Best Portable Propane Fire Pit - Tembo Tusk Fire Pit Review

David reviews the Tembo Tusk Fire Pit and shows how easy it is to put together, gives estimates on how long the fuel will last and gives his thoughts compared to the Lava Box Fire Pit.
This product remains in the Jeep all the time even during times when fire ban is not present due to its ease of use. Its the perfect companion for insuring you can have a fire even when fire restrictions would typically put a damper on it.
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[@louiskudlak2241]

One of the best things with camping is a fire pit aka bush tv, thanks sharing David

[@aMAYSingLife]

Thanks!

[@PatsTravels]

I compared this pit against the Lavabox at Overland Expo Mountain West and took home the Lavabox (also US made). I couldn't justify the price premium for the minimal difference in packed size. I could assemble a generic Tembo Tusk for way less than half their price using off-the-shelf products. If not for the price, I wouldn't mind owning one.

[@aMAYSingLife]

One thing I don’t believe is the same between the lava box and the Tusk is the tusk is stainless steel preventing rust or corrosion.. I saw pictures on the lava box website that appears that it degrades over time.. has that happened to your yet?

[@aMAYSingLife]

And to be fair if you can’t make something for 1/2 the price you sell it for you likely aren’t selling it for enough. Because it requires about that to make a business out of it.

[@PatsTravels]

@@aMAYSingLife no issues with my box, but yes, stainless is going to last longer. I don't expect lifespan to be an issue as mine won't stay outdoors for long periods of time. The half price is for other products on the market which already have their profit built in. They are asking a premium and if people will pay it, there is nothing wrong with that as a business model. I've done a lot of custom fabrication in my life and understand how expensive things are when done in limited quantities; however, this product is specifically set up for ease of fabrication.

[@PrimalOutdoors]

Great review. I really enjoyed my fire pit during the burn ban. Packability was the selling point for me, and I like that it looks like a real flame. I do use mine on with low-pressure regulator and it still puts out more than enough flame.

[@aMAYSingLife]

Thanks for your input.. hanging with you on that trip really sealed it for me..

[@bluecruiser2019]

We use the Ignik and generally get @4 hrs per gallon of propane use. We love it, nice and compact and puts out a good amount of heat for two people.

[@aMAYSingLife]

I've seen that one.. Glad to hear good things about it. I must be getting a lot more than 4hrs with this one.. I need to time it but its hard because i use it for my stove too. I would go with at least 6hrs plus stove use at min the way i have used it..

[@rayrenz3599]

Which setting do you get 4 hours per gallon? Low?

[@hfk1001]

Great video sir thank you very much

[@aMAYSingLife]

Glad you appreciated it!! Thanks for watching!

[@chillaxorz]

I appreciate the build quality and that it is made in the USA but something like this needs to be under $100 otherwise ill do it the old fashioned way or pick up something from Walmart, even if its unfortunately foreign made. Put it this way, I can pick up a portable Coleman grill and put a collapsible firebox on top of the burner with some lava rocks in it and get the same effect for less than $75. They are charging way to much for way to little. Something like this needs to be affordable, period. That goes for all similar products.

[@aMAYSingLife]

I personally believe that mindset is what has put us within inches of war with China but I certainly understand your thoughts.. thanks for watching!!

[@MIAMIC70]

@@aMAYSingLife No the fact that our politicians are in corporate and military industrial complexes pockets is most of it. The fact that those same political leaders have pushed for ever ballooning corporate welfare, weakening of unions, and stagnation of wages is why ChiCom stuff is appealing. Cut the BS and FUD.

[@MIAMIC70]

I agree 100%

[@danroberts8141]

I’m a big fan of the Ignik Firecan. Easy setup. Has legs. Stainless steel. And you can cook on it.

[@aMAYSingLife]

Yes the ignik is a good product.. I believe this one is more compact but definitely takes longer to setup. Both are god options

[@sodobson]

Ps.. i dont say it much.. but very good & thorough review.. well done

[@aMAYSingLife]

I appreciate that!

[@KyHarvey71]

Firstly, I think if you add a $15 mixer valve you would greatly reduce the amount of soot and maybe even get a more efficient burn. Secondly, you shouldn't have to add anything. $350 is just way too much for this. I LOVE my Tenbo tusk skottle. If it got ruined or stolen, I would buy another one in a heartbeat. This is like maybe $50 worth of materials. I could see a couple hundred with the overland tax, but it's a no for me. Great review. Thank you.

[@aMAYSingLife]

Fair assessment… I’d like to see it in the 200-250 range as well..

[@UnitedElectric]

Yellow flames are desirable in these things. Meaning the fuel pathway is usually modified to disrupt optimum gas flow so that it produces a yellow flame. Blue flame is useless for fire pits. The goal is to produce a synthetic wood fire.

[@sodobson]

I love the ammo can IGNIK… but its for a person sitting around… maybe 2.. and NOT trying to keep warm… Awesome ambiance…. And general heat close.. but NOT for a group of ppl… other than like i said ‘ambiance’ and mood lighting. It has its place. Im looking for a larger version.. maybe round. And the stones make a difference.. believe it or not. .lol TrailRecon video’d 3 or 4. The Red, round one in his video.. i wanna demo.

[@aMAYSingLife]

i haven't seen a round one that can pack up without taking up a ton of room. the ammo can isn't bad although its shape tends to be harder for me to find a space for it. i have a little stick stove made out of an ammo can and it was always kind of a pain to deal with. if you have a gladiator i could see it being easier to carry something that doesn't pack as tight or could be messier.

[@benboggess3131]

Pretty cool i enjoy propane fire pit great for that 30 too an hr fire

[@aMAYSingLife]

Got a lot of use at overland expo. Amazed at how much use I can get out of my 5lb tank

[@whereswardlaw]

Thanks for that review. We've got the ignik ammo style box with the very cool white/brown/orange tank holder...🤪 You're right, the heat is mostly straight up. Gotta get real close on a cold night to feel it. We used it on our Idaho BDR adventure last August and it barely took the edge off on cold nights. But it sets up quickly and looks good. And 90% of overlanding is looking good! (I may shop for another option too)😅 Will have to catch up on the rest of your trip tomorrow. Cheers

[@aMAYSingLife]

Thanks for watching and thanks for your input!! Much appreciated!

[@catchusoutside4884]

Great video, I think they priced themselves out of the market on this one.

[@aMAYSingLife]

it is pricey for what it is.. I do like how it folds up into a tiny package compared to the ammo box style though. for that you are paying for packing size more than function. so depending that can be worth it to you.

[@sierramantrvlnus]

Yay!

[@aMAYSingLife]

Thank you!

[@frankiemack8990]

Thanks for the great review. Curious how long you have to wait for it to cool down before you can pack it up.

[@aMAYSingLife]

Sorry for the delay! I am shocked how fast it cools down.. I’d say within 10 min it good to go. Most of the heat travels up so only really the fire shaped dividers get really hot..

[@GXPedition460]

Nah, not for me. I understand that it packs down easy but even I don’t think it’s worth all that to make to have some fire. And it costs over $350 and with very bad reviews. I use ignik amo can in the summer and big 20” in the winter.

[@_matt_rogers_]

Garbage review of a garbage product.

[@aMAYSingLife]

what did you dislike about it? i feel like there is room for improvement (primarily the pipe that provides the jet for the flame, but the rest of it has been fantastic. If you are going to call both garbage, seems like description would be valid.

[@MIAMIC70]

So few things. 1. You failed to mention Ignik which you obviously know about since you are using Ignik 5Lbs propane tank. You can get that for $149.99 and it works great! 2. Since you kept dancing around and wouldn’t disclose the actual price of this Tembo turd of crap ill help you out. It’s freaking $325.00 and I looks like it was fabricated by a Jr. High school shop class. 3. LavaBox is another joke. 200k but is useless and will run through propane in 30 minutes. No legs to get it off the ground, no quick disconnect and again looks like Jr. High school shop class project. Finally, nice commercial bruh and way for you and buddy to score free American made Tembo turds. There’s made in American and there’s made by American shysters using “USA made” as license to fleece. I’ll take well made ChiCom over crap, overpriced USA made any day.

[@aMAYSingLife]

So you obviously have strong opinions which you are entitled to. I also have strong opinions toward American made products and believe we should support those when possible assuming they are well made. I’m not sure why you think the tembo tusk is crap as it will likely last forever and never rust due to what it’s made out of. It sips propane and at OX we ran both it and the ignik side by side and I preferred the color of flame as well as the distribution of heat of the tembo compared to the ignik. Ignik ran a lot more blue which created much less “campfire light” and used a lot more propane. The reason you pay more for the tembo is if you need the additional space savings you get from the break down method it uses. For me smaller is worth it particularly when the other factors better light less propane are counted. The biggest advantage of the ignik is faster setup. It didn’t come with stones but the owner of the one we were using added some and he said that is a must because you don’t get radiating heat without them. Maybe they are an option, don’t know. I agree with the lava box in that is too simplistic and all heat goes directly up not out. The vents on the side of the ignik help considerably in that department. Side by side we got more heat and light from the tembo. I personally appreciated the design of the tembo as did virtually every one sitting around the fire that night so perhaps to each his own. Thanks for the comment it certainly seems as though you have figured out what works best for you. Hopefully this comment on conjunction with my use video will help others choose the same. Cheers

[@MIAMIC70]

@@aMAYSingLife You can buy a propane burner and paella pan, plow disc or even a wok and it would be 1/3 of the overpriced “Overland” Tembo turd. Come on cut the bullshit. Tembo didn’t innovate or invent shit, it’s overpriced and looks like fabricated by amateurs. It is actually an embarrassment to US manufacturing. Same goes for LavaBox.

[@hfk1001]

Guy makes a great video about an interesting product and you get to watch it for free. No wonder you're so angry!

[@aMAYSingLife]

@@hfk1001 thank you for watching!