Could this propane-free kettle be the perfect companion for chilly winter camps? Introducing the Petromax Fire Kettle

Petromax fire kettle
Suitable for heating food and hot cups of coffee alike, Petromax hope their latest kettle can keep campers toasty on cold winter nights (Image credit: Petromax)

Want a warm drink or quick meal in the backcountry but don't want to carry propane? The new Petromax stainless steel Fire Kettle claims to be the perfect partner for cozy winter camps.

Featuring a compact fire bowl and advertising a stable stand, this ‘self-sufficient’ portable camping stove burns twigs, branches and other backcountry material as fuel to boil the water inside in just a few minutes.

If it's a hot meal you're after, a small cooking extension fits to the top of the kettle, creating a platform for small pots and pans. While insufficient for a large meal, Petromax boasts that the heat expelled from the top of the kettle is more than enough to warm up small meals.

The Petromax Fire Kettle provides a viable alternative to the propane cylinders which have become the norm for camping cookouts in recent years. While powerful and portable, propane-powered stoves have been criticized as wasteful and potentially hazardous. Due to their single-use nature, these stoves are often abandoned by campers and can be a fire risk if used irresponsibly. In California, an area of particular risk for wildfires, lawmakers have even banned the use of disposable propane cylinders by 2028.

Petromax fire kettle

The Petromax Fire Kettle doubles as a stove (Image credit: Petromax)

While the Petromax Fire Kettle doesn’t have the same cooking capabilities as a propane stove, its portable, reusable nature could make this camping kettle a suitable alternative for cold campers seeking some hot food and drink in the backcountry.

This camping kettle is available in two sizes. Perfect for short stays, the smaller 26.4oz / 750ml version retails for $106.96 / £81.95. Ideal for longer trips to the backcountry and more ambitious cooking, the larger 52.8oz / 1.5 liter kettle is costs $130.45 / £99.95. The Petromax stainless steel Fire Kettle is available in both sizes on Amazon and Lehman’s.

While both are comparatively expensive for camping kettles, they’re an attractive option for backcountry camps because of their weight. At only 2.2 lb / 1kg and 2.7lb / 1.3kg respectively, both versions of the Petromax Fire Kettle are super portable and easy to carry around in your hiking backpack.

Based in the UK? Find the Petromax Fire Kettle at berryuseful.co.uk alongside the rest of the Petromax range.

Will Symons
Staff Writer

Will Symons developed his love of the outdoors as a student, exploring every inch of Sussex’s South Downs national park and wild swimming off the Brighton seafront. Now a Staff Writer for Advnture, Will previously worked as a freelance journalist and writer, covering everything from cricket to ancient history. Like most Advnture staff, Will’s time is rarely spent indoors, he can often be found hiking, wild swimming or playing cricket.