Outland Living 202 Portable Camping Stove Review
A portable propane grill or camp stove is supposed to be convenient. Especially if you need to move it frequently. At the same time, it’s nice to be able to get some use out of it when you are just staying at home and you want to cook something on the patio.
The Outland 202 Portable Camping Stove manages to tick all these boxes. It was specifically designed to fold up into a compact kit, with easy to roll wheels, when you want to take it on the go. This makes it great for tailgating and trips to the beach as well as serving as your primary cook stove on camping trips. If you want it to spend your weekdays on the back deck or patio, the legs lock in place, and it looks like it belongs there just like any other gas grill.
The Outland 202 Portable Camping Stove features three cast aluminum propane burners with Jet Start Auto Ignition. Each of these high-quality burners pumps out 10,000 BTUs of heat for a total of 30,000 BTUs. It has a hose that is designed to run off a standard propane tank. It also includes tool hooks that can dangle common tools like a spatula, grill fork, or tongs. If you prefer it can also be used to hold a pair of tongs flat.
Outland understands that safety is also a feature whether you are cooking on the patio or at a campsite. The Portable Camping Stove has been certified by the CSA.
Construction & Ease of Assembly
The Outland 202 Portable Camping Stove is made from quality materials, including the cast aluminum propane burners. However, if you want to use it at home and you have natural gas there is currently no conversion kit available.
The side tables are large enough to handle most prep and serving platters. They fold down nicely into a compact kit. Then when they are folded out again, they lock firmly in place. The foot levelers are also a nice touch and help you make sure your camp stove is properly level if you are grilling on uneven ground.
There owner’s manual that comes with the Outland 202 Portable Camping Stove is easy to read and the design is thoughtfully laid out. You should be able to put it together in a little over half an hour to an hour.
Grilling Performance
The Outland 202 Portable Camping Stove was designed a little more to be used as a camp stove than as a propane grill. The round cast aluminum burners tend to produce hot and cold spots when you try to use it as a standard propane grill. Excess drippings that fall into the shallow lower firebox can also get a bit messy since there is no formal grease management system.
However, there are a few things you can do to get around this problem. If you do need to place a piece of meat directly over the fire, line the bottom first with heavy duty aluminum foil. You might want to also consider getting a cast iron griddle that comes with a porcelain nonstick coating. Try to find one that has a ridged or corrugated side. Once it is heated up it can replicate classic grill marks.
When it comes to using the Outland 202 Portable Camping Stove as an outdoor stove, it really shines. The size of the aluminum burners and the cooktop is perfect for a large 14-inch cast iron frying pan. It also fits the bottom of a kettle or a coffee percolator nicely.
Grilling Areas
All told the Outland 202 Portable Camping Stove provides 568 square inches of space on the cooktop. However, the round burner elements do tend to create some inconsistent hot and cold spots. If you absolutely do need all 568 square inches to make a big meal, you should consider investing in two or three cast iron griddles.
Special Features
The foot levelers are nice if you take it camping and your campsite has a lot of uneven ground.
The pull handle, folding legs and easy to roll wheels are also nice for taking it on the go. Just keep in mind that it weighs in at nearly 60-pounds. So, you might want to recruit someone to help you lug it in and out of your vehicle.
Ease to Clean
If you want to use this as a propane grill, it’s going to be pretty difficult to clean. There isn’t a traditional grease management or drippings system. So, if you do want to grill something over the open flame, prepare for there to be a decent amount of mess to clean up afterward. If you do end up with some gunk in one of the aluminum burners, then you should try to clean it out with a narrow wooden grill skewer or a stiff bristled nylon grill brush. A wire brush could damage or scrape up the aluminum finish.
If you are just using it as a traditional camp stove, then your efforts will more likely be geared toward cleaning the cast iron pans, griddles, and pots.
Warranty
It comes with a 1-year warranty from the original date of purchase.
Conclusion
If you need a camp stove that packs up easily to take with you anywhere you want to cook, the Outland 202 Portable Camping Stove certainly fits the bill. It’s three heat zones and 30,000 BTUs of heat should allow you to prepare a large amount of food.
If you want it to pull double duty as a propane grill from time to time, then you will want to line the bottom of the firebox with heavy duty aluminum foil. Then take the time to thoroughly clean up any leftover grease and drippings.
