Balancing a billy on rocks or hanging it from a branch works, until the fire shifts or the branch burns. A campfire tripod fixes that: three legs over the fire and a chain that lets you raise or lower the pot. This one is a light, foldable aluminium tripod that packs into a slim bag.
We’ve used it over the fire on trips to the Blue Mountains and Capertee, mostly for a billy of water and small pots.
What’s in the box
Three black aluminium legs that come apart into short sections, a round top hub the legs screw into, a steel chain with an S-hook, a bent pin that holds the chain, and a black drawstring bag for all of it. The small parts sit in a zip pocket on the bag.
What we like
- About 0.5 kg
- No tools to set up
- Chain and pin set the height
- Packs into a slim 45 cm bag
- Holds a billy or small pot
What we don’t
- Not for a heavy camp oven
- Legs get hot and sooty
- Feet need firm, level ground
Quick Specs
| Spec | Details |
|---|---|
| Material | Aluminium alloy legsSteel chain |
| Colour | Black |
| Weight | 0.5 kg |
| Max load | 8–10 kgcamp ovens, kettles, pots |
| Packed size | 45 cm |
| Included | LegsTop hubChainS-hookPinStorage bag |
Putting it together
No tools needed. The leg sections screw into each other, and the three finished legs screw into the round hub at the top. Spread the legs evenly over the fire and it stands on its own. From bag to standing takes a couple of minutes, and the threads go together smoothly.
Hanging a pot and setting the heightSetting the height
The chain hangs from the hub, held by the bent pin, and the S-hook at the bottom takes the handle of a billy or a pot. To set the height, you hook a different link of the chain onto the pin: higher to simmer, lower to boil. That makes it easy to manage the heat as the fire changes, without moving the coals around.
It’s rated to about 10 kg, which covers a full billy, a kettle or a small pot. A big cast iron camp oven is too much for the light legs, and on soft or uneven ground you need to set the feet carefully so it doesn’t lean.
Packing it away
Unscrew the legs, drop the sections in the bag and the chain and hook in the pocket, and it’s a slim 45 cm roll of about 0.5 kg. It fits in the drawer of the Prado next to the stove and the billy. The aluminium legs stay cool enough to handle at the top, but the lower sections get hot and sooty, so let them cool before packing.
Conclusion: Lightweight Camp Fire TripodConclusion
This campfire tripod is a simple, light way to hang a billy or a pot over the fire. It goes together without tools, the chain and pin let you set the height in seconds, and it packs into a slim bag that fits a drawer. It’s for billies and small pots, not a heavy camp oven, and the legs get hot and sooty. With an awning overhead and a water container nearby, it makes campfire cooking a lot easier.
A simple, light way to hang a billy over the fire.
No tools, the chain and pin set the height in seconds, and it packs into a slim bag. For billies and small pots, not a heavy camp oven.
- Car campers
- 4WD tourers
- Weekend trips
Yes. For about $30 you get a light tripod that hangs a billy over the fire and packs into a drawer. Take something heavier for a big camp oven.
