Wolf and Grizzly Review: I Tried Their Most Popular Gear

It’s a familiar feeling for me. 

You get to a campsite with grand ambitions of cooking the most delicious campfire meal man has ever tasted. 

You’ve planned ahead, thought about what went wrong last time and how you can do better, prepped food, and brought a fire starter. 

Of course, nothing goes to plan. 

The ground is soaked, the wood is wet, the campfire ring and grill attachment at your site won’t go low enough to be close to the coals, and that’s assuming you can even get coals in a timely manner in the first place. 

In short, you end up with another classic campfire meal: some food that’s still cold, some that’s burned to a crisp, and the inevitable resignation to using the propane-powered camp stove.

Tired of this disappointing cycle, I decided to see if there were better options out there for those not wanting to rely on a camp stove. That’s when I came across Wolf and Grizzly. 

What Is Wolf and Grizzly?

Wolf and Grizzly characterizes their origin story with a quote from Roy Chapman Andrew: “Always there has been adventure just around the corner – and the world is still full of corners.”

Founded in 2018, Wolf and Grizzly is designed for people who look for adventure at every turn, and want to be prepared for it. 

In their own words, “People who seek to unplug, unwind, and appreciate the small moments in life – the warmth of a campfire, meat sizzling on the grill, the refreshing calm of an evening spent outside, feeling present and connected with friends and family.”

Given that the company got off the ground right before a global pandemic, they currently have a small selection of products that focus on camp cooking. 

The Wolf and Grizzly team noticed a difference between what they refer to as “city tools” and “wilderness tools.” City tools were refined in design but delicate, while wilderness tools were rugged, yet lacked design simplicity. 

Within this dichotomy they found a market opportunity—wilderness products that were durable, refined, and simple to use. These guiding principles led to the creation of their Campfire Trio, which includes the Fire Safe, Fire Set, and Grill.

These foundational products have received glowing reviews from Wired, blessthisstuff, Gear Patrol, and others, and set the stage for future backcountry product development. 

Things to Consider Before Buying

Deciding to buy Wolf and Grizzly comes down to your appetite for adventure. 

If you’re the type of person that thrives on adventurous spontaneity and want to have gear that enables that, Wolf and Grizzly is for you. 

A big part of the Campfire Trio’s draw is its portability, which we’ll touch on more in the review. If you like the idea of having a full camp grill setup that can fit in your backpack, Wolf and Grizzly provides. 

Those who want to get out in nature, disconnect, build a safe fire, and even have the option to cook will find a consistent companion in the Campfire Trio.

If, however, you prefer the cooking consistency of a propane-powered gas stove, the Campfire Trio might not be a fit. Cooking over coals requires much more attention to detail and experimentation than on a burner, which could lead to ruined meals and disappointment.

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Cooking use cases aside, the Campfire Trio is also perfect for building a contained fire in a pinch. Those who want the ability to create a cozy vibe in minutes, with minimal effort, will be well-rewarded. (Of course, be mindful of local laws and regulations regarding fire use in backcountry areas.)

Apart from all this, buying Wolf and Grizzly’s Campfire Trio can be viewed as an investment. The full Trio retails at $190, whereas most camp stoves find an average between $80 and $120. 

The Campfire Trio can seem expensive, but portability, convenience, quality materials, and good design come at a price. Deciding to buy from Wolf and Grizzly comes down to how much you value these characteristics and how much adventure you want to have.

My Hands-On Review

Since I was still set on cooking the greatest campfire meal man had ever tasted, I picked up the Campfire Trio to see if it could solve my campfire cooking woes. Given that the fire safe and grill are made of stainless steel and will get super hot, I also got a pair of Wolf and Grizzly’s Wilderness Gloves to protect my hands. 

Unboxing

On opening the shipping box from Wolf and Grizzly I got my first sense of the size and portability of the Campfire Trio. 

The Trio comes in two boxes, one for the Fire Safe, and the other for the Fire Set, Grill, and stand. The boxes themselves are small and can easily be kept in your car or backpack without taking up much space.

Wolf and Grizzly’s branding is clean and refined, which reminded me of their effort to build adventure products that check the boxes of being “city tools” and “wilderness tools” at the same time. 

I had big hopes for the design and efficiency of the Campfire Trio as a simple but durable camping grill, and the branding gave me faith that we were off to a good start. 

Fire Safe

The Fire Safe consists of two pieces: the frame itself, which acts as a windscreen and container for your fire, and the floor, which is designed to have an accordion structure to facilitate airflow above and below your fire. 

If there’s one thing I see fire-building plebeians get wrong time and time again, it’s airflow. Somewhere they got the idea that they can light a paper towel on fire, stick it beneath a full-sized log, stack eight more logs on top of that in a pile, and a bonfire will burst forth like you’re some sort of wizard.

That’s unfortunately not how it works. Airflow feeds oxygen to the flames and enables them to grow bigger, and this is sometimes difficult to achieve when building a fire in a campfire ring. 

Thus, I was excited to see how the Fire Safe could provide this necessary airflow on a consistent basis. 

The frame of the Fire Safe unfolds from a 2D rectangle to a 3D square, which provides a base to put the floor into. This process is super easy, doesn’t require any outside hardware or tools, and could probably be done with your eyes closed. 

The floor slots into grooves in the frame to hold it in place, and also hooks over the edge of the frame to ensure the two pieces effectively act as one. 

It’s worth noting that both pieces of the fire safe are made of 304 stainless steel, which will stand up well to intense heat and patina beautifully over time. 

The whole kit weighs only two pounds, which makes this a viable option for backpackers who are looking to keep total weight at a minimum. A premium carrying case is included to keep each piece of the Fire Safe tightly packed. 

When fully set up, the fire safe measures 11 inches by 11.4 inches. This may seem like a small grill, but when it comes to cooking you’d be surprised by how much you can fit across that surface area. 

My Fire Safe assembled, I placed it on a flat piece of ground and began the process of building a fire. The accordion ridges of the floor helped to prop up pieces of wood, and also provided a good pocket where I could easily stuff fire starter and kindling to light the larger pieces of wood on top. 

I was slightly concerned at first that embers and coals might escape out the bottom of the Fire Safe and ignite whatever was beneath, but there’s little to no chance of that with how well the floor fits into the base. 

Even so, Wolf and Grizzly recommends not using the Fire Safe on a heat or flame-sensitive space.

With the requisite pieces assembled to create a mind-melting campfire meal, it was time to test out the Fire Set.

Fire Set

The Fire Set is like flint and tinder with gigantic biceps.

At first glance I passed the Fire Set off as any other fire starter but there’s actually quite a few design specifications that help this pack some serious punch.

Featuring a ferro rod made of 100% ferrocerium and a striker made with genuine knife steel, this nested fire starter is designed to work at any altitude and in any conditions. 

It’s also designed to last 20,000 strikes, making it more sustainable than any match box or lighter. I appreciate this as I’ve had unfortunate instances of trying to light a fire and realizing too late that I’m out of matches or lighter fluid. Womp.

The large surface area of the ferro rod makes it easy to get consistent sparks every strike, which Wolf and Grizzly has regularly measured at 5400 degrees Fahrenheit.

Lastly, the cord that ties the striker and ferro rod together houses a jute core that can be cut, removed, and used as tinder in an emergency situation. I’m a big fan of small products with massive utility and the Fire Set checks that box. 

Quick tip to get the “sparks flying” with your girl: take her out to the woods and show her how quickly you can get a fire lit with the Fire Set. 

Yikes. If you’re cringing at that last joke, so am I.

With my tinder assembled and kindling on hand, I gave the Fire Set a try. It takes a little muscle to get a feel for what makes good sparks, but I quickly got my tinder lit and was able to start building the fire up. 

I found this to be a much more satisfying way to start a fire than with matches or a lighter. There’s a primitive aspect to it that makes lighting a good fire feel much more satisfying than with modern methods. 

In my experience, this is a faster way to feel connected to your Neanderthal roots than spitting in a tube and shipping it off to 23andMe.

The Fire Set fits neatly into an internal pocket of the Grill’s premium carrying case, which I appreciate because the Fire Set is relatively small and easy to lose. 

Now that I had a solid fire that would yield coals appropriate for cooking, it was time to set up the Grill Kit. 

Grill Kit

The Grill Kit has two main parts, like the Fire Safe. The first is a collapsible grill frame, which folds out to surround your Fire Safe, and the second is the grill surface itself, which is rollable.

The grill surface features metal toggles at each corner that set into the corners of the grill frame and create enough tension to set the grill surface flat and taught. I was very impressed by the simplicity and efficiency of this design. The fact that the grill surface can roll up enables the grill kit to be surprisingly compact. 

Both the grill frame and surface are made from the same 304 stainless steel as the Fire Safe, ensuring that they’ll stand up to consistent use and high heat. 

The grill surface has three different toggle settings which allow you to use the grill frame at three heights. This is ideal, as each fire and cooking situation may require the grill to be closer or further from the coals or flames.

Coming in at 2.2 pounds, the Grill Kit is actually heavier than the Fire Safe. At a total weight of 4.2 pounds, though, the Campfire Trio is still a viable inclusion in a backpacking kit. 

I believe some of the weight of the Grill Kit is due to sturdy components that allow it to be weight-bearing. While the Grill Kit might look flimsy, it’s able to support up to 30 pounds, which is more than enough to handle your favorite cast iron pan. 

All told, I was very pleased with how my first camp cooking experience went while using the Campfire Trio. The Fire Safe made building and containing a fire simple, and the Grill Kit’s ability to bear weight and adjust height made cooking a breeze. 

It’s also worth noting the simplicity of cleanup. Once your fire is extinguished and the Fire Safe has been given the opportunity to cool, all you have to do is lift the insert out, being careful to contain the ashes, and dispose of them in a safe place. 

The Grill Kit is also equipped with a scraper cleaning tool and microfiber cloth to get any last bits of food or grease from the grill.

The cleaning done, all I had to do was fold up the Fire Safe and Grill Kit, slide them into their respective carrying cases, and I was good to go.

Wilderness Gloves

The Wilderness Gloves are designed to save your hands from the many hazards of outdoor adventures. Whether it be blisters, cuts, scratches, or rope burn, these sturdy gloves will take the beating for your hands and look good doing it. 

Made from Grade C North American Steer leather, this supple material provides dexterity and grip in all conditions. Double-stitching and reinforced palms and fingers help protect areas with the most wear and tear, but also don’t make the gloves overly rigid.

I was curious about the Wilderness Gloves because most wood gathering and chopping sessions I’ve had have resulted in splinters and scrapes of some sort. My typical issue with work gloves is that they’re so reinforced you lose nearly all dexterity, akin to an elephant trying to type on a keyboard.

However, the Wilderness Gloves are better than most. They’re still a bit chunky on my hands—I probably could have ordered a size down—but I maintained most of my motor control and avoided those pesky splinters.

These gloves performed well in wet conditions as well. While they’re not completely waterproof, they’re treated with an odorless fish oil that gives a water resistant finish.

Wolf and Grizzly also includes an aluminum 38mm carabiner that conveniently loops through a D-ring on the gloves, and can then be clipped to your belt loop, or tent. 

My only complaint with the Wilderness Gloves is the price, which comes in at $70. Most leather work gloves average between $40 and $50, so the Wilderness Gloves can seem daunting to your wallet. 

That being said, Wolf and Grizzly intends for these to be an investment in which you can treat and care for the leather so that they get better with age. If that’s not the definition of an appreciating asset, I don’t know what is. 

What do Other Reviewers Say? 

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Wolf and Grizzly’s reviews are overwhelmingly positive. Hundreds of reviewers love the compact design of the Campfire Trio and have added it as a permanent fixture in their car camping, bike camping, and backpacking kits. 

Of the negative reviews I could find, several noted that the steel had warped significantly after several uses. These reviews were few and far between, however, and most seemed to not experience this issue. 

Apart from that, the only other point of contention was regarding its weight. Some backpackers found it too heavy, others didn’t seem to mind, but that’s just life, isn’t it? Glass is half full to some and half empty to others.

My Thoughts Overall On Campfire Trio

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