The world's hottest propane fire pit. Like no other campfire, it cranks out thigh-melting heat in wild winds, monsoon rains, and right in the middle of a burn ban.
8-FOOT REGULATOR HOSE IS INCLUDED
STRAP IS NOT INCLUDED***
Made for a crew of four, the HOWL R4 is a campsite workhorse that walks softly upon the earth. It keeps you warm in any weather, at any altitude, and on any piece of ground you can get to.
The BarCoal tubes absolutely rip at 1200+ degrees Farenheit, giving you the heat you need, while the EchoHeat Reflector Shields keep the ground cool. There's no fire ring or ash left behind, which keeps your secret spot a secret. With no embers or sparks, it's safer for forests, and the UL Certification makes it legal in burn bans across the US and Canada.**
Want to get really out there? Just strap in the tank, strap it to your rig, and haul ass.
Made for a crew of four, the HOWL R4 is a campsite workhorse that walks softly upon the earth. It keeps you warm in any weather, at any altitude, and on any piece of ground you can get to.
The BarCoal tubes absolutely rip at 1200+ degrees Farenheit, giving you the heat you need, while the EchoHeat Reflector Shields keep the ground cool. There's no fire ring or ash left behind, which keeps your secret spot a secret. With no embers or sparks, it's safer for forests, and the UL Certification makes it legal in burn bans across the US and Canada.**
Want to get really out there? Just strap in the tank, strap it to your rig, and haul ass.
THE ONLY PROPANE CAMPFIRE THAT FEELS LIKE A REAL FIRE.
"Finally, an artificial campfire that doesn’t suck."
The HOWL R4 Delivered, period.
No other artificial fire does what the R4 does
BARCOAL® Technology
Real warmth in any weather. BarCoal is the world’s first radiant tube heater that's naturally aspirated and works entirely off-grid. With a 100% primary air combustion, the system is unaffected by wind, while the drain ports shed rain and snow. See how it works here.
EchoHeat Reflector Shields
Put all that heat right where you want it. With this precision-angled, electropolished fin, your torso and thighs will melt. Even your feet get toasty. But just 7” below the 1,200+ ºF BarCoal tube, the ground – and even the legs – stay perfectly cool.
A-Flame Burner
After years of mathematical modeling and experimentation, this is the brightest, cleanest, most weather-resistant flame ever created. The wind screen keeps the flame lit without hiding the light down in a box, while the burner plate is precision-shaped to rapidly shed water.
Pressbrake Frame
Built to protect your Campfire in a dustup with a dirt road, the R4’s exoskeleton starts as a single plate of 1/8” stainless steel. We cut it to shape with a fiber laser, bend it to form with a hydraulic press break, then stitch weld the leg corners to make them like angle iron. This bad Larry isn't built for a landfill. It's built for a lifetime, or maybe three.
Actually Hot. Like "back away or turn to toast your backside" kind of heat.
Flames make hot air, which rises and blows out of camp. That's why you get so uncomfortably cold around traditional propane fires.
Coals. Wood coals put out infrared heat at the perfect frequency for heating up water. Since you're made of water, wood coals make you warm.
Nah. A BTU is just a unit of fuel, like a gallon of gasoline. No one cares how much propane you burn, what matters is how much warmth you make. The HOWL burns fewer BTUs while generating way more usable heat.
The steel tubes get red hot and shoot Infrared rays with the same frequencies as wood coals. As your body absorbs those rays, your molecules vibrate faster, and you get HOT. Get the full story here.
Get your Howl
Goes Anywhere. Just strap it down like a cooler and haul ass.
Yep. And good thing, since you can't get sendy offroad with an unhinged tank smashing around back there. The HOWL straps right to the tank, and together they ride stable like a cooler.
The same way you would a cooler or bundle of firewood. Just run a ratchet strap through the StrapLock slots in the legs, hook the ends to your vehicle's tie points, and tighten.
If you can also land your truck, then yes. Strapped down correctly, the HOWL won't budge. The PressBrake frame is made of plate steel, so it's highly impact resistant.
Order your Howl
Works in the Gnarliest Conditions Imaginable.
BarCoal's air intake is completely concealed, so the system is unaffected by 120 mph winds. The A-Flame wind screen protects the base of the flames from gusts up to 60 mph, but if it does blow out, it simply relights itself from the BarCoal's hot exhaust.
Perfectly. The HOWL will keep you warm at any altitude on earth. The BarCoal relies only on primary air for combustion system. While air density changes with altitude, the momentum of the fuel jet draws in the correct number of air molecules regardless of air density. It creates a clean and complete combustion from Death Valley to Pikes Peak.
The BarCoal and A-Flame burners are self draining. Even after multiple days of precipitation, they light right up to make you warm. And if you get a surprise foot of snow overnight, no sweat. Just brush off the HOWL and fire it up.
Not even remotely. BarCoal is the world's first naturally-aspirated portable radiant tube heater. It makes you warm without fans, batteries, electricity, or anything else that can wear out or break. It's got the heat of a wood fire, but you can use it in way more places and weather conditions.
Make me WarmIt's longer than the Colorado State record Smallmouth Bass, and heavier than our record Brown Trout.
Get your thigh melter22.09 x 16.24 x 12.73 in
34 lbs
61,800
6.5 - 10 hours with 20 lb tank
Any
1200+ ºF
This thing is METAL 🤘 Built from 304 stainless steel, aircraft aluminum, and brass, the R4 can handle just about anything.
If you scratch or dent it, those are the marks of a good time. We say wear 'em with pride. If you manage to bust something that changes the warmth or functionality, just send it back to us. We'll repair or replace the affected parts at a reasonable cost.
Sure is. All our design, fabrication, cutting, welding, press-braking, assembly, testing, and packaging are done here on Colorado's Front Range.
Absolutely. Any damage caused by normal wear and tear or accidents, we'll try to repair at a reasonable cost. If the damage is deemed to be caused by a defect in manufacturing, we will, at our discretion, repair or replace the item at no cost to you.
This thing is METAL 🤘 Built from 304 stainless steel, aircraft aluminum, and brass, the R4 can handle just about anything.
If you scratch or dent it, those are the marks of a good time. We say wear 'em with pride. If you manage to bust something that changes the warmth or functionality, just send it back to us. We'll repair or replace the affected parts at a reasonable cost.
Sure is. All our design, fabrication, cutting, welding, press-braking, assembly, testing, and packaging are done here on Colorado's Front Range.
Absolutely. Any damage caused by normal wear and tear or accidents, we'll try to repair at a reasonable cost. If the damage is deemed to be caused by a defect in manufacturing, we will, at our discretion, repair or replace the item at no cost to you.
Overall rating: 4.9 / 5 from 194 reviews.
It feels like a real fire! In flame only mode, it feels like a propane fire. (no warmth, lame) Then with the radiant heat turned on. It becomes immediately apparent how much better this unit is than a regular propane fire. It spits out radiant heat just like a real fire! Love it! We had a impromptu sit around the fire with my neighbors in the driveway the day my Howl came. So fun! oh, and LOVE that the Howl with a 20 pound tank takes up so much less space than the equivalent amount of wood.
Love the Howl. What a fantastic piece of American engineering. The heat & atmosphere it provides are incredible. The build quality is superb. Will be enjoying this for years to come.
First night camping in the cold and this was a game changer. Definitely stayed outside longer and enjoyed the wilderness more with the comfort of heat and light from the howl.
Works very well, flame top and barcoal are wind resistant as advertised. Very well made, and built like a tank.
Excellent. It was surprising how much light the top burner puts out. Makes for nice ambiance. No heat of the back (valve) end but that's not too limiting. I think I sold two units to the crowd I showed it to!
Considering that the only bias you can bring to your first encounter with a Howl is based on a Firecan or bigbox propane pit it really is an incomparable experience. The TLDR for me is that it’s actually warm. Broiling even. I didn’t time it, but I’m pretty dang sure futzing with the a flame level got me much better than 6.5 hours on my first tank. My very minor complaints since the praise is already pretty thick. It’s heavy, it gets hot so could limit your ability to bail quickly, and full on multi-night use could require Herculean refueling logistics. The elephant in the room is that it’s expensive. But I want cool things engineered and manufactured by cool people in America and if this is what it takes, I’m still in.
This thing has more horsepower than my truck. It sounds like a jet engine starting up. Pretty sure it’s hotter than one too. All the other reviews are 100% dead on balls accurate. Worth every penny.
Living in the mountains of the southwest United States, I've experienced an increasing number of yearly fire restrictions and burn bans in my lifetime. This gets frustrating for us responsible, well-mannered campers that would like to enjoy conversation and drinks around a campfire when out camping with friends. So when I first heard of the Howl campfire project a couple years ago via an Outside article, I subscribed to Howl's mail list and began following their progress on Instagram. I was impressed and couldn't wait to get my hands on a Howl. The moment finally came a couple months ago and I can truthfully say the wait, and the cost, is one hundred percent worth it. The unit is bomb-proof, looks amazing and cranks out serious heat vertically and laterally mimicking a campfire. We use it not only out camping in winter (so far) but on our back deck, enjoying evenings outside at home. This made it easy to justify the cost as we're getting a "two-fer" with the Howl--a mobile campfire for the outdoors and back patio heat source as well. In most reviews I write, I list "Pros" and "Cons". I can't come up with any "Cons" in two months of use but here are the "Pros": - Campfire anywhere, without a messy campfire ring. Is the wind coming in from the west? No problem--plop the Howl on the east side of your vehicle or camper and you've got wind-sheltered campfire warmth. - Serious warmth replicating a campfire but without the lulls in warmth when a campfire's wood is burning out. Full warmth until you just shut the puppy off. - Compact and easily transportable. It's beefy and strong. Put it in the back of your truck or SUV without worry. No need to haul around messy bundles of wood. The Howl plus the propane tank take up the same space (or even less) as a weekend's worth of firewood in your vehicle. - Hot! Four of us sat for a couple hours around the Howl last weekend in a clear, cold 20F evening and stayed warm while enjoying the campfire conversation. - No campfire smell in your hair and clothes. I'll admit, I do appreciate that "after campfire" smell sometimes but other times it's a bit of bummer everything ends up smelling like smoke. - Safe! Living in an town that has been evacuated twice in just over a decade due to wildfires burning in and around town, I've seen firsthand the long-lasting devastation of wildfires. I feel propane campfires (that actually put out comfortable levels of heat) are the future for sustainable dispersed camping. -
I absolutely LOVE my HOWL campfire. It has exceeded my lofty expectations. It's in the low 40s tonight and I had to scoot back it was cooking me out and I didn't miss the fire thanks to the flames. Best camping/back yard/adventure purchase in recent memory. Wherever I go my HOWL will be coming with me from here on out.
Super excited to have the Howl when we were camping! The flames are pleasing to watch and the heat that radiates from the barcoal kept our group of six cozy while we chatted into the night. We didn't have to haul wood, keep the fire going and use up our water supply to put the fire out. Also easy peasy to have a morning fire too. We are so fortunate to have a real campfire where no campfires are allowed.
The Howl has already been a major asset on my team's trips. We have only had a month or so with it but being colder months the unit is already getting put to work. Not only are we using it for recreation but for work. When we are out on shoots, long days handling camera equipment we can warm up by the Howl and keep the team warm without fire pits, wood, smoke, worry of burn bans, etc. The unit is also super stout giving me confidence it won't be a liability on a trip and keep working day in and day out. The investment for this unit has been well worth it and I guarantee it will continue to be an awesome tool for our many trips and outings. P.S. When we are not working it makes for an awesome backyard fire as well ;)
Picked up the R1 just before my Wyoming trip at a local scheels. Love this little fire pit! The Howl R1 is tiny but puts out an insane amount of heat and flame. It hardly uses any propane and it’s perfect for camping when there are fire bans. Definitely recommend!
This is a great product. Is it worth the cost? It depends...do you want to actually feel warm sitting next to the fire? If so, then it is worth it. You cant beat a real wood fire, but the necessary burn bans really limit the options through the summer months. I did a side-by-side comparison of a real fire, a traditional propane fire, and the Howl R1 sharing my thoughts on the value of Howl. https://youtu.be/KGKGxDJ2jF8
This sucker rips. Super stoked I paid the extra $$ for this one. The nice you go Howl- kinda hard to go any other route.
Really transformed our camping experience. Incredibly warm, and has a fantastic “stargazing” setting that allows you to stargaze while keeping the entire group warm! Well made, high quality and craftsmanship.
Bad ass!
Incredible product with visible craftsmanship. I highly recommend it!
Believe the hype!
Best serial number ever!
This thing comes in pretty clutch. Especially during late summer / early fall when we typically get a burn ban in the PNW. Also, my wife hates being cold, and the barcoals are a game changer, closest thing to a real campfire in terms of radiating heat. I’m hoping for an R1/R4 hybrid in the near future that has barcoals, mid-size form factor & folding legs 🤞🏽
I am so excited for the R4, the heat component is amazing. I love my R1 in the summer months but here in Colorado the fall begins to be cold at night. Solid build with a professional design and engineering. Great job Howl!
Great product
I was disappointed with both my FireCan and my generic propane fire pit because unless I was right on top of it, I was always still cold. When I discovered the R4, I was super intrigued. The price is steep, but I am oh so in love with it. It's HOT, and the build quality is fantastic. Plus I love that I can support a small business. This was a fantastic investment in my camping comfort and I look forward to a lifetime of warmth from my Howl R4.
First time use - fires right up no issue at all, played with the setting and everything worked perfectly. Very hot very pleased!
Works amazing, had no issue at Pismo beach and gets very warm. Glad we went for the R4 with the barcoal burners. The flame was hot but the burners are a game changer. “Stargaze” mode looks phenomenal with the blue glowing flame. The R4 worked very well even in the morning when very damp.
Absolutely love it! I have always been a wood fire only kinda guy due to gas fire pits being all looks and no heat. The howl R4 is an absolute beast that keeps us outside well into the night. The term “thigh melting heat” is no joke. Worth the price without question. Burn bans are more and more common, having a safe and effective heat source like this is truly a game changer.
The heat presented by the R4 was fantastic. Being able to come out and sit in the morning to a nice fire without having to worry about fire closures in the area is great.
This thing is built like a tank and puts out a ton of heat. It packs both quality and functions perfectly!
We use this machine all the time!! We live in Michigan so we will use it year around. It’s actually the best fire pit I’ve own. We have restaurants so we’re going to order a couple more for outside guests!! Love it We need a cover if they make one for the bigger units. Mike Naturkas
This thing is so awesome in so many ways, I had the smaller one and had to get them both. You won’t regret it!!!
Finally got to use my R4. Not cheap compared to other propane heaters, but very pleased with it. We have a toy hauler with a patio, and camping out on the Olympic peninsula on a chilly, gray, rainy day, with the rear awning out and sitting here on the patio, only the barcoal section running on low, I am so toasty warm. Far better than any other propane firepit I've ever used.
Store owner replied: That's the perfect day for an R4. Thanks the review Jason!
I love that it stays cool on the underside so I can use it on my deck at home as well as on the ground when camping. And Stargazing mode is so great: you really do see the stars dramatically better when you turn the A-Flame off or almost-off.
Store owner replied: Now that's a nice evening! We're so glad you are enjoying the R4, David. Thank you so much for the great review and awesome photo.
So glad that I got the R4. It put out a lot of heat. We actually turned it down with how much heat it was producing. Everyone really enjoyed it and how well it is built.
Store owner replied: TOO HOT?! That's great to hear, have fun out there Donald!
Puts off lots of radiant heat
Store owner replied: Ooo, that's a good-looking deck 👌 Thanks for your review, Michael!
It’s a game changer. I’m a retired engineer that’s worked in design, production and quality. I’ve also worked in many machine and sheet metal shops. It’s a high quality, engineering marvel, conceived and made in America. It’s the real deal. Hats off to the inventor and craftsman. I only wish I invented it. Very nice. Thank you Howl.
Store owner replied: Matt this is an incredible compliment. Thanks you so much for your review -- from our entire team!!
Awesome!!
Pretty awesome firepit that puts out some serious heat and don't have to smell like smoke after.
Store owner replied: Cheers to that, Scott! Enjoy!
R1 assisting with the Spring snow melt in UP…
Store owner replied: Say yah to the u.p. for us, eh?
I opened up the box, connected the propane bottle and it fired right up! The weather was very gloomy with low clouds, some rain mixed with snow and wind…PERFECT conditions for my R4’s first experience! It performed like a champ and I can’t wait to toss it in my raft for multi-day rafting/camping trips.
Store owner replied: No such thing as bad weather, eh? Enjoy that river life!!
This is the best propane firepit I have every used! I enjoy it very much. It was windy when I got it started and that didn't bother it a bit. It really cranks out the heat once you get the BarCoal fired up!
