What can I burn in my smudge pot?
We recommend kerosene, diesel or used cooking oils for campfires.
Used engine oils are very smelly and not good to use in campgrounds, be a good camper and get rid of your waste oil at home or your local auto parts store.
In addition, used engine oils often contain contaminants that present dangerous burning situations, see next FAQ.
No matter what fuel you use, it is your responsibility to ensure your fuel has no water or any other contaminants in it.
Water and other contaminants (such as engine coolant, brake cleaner, degreasers and more) create a very dangerous situation called a boil over.
It is similar, but larger and more violent, to putting a frozen turkey in a turkey fryer.
Know your fuel source to ensure you don't have contaminants.
How do you refill a smudge pot
You need to allow the smudge pot to cool completely before refueling, approximately 45 minutes. Close the regulator and chimney dampner, then allow to cool. Once cool add your fuel.
How long will a smudge pot burn
This is dependent on wind and how much you open the regulator. 1 gallon will last 30-60 minutes typically. Our 5 gallon will run for approximately 2-4 hours and our 10 gallon 4-8 hours.
How big of an area will it heat
Approximately a 15 foot radius around the smudge pot. Things that will affect that are outside temperature, how much you open the regulator and wind.
Where to place your smudge pot?
Away from anything flamable such as grass, wood chips, trees, campers, buildings, etc.
There needs to be open air space above your smudge pot, it cannot go under a porch, any other structure, trees or anything else.
The smudge pot gets very hot on every surface including the bottom, therefore it needs to be on a non-flamable surface such as gravel, patio blocks or concrete. We recommend if using in a campground to place it on patio blocks that you can carry with you to ensure you don't burn their grass - be a good camper.