No, it’s not the ideal grill for backpackers and solo campers. It’s heavy, it won’t fit in your pack, and you’ll likely have to carry it by hand on a trail. If you want to do proper grilling in the backcountry and have enough room in your ride, though, the Outback Grills Explorer 300 is exactly what you’ll want to have in your stash.
Designed for car and RV camping, it’s a packable grill that can collapse to the size of a large wok or a paella pan, allowing you to do big batches of barbecue while enjoying the outdoors. Granted, there are way more portable options for grilling in the wild (and a lot bigger options, too), although the simple and straightforward design, along with its generous cooking surface and versatile setup options, make for an attractive campsite grill if you can handle the extra size.
The Outback Grills Explorer 300 consists of a round fire bowl, a round grate, three legs, and a vertical bar mounts to the side of the fire bowl. Both the fire bowl and the cooking grates have a 20-inch diameter, with the bowl getting 5 inches of depth, so you can fit a good load of both charcoal and food during cooking. The vertical bar can be used to position the grates at different heights, so you can grill your food right on top of the coals or move them much higher so they never touch the fire, giving you plenty of options, depending on what you’re cooking.
It has telescoping legs that you can use to set the grill at various heights. Want to cook just a couple inches above the ground? This can do that. How about at sitting height, so you can chill on your camp chair while fanning the flames and basting the meat? That will work, too. Want a full standing height, so you can feel like you’re grilling in the backyard? Not a problem, either, as the legs can dully deploy to put it at a standing height of 35 inches.
The Outback Grills Explorer 300 can be easily disassembled after use, with the legs and the bar packed down and stored inside the bowl before being covered by the grates. Since it holds just the legs, you can even fit a few of your stuff in there, so you can carry your bag of charcoal inside, along with any other smaller gear. Being made from sturdy metal, the darn thing is heavy and weighs 22 pounds on its own.
Construction is high-carbon steel, so the whole thing gets hot and retains temperature. As such, make sure not to touch any part of the grill as soon as you ignite the charcoal. According to the outfit, it can function as an excellent fire pit, too, so you can put away the grates, then burn logs and sticks on the bowl to make a campfire before turning in for the night. Do note, the fire bowl is only 5 inches deep, so if you get some wind in the area, some of that burning ember might fly off and leave someone with a bad burn.
The Outback Grills Explorer 300 is available now, priced at $199.95.