Starting a campfire is easy enough that you should be able to start one at any time using random twigs and branches you can gather on the ground. So, yeah, there’s absolutely no need for a campfire in a can. Despite that, someone went ahead and created one anyway in the form of the Radiate Portable Campfire.
That’s right, they put an entire campfire in a small tin can that you can carry inside a backpack or duffel. Whether for camping with friends in a backcountry, partying at the beach, or roasting marshmallows with your kids in the backyard, this thing lets you start a campfire quickly and cleanly.
The Radiate Portable Campfire comes in a tin can measuring 8 x 3.5 inches (diameter x height), so while it’s not small enough to fit in your pockets, it should slip inside any bag without any problems. It’s made from a mix of recycled soy wax and recycle paper briquettes, which, the outfit claims, should be better for the environment than traditional wood-burning campfires. Whether that’s true or not, it’s definitely more convenient, since you don’t have to gather sticks, twigs, and other combustibles before getting your fire started.
To use, simply set it down on a non-flammable surface, light the paper pulp section (using a lighter or match), and watch those flames burn. According to the outfit, the flames could get up to two feet high, so there is some powerful fuel in there that you can use to roast marshmallows, grill hotdogs, and stay toasty during colder nights. Do note, make sure find a heat-resistant surface to set it down on since the tin can will get ridiculously hot while the campfire continues to burn.
The Radiate Portable Campfire has an average burn time of four hours, although it can go as long as five or as short as three, depending on prevailing conditions (like wind and humidity). Basically, it won’t quite light up your camp all night, so you’ll want to bring a few of these if you want to have the fire going for far longer than that. It’s waterproof, by the way, so the fire should keep going even when someone accidentally spills their drink on it, all while being reusable, so you can stop the fire and restart it again as long as some of the compound still remains in the can. To stop a fire, simply slide the lid on top to keep oxygen from getting in, which will eventually extinguish the fire. Just make sure to exercise caution since, you know, this thing can burn you.
Because it uses a mix of wax and briquettes, there are no embers that fly out, making it a way safer alternative to traditional campfires, especially when there are kids around. There’s also none of that wood smoke smell that gets in your clothes and hair, all while requiring no maintenance the whole time the fire burns.
Want one? The Radiate Portable Campfire is available now.
- Bigger, Brighter, Better: Experience all the warmth of a roaring fire without the set up with this...