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Choose a campfire grill for cooking without power

By the Plain Prepper editors. Updated 2026-10-18.

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Quick answer

A campfire grill is a steel grate you set over hot coals, so you can cook with wood when the power or gas is out. Camp Chef's Lumberjack Over Fire Grill comes in 16 x 24 and 18 x 36 inch sizes with folding legs. Its Mountain Man Grill mounts a grill and griddle on a stake so you can swing food away from the heat. Lodge's Sportsman's Pro is a cast iron, hibachi-style grill made for outdoor use only. Check fire restrictions first and keep water and a shovel ready.

Why a campfire grill fits an outage kit

If the power is out and the propane runs low, wood still burns. A grate over a bed of coals turns a fire pit into a cooking surface. Camp Chef describes its Lumberjack grill as simple: make hot coals, set the grill over the fire and start cooking, either directly on the grate or in a skillet.

Pair a grill with reliable ways to start the fire, covered in our fire starter guide and ferro rod guide, and a good axe from our splitting axe guide.

Over-fire grate sizes

Camp Chef sells the Lumberjack Over Fire Grill in two sizes: 16 x 24 inches (OFG24) and 18 x 36 inches (OFG36). Both are steel with folding legs for transport and storage, and Camp Chef says you can cook steaks, chicken or burgers directly over the fire or set a Lumberjack skillet on top.

Measure your fire ring or pit before you buy. The grate has to sit steadily over the coals, and a 36 inch grate needs a wide pit.

Swing-away grilling

Camp Chef's Mountain Man Grill uses a stake you hammer into the ground. The griddle, grill and a charcoal box slide onto the stake, and you swivel the griddle and grill away from the heat when the food is done. Camp Chef says it can be used over wood, charcoal or propane.

Swinging the cooking surface off the fire is a simple way to control heat without moving coals around.

A cast iron hibachi-style grill

Lodge's Sportsman's Pro Cast Iron Grill is a hibachi-style grill with a four-piece design and dual air vents to set the temperature. Lodge lists 19.38 x 9.69 x 7.56 inches and 33.25 lb, and says it is made for outdoor use only. Lodge's page also warns that using it with a combustible fuel can expose you to carbon monoxide.

It is a compact outdoor grill for times you are not cooking over a fire pit, but at 33.25 lb it is not one to carry far.

Campfire safety

Smokey Bear's campfire guidance says to check online or call for fire restrictions first, and not to build a fire where it is not allowed. Use an existing fire pit with a metal ring or rock circle if one is available, and keep the fire at least 15 feet from tents, plants and low branches. Have water, a bucket and a shovel ready before lighting.

To put it out, pour water until the hissing stops, stir the ashes and drown them again, and hold the back of your hand over the ashes to check that the embers are cool. Smokey Bear's rule: if it is too hot to touch, it is too hot to leave.

What to look for when you buy

Questions people ask

How do you use a campfire grill?

Camp Chef says to build a bed of hot coals, set the grill over the fire, and cook directly on the grate or in a skillet.

What size campfire grill do I need?

Camp Chef's Lumberjack comes in 16 x 24 and 18 x 36 inch sizes. Measure your fire pit so the grate sits steadily over the coals.

Can I use a campfire grill anywhere?

No. Smokey Bear says to check for fire restrictions online or by phone before building a fire, and to use an existing fire pit if one is available.

How do I put out a campfire?

Smokey Bear says to pour water until the hissing stops, stir the ashes, drown them again, and check with the back of your hand that the embers are cool.

Sources

• Lumberjack Over Fire Grill 16x24 (campchef.com), Camp Chef
• Lumberjack Over Fire Grill 18x36 (campchef.com), Camp Chef
• Mountain Man Grill (campchef.com), Camp Chef
• Sportsman's Pro Cast Iron Grill (lodgecastiron.com), Lodge
• Campfire Safety (smokeybear.com), Smokey Bear (USDA Forest Service)

Sources checked 2026-10-18.