Wildfires are becoming more frequent, and one of the least serious but still frustrating consequences is that campfires are not allowed for much of the season. A San Diego-based company called Happy Caveman has designed a product that can keep you warm when traditional campfires aren’t an option. It’s currently seeking backing on Kickstarter.
The designers at Happy Caveman argue that even when there is no fire ban, a wood fire isn’t necessarily the best option. Collecting and chopping firewood is a lot of work, not to mention the smoke and smell that can stay in your clothes for days. A propane firepit solves some of these problems, but it provides less warmth: much of the heat escapes upward through its wide, open surface rather than reaching people sitting around it.
The Happy Caveman Campfire is designed to address all of those issues. It doesn’t need firewood, doesn’t require maintenance, produces no smoke, and keeps more of the heat concentrated around it. The creators basically adopted the principle of a traditional wood fire: hot coals are what radiate heat and keep you warm, not the flames.
Happy Caveman
If you actually enjoy the smell of burning wood or cooking over an open fire, propane obviously can’t replace that. But if the main objective is to stay warm, the Happy Caveman might be worth considering.
The product looks pretty simple. It’s essentially a tube made of 304 stainless steel that connects to a propane tank via a hose. The burning fuel heats the steel from inside until it glows and radiates infrared heat. A special restrictor plate on top of the tube slows the exhaust and keeps the hot gases inside for longer. Openings along the sides of the tube allow flames and hot exhaust to escape sideways, directing heat toward people sitting around it rather than into the sky.
Happy Caveman
The tube measures 66 cm (26 inches) in height, which, according to the creators, is suited for its intended use. At 1.8 kg (4 lb), it’s also relatively light compared to most propane firepits. The catch, of course, is that you still have to carry the propane tank, so the Campfire is not something you are going to use in the backcountry.
A 9-kg (20-lb) tank can reportedly provide up to nine hours of burn time on full power. Smaller tanks can be used as well, although anything below 2.3 kg (5 lb) probably doesn’t make much sense for regular use. A 0.45-kg (1-lb) tank provides half an hour of burn time at full power, which is why the creators don’t even offer an adapter for it.
Happy Caveman
The Happy Caveman also features a folding stand for stability that always stays cool, which makes it safe to use on wooden decks. The tube itself gets extremely hot, as you can imagine. Touching red glowing metal is obviously a bad idea, but with this kind of product it’s always good to emphasize even the obvious: keep your hands, kids, and pets away from it. It might not look like a traditional campfire, but it is definitely just as hot.
A planned retail price of US$499 might seem a little steep, but it actually sits perfectly in the middle compared with other propane firepits on the market. Besides that, the company claims it’s a buy-it-once product. Made of stainless steel and brass, it has no parts that easily wear out and need to be replaced.
An early pledge on Kickstarter can get you the Happy Caveman Campfire for US$399, which also includes a propane hose. If everything goes according to plan, shipping is scheduled for January 2027.
Happy Caveman Campfire | Inside-Out Fire With Radiant Heat
Sources: Kickstarter, Happy Caveman
