxing to staying warm, a fire basket is great to have. But there are plenty of other ways to use them than just staring at their soothing flames or roasting marshmallows for delicious s’mores. From cooking up some tasty pizza to chasing away pesky mosquitoes Besides making natural fertilizer, fire pits have many different functions and possibilities.
Here are five great ways to use your fire pit that you may not have considered. You’ve come to the right place if you’re looking for new reasons to light a safe, satisfying campfire. (For more information on fire pits, read about the best way to clean one and how to save money when purchasing a.)
1. Repel mosquitoes
Pest control probably isn’t the first topic that comes to mind when you think of fire pits. That said, they can be a powerful tool for warding off some of the most unwelcome outdoor guests: mosquitoes. Burning herbs is an age-old technique for keeping biting insects at bay. While smokeless fire pits don’t produce as much smoke to drive these insects away, they still make a difference.
Research now confirms that burning popular herb plants, especially thyme, is particularly effective. A field study found that directly burning thyme leaves provided 85% to 89% protection against mosquitoes for up to 90 minutes. Next time the bugs are in large numbers, throw a few sprigs on the fire.
2. Cook over it
It may seem obvious to barbecue enthusiasts, but cooking food over a wood fire usually produces delicious results. Chicken, fish, and all types of red meat benefit from time spent over hot coals. A fire pit is no different. Two big names in the smokeless fire pit industry already recognize this.
Smokeless fire pits are fantastic for cooking over, even pizza.
Breeo sells its Outpost Grill Set that can function as a standalone campfire grill. You can also attach it to one of the company’s fire pits. Oh, and we haven’t even mentioned the Breeo Live Fire Pizza Oven for that wood fired pizza goodness. Is it ever good?
Fire pit maker Solo Stove also offers a range of cooking accessories for its fire pits. As well as the Pi Fire for cooking pizzas with your solo stove, there are a number of extra cooking pieces to add more usability to your smokeless fire pit. Solo Stove offers a cast iron griddle, griddle, and wok that all work with the Hub. Oh! Don’t forget the Campfire popcornat.
3. Take it camping
The next time you go camping with your car or truck, consider bringing a portable fire pit. There are fire pits that are specifically designed for travel, such as the lightweight Solo stove Ranger and foldable Pop-up fire basket. Some adventurous campers even take the bigger ones Breeo Y-serie holes in the woods. Although not overly large, the Breeo Y-Series has foldable, built-in legs to adjust the height and get the fire pit off the ground.
Consider taking your fire pit with you on your next camping trip.
Regardless of which brand you choose, the advantage of using your own pit in the wilderness is great. It is always ready. You also do not have to rely on the condition, or lack thereof, of your particular campsite.
4. Make a Swedish torch
In the depths of winter, it’s hard to spend quality time outdoors. Change that logic by creating a Swedish torchThis traditional fire building technique requires you to stack wood vertically in your pit. It burns from the top down and from the center out.
These conditions create a fire that produces much more heat than standard fire pits. Because you add as much wood as you can at the beginning, your fire pit will burn for quite a long time with minimal intervention.
The Swedish torch method is a great way to stay warm outside when it’s cold.
5. Reuse the ashes
Once the fire has burned out and the pit has cooled, you may be tempted to throw the remains in the trash. Think again, because fire pit ash is an excellent fertilizer.
Fire pits are more versatile than you might think.
A little wood ash is a boon to the health of your plant and is packed with potassium and other trace elements. Research has shown that that applying wood ash to the soil promoted plant growth and drought resistance. However, it costs very little. The experiments used a low ratio of 1% ash to the soil. For a typical 10-inch diameter garden pot (2.5 to 3 gallons), you would need just under half an ounce of ash.
Check this out: The BioLite smart FirePit lets you control the fire
More information can be found here: How to build a custom fire pit and how to create a vegetable garden.
