How to Build a Backyard Campfire Setup
A fire pit, a dutch oven, good light and warm blankets: everything you need to turn a backyard into a place people gather after dark.
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Some of the best evenings on a ranch happen around a fire. You don't need acreage to recreate that feeling at home; you need a good fire pit, something to cook in, some light and a few blankets.
Start with the fire
The Solo Stove Bonfire (19.5 inches, with a stand) is a smokeless wood-burning fire pit, and the stand lifts it off the ground. Before you buy any fire pit, check your local burn rules and place it well away from the house, fences and low branches.
Cook over the coals
A deep camp dutch oven turns a fire into a kitchen. Lodge's pre-seasoned cast iron camp dutch oven holds 8 quarts and comes with a lid, enough for chili, stew or cobbler for a crowd.
Hang some light
Overhead light makes a backyard feel like a place. Brightech's Ambience Pro outdoor string lights (48 feet, incandescent Edison-style bulbs, rated waterproof) run from a fence post to the eaves and give off a warm glow.
Add a lantern for the table
For light where you need it, a battery LED lantern like the Northpoint vintage-style hurricane lantern (12 LEDs with a dimmer) sits on a table or hangs from a hook, no open flame required.
Bring the blankets
Evenings cool off fast. Keep a Pendleton Yakima throw (wool and cotton, 54 by 66 inches) and a larger camel-check merino blanket in a basket by the door so guests can grab one.
Make it a habit
The best setups are the ones you use. Keep firewood stacked and dry, leave the chairs out, and pick a night each week for a fire.