It has been a long year for everyone, and the outdoors seem to be calling now more than ever. Longer spring days have inspired me to test the Solo Stove Bonfire. My wife and I acquired one late last summer, but with so many fires in our state and country, we did not get to light it up until recently.

After a day of ski touring our local mountain in Vail, we decided après would be on our deck with the bonfire! In my mind this was going to be a huge undertaking — lighting a fire on our deck in the middle of winter with somewhat dry wood. Our neighbors had recently had a baby and today was also the day to pop some bubbles with them.

I arrived home and frantically collected some wood and newspaper to be sure the fire would be a welcome for the new parents. I made the go-to tepee with a few pieces of timber and stuffed a couple pieces of newspaper in the middle, lit a match and went inside to find more paper. I was sure we needed more paper; it typically takes a full newspaper to ensure ignition.

I walked back out in less the five minutes and the Solo Stove Bonfire was blazing with zero smoke.

Solo Stove has a signature 360-degree airflow design. The strategically placed holes around the bottom of the bonfire allow hot air to rise during the combustion process. The air movement fuels the fire at the base, and it provides a boost of preheated air through the top vent holes.

The preheated oxygen coming from the top of the chamber fuels the flame even more to make a hotter fire and to create a smoke-free atmosphere. We used less fuel (wood) than we normally would’ve and had very limited ash at the end.

My last worry was the wood deck. We used the Bonfire Stand and heat on the base was eliminated — I was able to touch the stand during the fire and it had stayed as cool as the chilly outside temperature we were sitting in.

If the outdoors is calling you too, I recommend getting a Solo Stove to help keep you outside and in nature even longer!

The Solo Stove Bonfire retails for $349.99 and they tend to run seasonal specials. Solostove.com

Gear Hub: Solo Stove Bonfire