Gathering around the campfire (or tailgating fire) brings family and friends together, until you hear: I don’t like smoke, we are in a burn ban, or I don’t want to keep getting more wood. With this ammo can style fire can you can now have a portable fire, that runs on gas, has no smoke and is safe for any burn bans. Meet the Helka Lavabox that is sure to keep you warm and cozy with a flame you have to see to believe. Now let’s get FIRED UP in the Lavabox Portable Campfire Review.
Helka Lavabox Features
-Over/Under Grill Thingy (this can help raise the LavaBox off the ground)
-12 Hades Stones (colors may vary)
-20psi hose and regulator
-280,000BTUs of fire breathing madness
-Stainless Steel construction
-Optional Bug Out Bag (we recommend for keeping all the gear together)
What Did We Think?
We love testing out unique fire pits and the Lavabox intrigued us with the pictures we saw of the giant flames that were coming out of the small ammo can, that is the Lavabox. They have a few different styles and the Helka had a stainless steel appearance that looked sharp. In this review we will speak to the ease of use and the flame/heat.
Ease of Use
With any product it has to be easy to use, or it will quickly be collecting dust. The LavaBox, weighs less than 10 pounds, so it is easy to take with you to your favorite location. I would suggest adding on the Bug Out Bag, to keep all the gear together. When starting the LavaBox you need to position the LavaBox on the ground on an area that, well, won’t melt. This little baby gets hot as well lava and you don’t want to burn, or melt anything.
From there you will get the hose connected to your propane tank and then you’ll hand thread and use the included wrench to attach the hose to LavaBox. This is one area of opportunity, as I’d like to see a quick connect hose as an upgrade here in the future.
Once fully connected you will turn the propane tank on from the source. Then you’ll light a lighter and slowly twist the red knob on the hose to allow a small flow of propane to head towards the LavaBox. Poof, it will then light up and you can adjust the flame from the red turn knob on the hose. It does not have an electric lighter and this too would be a nice upgrade in the future to making lighting a little easier.
I need to stress when lighting up the LavaBox to follow the directions and go SLOW on allowing more gas to flow. The first time I lit this we had a much larger poof of fire than most would want (you can see this in the video below). Once you get the hang of lighting the LavaBox it gets easier and less stressful.
How’s The Flame and Heat?
This is where this product really stands out. This small ammo can style fire pit doesn’t look on the surface that it would be able to produce a huge flame and heat, but once you get the LavaBox FIRED UP you will be amazed.
Again, by adjusting the flame on the red twist knob on the hose you can make a small fire go into a raging inferno (280,000 BTUs) that puts off big heat. I was surprised at just how large the flame got at it’s highest point. We were able to quickly cook s’mores and stay nice and cozy while standing around the LavaBox.
If you turn the red knob too much it has an automatic cutoff that will automatically trim the flame down.
Conclusion
PROS: portable, stylish, big flame and heat
CONS: no electronic lighter or quick connect hose
Overall, the LavaBox packs big flames and heat in a tiny box. If you’re looking for a smokeless firepit that is sure to keep you and your friends warm then the Helka edition LavaBox could be what you need to get fired up!
Learn more and get your own by visiting LAVABOX.
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Written By: Luke Lorick 2/8/23
