Some years ago I went searching for a solution to the campfire and cooking thing. I wanted something light and compact that I could use for both heat and cooking. It needed to be safe for use in moderate wind and conservative on fuel (wood). It also needed to provide pleasing aesthetics as an alternative to a traditional campfire. What I found was .......drum roll..................nothing! With a little experimenting I came up with exactly what I wanted. I borrowed from two ideas. The hobos used to do their cooking over a small can, like a 2lb coffee can filled with twigs and wood chunks, cow patties, or whatever they could find to burn. Lots of hunters up here in the northwest take a 55 gallon drum to elk camp with them and use it as a fire barrel. I wanted a sturdy metal kettle that was sized right for my needs and I found the perfect solution in an old discarded 30 lb propane tank. I'll just go ahead and warn you right now that prepping a propane tank for this use is hazardous if you don't know what you're doing. If it worries you, find a qualified welder, or just buy a new tank that has never seen gas. You need to carefully check even a new tank. Beyond that I believe in Darwanism.
Unfortunately I don't have pictures because it is in storage. Hopefully folks can follow along. After prepping the tank for the work, I used a cutoff wheel in a 4-1/2 inch grinder to cut the top off the tank. I made the cut 1" down from the top of the straight section. What I had left was a nice little kettle with a lid. I welded 4 1/4" diameter steel rod stubs along the inside edge of the bottom section, sticking up around 3/4" These stubs located the lid and they also locate the grill and elevate a griddle for air flow. With the valve removed from the lid you have a smoke hole that works well for smoking food while you cook. To let in air at the bottom I cut 6 small U shaped tabs into the lower circumference, leaving the connected side at the top. Then I bent these in about an inch at the bottom. The tabs shield embers from falling out the air holes. I have a griddle, grill, and small mesh expanded metal top for the kettle. The mesh top is to minimize sparks when using it as a campfire. This little thing works incredibly well! It gets hot as hell and because it is all contained, several people can scoot their chairs in close for fabulous warmth. Once a bed of coals develops you can cook anything on it. It is very conservative on wood consumption compared to an open fire and you can still enjoy the fire. I usually pile a few rocks around it for stability, or you can twist the base ring into the dirt.
To store it I knock out the ashes and pack the inside with split wood just in case the next stop is barren. One fill will produce a nice fire and plenty of coals to cook over. I used more steel rod to make weld on handles where needed. The tanks are made of good steel, and after years of use mine is nowhere near being burned out. I've used it in fairly windy conditions and as long as you don't over fill it, the sparks are minimal. You can burn anything from LLama chips to wood or charcoal. You can make one for $20, or less and everyone that sees it will want one.
Unfortunately I don't have pictures because it is in storage. Hopefully folks can follow along. After prepping the tank for the work, I used a cutoff wheel in a 4-1/2 inch grinder to cut the top off the tank. I made the cut 1" down from the top of the straight section. What I had left was a nice little kettle with a lid. I welded 4 1/4" diameter steel rod stubs along the inside edge of the bottom section, sticking up around 3/4" These stubs located the lid and they also locate the grill and elevate a griddle for air flow. With the valve removed from the lid you have a smoke hole that works well for smoking food while you cook. To let in air at the bottom I cut 6 small U shaped tabs into the lower circumference, leaving the connected side at the top. Then I bent these in about an inch at the bottom. The tabs shield embers from falling out the air holes. I have a griddle, grill, and small mesh expanded metal top for the kettle. The mesh top is to minimize sparks when using it as a campfire. This little thing works incredibly well! It gets hot as hell and because it is all contained, several people can scoot their chairs in close for fabulous warmth. Once a bed of coals develops you can cook anything on it. It is very conservative on wood consumption compared to an open fire and you can still enjoy the fire. I usually pile a few rocks around it for stability, or you can twist the base ring into the dirt.
To store it I knock out the ashes and pack the inside with split wood just in case the next stop is barren. One fill will produce a nice fire and plenty of coals to cook over. I used more steel rod to make weld on handles where needed. The tanks are made of good steel, and after years of use mine is nowhere near being burned out. I've used it in fairly windy conditions and as long as you don't over fill it, the sparks are minimal. You can burn anything from LLama chips to wood or charcoal. You can make one for $20, or less and everyone that sees it will want one.
