Wolf and Grizzly Fire Safe Review
Before I attempt to evaluate the Wolf and Grizzly Fire Safe, I must clarify that I was unable to get my hands on this product physically, so this review is solely my opinion based on information compiled from online reviews and customer feedback.
From immediate first impression I was slightly confused as to the main purpose of this product. I initially thought this product was some campfire cooking device that could be used on top of a campfire. I quickly discovered that the Fire Safe was designed to be a lightweight, portable and durable outdoor fire pit. It appears that British designer Maxwell Ashford served as the mastermind in charge of tackling the product design on this project for Wolf and Grizzly. According to his design portfolio website, the following description accompanies the Fire Safe design.
“An alternative to disposable barbecues.
Collapsing down to slimmer than an inch, Fire Safe is a lightweight outdoor fire pit. It works modularly with Wolf and Grizzly’s pre-existing Grill M1 for cooking.
The corrugated base form creates a circulating airflow, which protected by the sides of the frame makes for efficient fires from wood or charcoal.
It’s the first camping fire pit that also address disposal of ashes after a fire, with the base part acting as a scoop for the remains in a bid to encourage a ‘leave no trace’ use.
Constructed entirely of SS 304 it can be recycled without being deconstructed, hopefully after a long life of use.
Made in China by a highly skilled factory.”
Maxwell’s full design portfolio and additional projects can be found here.
This product was originally launched as a Kickstarter campaign and nearly $250,000 CAD was pledged by just under 1,700 backers in 2019. This product was launched with a one-year warranty and a carrying case for the collapsible product. I am unsure of the material of the carrying case, but it appears to be made of some type of cloth (possibly canvas or nylon). The current retail price is $89.95 USD on the Wolf and Grizzly website. Wolf and Grizzly recommends pairing this product with their campfire grill which can used to turn this fire pit into a one-of-a-kind natural grill.
Although this is undoubtedly one of the sleekest and most compact portable fire pits I’ve seen, I can’t help but question the durability or lifetime of this product. According to their website, the primary material is 304 grade stainless steel which has a melting point of 1450 degrees °C (≈2640 °F). A typical charcoal grill generally stays between 500 – 700 °F, well below the melting point of 304 grade stainless steel. With that being said, given the thin appearance, I am curious as to how resistant this structure would be to bumps or movements at hot temperatures (i.e. does the metal become weaker at higher temperatures?).
One thing that I am rather curious about is the ability for the metal to retain its ‘new’ finish. I know that many firepits become coated in charcoal and soot over time, I wonder if this product would do the same. On the Kickstarter campaign, the below image was displayed to give users an idea as to what the product looks like after use.
After reading a few reviews, there seems to be several reoccurring areas of feedback. Firstly, several users seem to feel that the size of this fire pit is a bit smaller than what would be ideal. Although I understand this perspective, many others have suggested that the size and weight is ideal for backpacking. Several users have noted the raw strength of the metal. One user mentioned that he accidently ran the grill over with his car on a gravel road and although the grill was bent, he was able to reshape it back into perfect working condition.
In summary, this is definitely a product worth considering if you might be on the market for a portable outdoor fire pit. Although it may not be perfect if you frequently have fires with larger crowds, the strong customer feedback and premium materials make the Wolf and Grizzly Fire Safe a great choice for outdoor enthusiasts.