The dad who camps as well as entertains and likes cooking over wood, not someone who wants push-button heat with no ash to deal with.
What it is
A wood-fired steel stove that works as both a heater and a cooktop, weighing 18kg and standing 149cm high set up with a 70.5cm cooking surface height. It packs down to 42 x 36.9 x 40cm and includes a carry bag, a large warming/BBQ plate, four extension legs, three 300mm chimney sections, a spark arrestor, a multi-purpose tool, a fire grate and a manual. Cooking surfaces are a 26cm round plate and a 34 x 25.5cm large plate, and Ozpig states a 5 year warranty. The vented door is sold separately.
Why we picked it
This is the piece of gear that does the job of three: it heats the deck, it cooks dinner, and the chimney means smoke goes up rather than into everyone’s eyes, which is the actual complaint people have about open fire pits. Being packable at 18kg means it goes camping and to the beach shack, so it is not stranded in one backyard. Australian designed and built around Australian firewood, with a 5 year warranty that suggests they expect it to last. It is a cult object among people who camp, and the sort of thing a dad shows visitors unprompted.