Anyone use a camp fire heat deflector?

MikekiM

MikekiM

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East of Montauk, NY
Looking for a collapsable aluminum heat reflector.

This is The Original Fire Reflector by MCRanch Overland.. At $381 before shipping, they are more than I want to spend. And they come in at close to 30lbs.

The-Original-Fire-Reflector_02_1000x.jpg


Conceptually, it is what I am looking for, though I want just a wee bit smaller. These panels are 24x24 and I am looking for 18x18 or 18x24 as that will fit best in my storage system. I camp solo and just want to kick some heat back under the tarp rather than letting it spill out everywhere.

I can make something similar but after searching around for materials, 1/8" 3003 aluminum sheet seems best, I find that four panels 18x24 are going to be upwards of $250 before shipping. https://www.metalsupermarkets.com/product/aluminum-sheet-3003/

Buying by the sheet saves a few bucks on the cost of materials, but adds a huge amount in shipping.

Tried the local big box stores for sheet goods and they have nothing that fits the bill.

It's been a few weeks of searching for something similar and I am coming up empty.

Any of you know of something similar without the heft (weight and price) ??
 
Local metal scrap yards are good sources of cheap materials, but it’s a wild goose chase. If you have patience, try that. I’ve gotten odd materials cheap on eBay. It’s a little bit less of a goose chase, but shipping costs are an issue. Have you thought about stainless shim stock?

I think you have some backpacking experience in your past. Are you familiar with lightweight wood stoves for backpacking? They use .004 thick shim stock for roll-up stove pipes. Perhaps you could get a sheet of that and use rebar to position it in an arc behind the fire? I’m not sure how big a piece you could buy, but shipping isn’t so bad (and it’s easy to pack) because you can store it rolled up…. Just a thought. I’d start my search at McMaster-Carr if I was looking.
 
sab said:
Local metal scrap yards are good sources of cheap materials, but it’s a wild goose chase. If you have patience, try that. I’ve gotten odd materials cheap on eBay. It’s a little bit less of a goose chase, but shipping costs are an issue. Have you thought about stainless shim stock?

I think you have some backpacking experience in your past. Are you familiar with lightweight wood stoves for backpacking? They use .004 thick shim stock for roll-up stove pipes. Perhaps you could get a sheet of that and use rebar to position it in an arc behind the fire? I’m not sure how big a piece you could buy, but shipping isn’t so bad (and it’s easy to pack) because you can store it rolled up…. Just a thought. I’d start my search at McMaster-Carr if I was looking.
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McMaster Carr.. good suggestions. How did I overlook that.

You're correct about the backpacking history. Nearly everything I use is titanium and nothing is this large.

I came across one review on Youtube for a mid-size aluminum reflector made by Yoler Campfire that looked promising, but the website link is a dead end and google returns nothing.

Found a few options on Temu but that's not a site I want to deal with. I don't even want to link to it.

I figured stainless would be both more expensive and heavier so I didn't consider it at all. I could probably get away with three panels instead of four to save weight, but aluminum seems like a better solution.

The roll-up stove pipe.. quite a few vendors I know of sell them and at some point in my future I want to try hot tents and stove, but for now fold flat is the best storage option for the Jeep.
 
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MikekiM said:
...at some point in my future I want to try hot tents and stove
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I'll be in one this weekend in the South Park area of Colorado - it's with a group of geezer backcountry buddies who are slowing down. We used to ski or snow shoe into camp with our loads on sleds behind us, but we'll be vehicle-based this year. The patriarch of our group is now 85 and has slowed down a bit. He'll hang out in the tent during the day, but sleeps in a 4WD Sprinter van with a diesel heater these days. He used to be quite the backcountry bad-ass!
 
MikekiM said:
I figured stainless would be both more expensive and heavier so I didn't consider it at all. I could probably get away with three panels instead of four to save weight, but aluminum seems like a better solution.
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I was talking .004" thick, like the stove pipes, rather than the 1/8" thick aluminum, so it wouldn't be heavier, and you could just roll it up to about 4" diameter for easy storage. Unfortunately, McMaster-Carr does carry it, but it's priced about the same as what you've found (I just checked). A 24" x 100" piece is about $215. So much for that idea.
 
sab said:
I'll be in one this weekend in the South Park area of Colorado - it's with a group of geezer backcountry buddies who are slowing down. We used to ski or snow shoe into camp with our loads on sleds behind us, but we'll be vehicle-based this year. The patriarch of our group is now 85 and has slowed down a bit. He'll hang out in the tent during the day, but sleeps in a 4WD Sprinter van with a diesel heater these days. He used to be quite the backcountry bad-ass!
Click to expand...

I'm not ready to label myself an old geezer and I still try to pound out some miles when I can. But my knees aren't what they used to be. I have been looking into trailers like the Dinoot and Tentrax but not ready to switch to a tent. and I don't see a diesel heater in my future.. ever.

I still sleep in the hammock regardless of the weather. -6 F is my low. I don't really need a tent, but did buy one last year that connects to the back of your vehicle with an umbilical (Napier Sports Dome). I haven't taken it out of the box yet and doubt I will. Now looking at a Kelty Backroads shelter, which is more of a tarp than tent, if only for a place to change and be out of the weather for meal prep. I could position the fire pit just outside the front of the tarp and the reflector would direct some of the heat under the tarp.

Not sure if it will clear the cargo basket with the tailgate open.

Found this on Walmart website. Might need two for added length and it's half as high as the Original Fire Reflector above.

Still want to stay with something that folds flat instead of rolled.
 
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MikekiM said:
Looking for a collapsable aluminum heat reflector.

I am looking for 18x18 or 18x24 as that will fit best in my storage system.

I can make something similar but after searching around for materials, . . . I find that four panels 18x24 are going to be upwards of $250 before shipping.

It's been a few weeks of searching for something similar and I am coming up empty.

Any of you know of something similar without the heft (weight and price) ??
Click to expand...

How about three 18x25 galvanized drip pans and two 12" piano hinges? Total cost for the project will be less than $100.

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1704900070994.png
 
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Mr. Bills said:
How about three 18x25 galvanized drip pans and two 12" piano hinges? Total cost for the project will be less than $100.

View attachment 490162

View attachment 490163
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That formed lip requires a hinge with a removable pin. You need to be able to nest them and trying to get piano hinges suitably located to allow that so they fold up as small as possible is going to be at least problematic. The end result also puts two of the pans facing one way and one the other way when opened and stood up.
 
mrblaine said:
That formed lip requires a hinge with a removable pin. You need to be able to nest them and trying to get piano hinges suitably located to allow that so they fold up as small as possible is going to be at least problematic. The end result also puts two of the pans facing one way and one the other way when opened and stood up.
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Or one can hammer the short sides of each pan flat and make it work. It won't be elegant, but can be done with caveman tools and no particular skills. ;)

Hinges with pins would be easier, but I was thinking one-piece so pins can't get lost.

It was just an idea.

Here's another:

Heatproof reflective fabric with added grommets (1100*F). Four stakes of appropriate length. Metal zip ties.

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Mr. Bills said:
Or one can hammer the short sides of each pan flat and make it work. It won't be elegant, but can be done with caveman tools and no particular skills. ;)

Hinges with pins would be easier, but I was thinking one-piece so pins can't get lost.

It was just an idea.

Here's another:

Heatproof reflective fabric with added grommets (1100*F). Four stakes of appropriate length. Metal zip ties.

View attachment 490174

View attachment 490176

View attachment 490175
Click to expand...

As one who has built a folding 3 sided camp stove wind deflector, I was only pointing out that the nuances of a 3 panel fold are not immediately obvious. That and the metal zip ties are tricky to get to release. Doable, but not fun. I use 100's of them for various things.
 
Galvanized steel sheet, in 22 ga to 30 ga, might be a good, light-ish material. It's somewhat affordable at the big box stores, and probably much more affordable at a real metal store. Or buy some new or scrap furnace duct and cut it up. It would need some kind of stiffening frame. Galvanized tension bar for chain link fence might work.

I have an Iron and Metal Recycling/New metal store near me. They have a huge inventory, and their prices are usually 1/3 to 1/2 of the big box prices.
 
Mr. Bills said:
How about three 18x25 galvanized drip pans and two 12" piano hinges? Total cost for the project will be less than $100.

View attachment 490162

View attachment 490163
Click to expand...
Thought about that. I have two of them that I am going to try standing up beside each other.

mrblaine said:
That formed lip requires a hinge with a removable pin. You need to be able to nest them and trying to get piano hinges suitably located to allow that so they fold up as small as possible is going to be at least problematic. The end result also puts two of the pans facing one way and one the other way when opened and stood up.
Click to expand...
Cut the formed lip off?

OldBuzzard said:
Galvanized steel sheet, in 22 ga to 30 ga, might be a good, light-ish material. It's somewhat affordable at the big box stores, and probably much more affordable at a real metal store. Or buy some new or scrap furnace duct and cut it up. It would need some kind of stiffening frame. Galvanized tension bar for chain link fence might work.

I have an Iron and Metal Recycling/New metal store near me. They have a huge inventory, and their prices are usually 1/3 to 1/2 of the big box prices.
Click to expand...
Just realized I have a sheet of furnace shielding from when I swapped from oil to gas. It was.. a heat shield! It's got a patina to it but it could work. But I doubt it's big enough to make even two panels.

Lots of good ideas to noodle over. I have a membership to Restaurant Depot. I am going to go browse their aisles and think I'll try the backing pan idea. Or try the drip pans.. that way if if doesn't work I still have drip pans!
 
I've purchased a really inexpensive Amazon item just to experiment. Not nearly as big as the Original Fire Reflector, but far more packable (we know how little storage there is in the TJ). Weighs about 5 lbs. 59" x 20" tall, so smaller. Hoping that trading off some size for packability (and price) proves worth it, but it's Amazon and returns are accepted.

Plus I like the name..

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There was a similar one available that was slightly taller but not as wide. It was on the Temu website. That made it no-bueno for me. Plus, based on no experience I thought wider would trump taller. Not sure if that is true.

I use and love the WinnerWell Fold Flat fire pit, size large, when ground fires aren't allowed or aren't convenient, and a quick mock up looks like the size of the reflector should be compatible. If you're looking for a portable fire pit, I highly recommend the WinnerWell line.
 
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MikekiM said:
Please tell me about your table top scuttle
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What's to tell? It's the smaller version of the Scottle with shorter legs. I found adapters for the supplied burner to use it with 1# propane bottles, butane canisters and also connect directly to a 20# propane tank. It works great!

These are the three cooking devices I currently use. There is space for all three in my Sprinter, but in my Jeep I typically carry only the single burner and the table top Scottle.

1704991349848.png

GasOne 3900P 15,000 BTU Single Burner (I used to use the smaller white stove pictured in my previous post, but not enough output.)

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GasOne 2900P Grill

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"Adventure" Scottle

https://tembotusk.com/collections/adventure-skottle
 
Mr. Bills said:
What's to tell? It's the smaller version of the Scottle with shorter legs. I found adapters for the supplied burner to use it with 1# propane bottles, butane canisters and also connect directly to a 20# propane tank. It works great!

These are the three cooking devices I currently use. There is space for all three in my Sprinter, but in my Jeep I typically carry only the single burner and the table top Scottle.

View attachment 490520
GasOne 3900P 15,000 BTU Single Burner (I used to use the smaller white stove pictured in my previous post, but not enough output.)

View attachment 490521
GasOne 2900P Grill

View attachment 490523
"Adventure" Scottle

https://tembotusk.com/collections/adventure-skottle
Click to expand...

Thank you.
 
Amazon delivered the Sexy Hot Campfire Windscreen. Initial thoughts..
  • It's definitely wide enough
  • I think the height is fine. I don't make bonfires
  • It's heavier than I expected, yet
  • It is thinner stock than I anticipated and over time will definitely suffer some dents and bends. Not something I suspect would happen with the Original Fire Reflector
  • Thought it has some weight, it will still benefit from being secured to the ground somehow. Plenty of option
  • Sure does folds up into a really small package that will fit on the cargo basket in tucked any number of places in the TJ
  • The anemic travel case it comes in will likely stay home. It will fit in the travel bag for the WinnerWell flat folding travel bag
I'll give it a go and then decide if it is a keeper.
 
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