Best 10 Backpacking BBQ Grills Of 2024

Finding a lightweight barbecue grill for backpacking can be rather hard. Most people just use a portable lightweight gas stove. Some use a wood stove or a stove that uses wood as fuel. Hardly anyone use a barbecue grill or grate. It is rather hard to find something lightweight and can serve as a BBQ grill. Here are some of the items out there that you can check out. I listed the dimensions and other useful info. I tried a couple of cooling racks for barbecues. They work really well. Some of them are very cheap. I found a couple less than $5 that are made out of stainless steel. I have listed down below some of the best I have tried. You can just pick one that is more suitable for you.

Best Backpacking BBQ Grills – Quick Chart

How To Choose A Backpacking BBQ Grill

Types Of Grills

BBQ Grate

I have seen a lot of people bring their BBQ grates into their backpacking adventures. Grates are a great way to cook foods. You can put them on top of three rocks or inside a campfire spot. You can place stoves on top of them or barbecue foods on top of them as well.

Cooling Rack

Cooling racks that we chose for ovens and barbecue are often made out of very good stainless steel. Stainless steel can be used to barbecue foods. These mesh wires are small, lightweight and non-toxic. They are perfect for backpacking. Some can be folded as well. These items are great and I have listed a few that are amazing.

Backpacking Wood Stove

A lot of wood stove will often have a way to put the food on top of it. These make good grills because they use twigs, small branches and so on for fuel. It is the almost same thing as using barbecue charcoals. Some wood stoves are great and some are not that good.

Choosing The Material

One of the things you have to consider is what material is the item made out of. Some materials are very flimsy and not durable. Some are very durable. Some are very hard to clean. We need to consider the material the grate or grill is made out of. The popular materials are aluminum, cast iron, stainless steel, and titanium. These types of metal are pretty and pretty safe. They are often non toxic.

Stainless Steel

Stainless steel grills are very durable and easy to clean. They are also rust resistant and non-toxic which makes them great for grilling. Most of the backpacking grills that you will see are made out of stainless steel because stainless steel is very good for backpacking. They are also very affordable which allows a lot of people to use them.

Titanium

Titanium is also a very good material for backpacking. Unfortunately, titanium is very expensive so we won’t see a lot of grills made out of titanium. However, there are a lot of backpacking wood stoves that are made out of titanium.

Cast Iron

Cast iron grates are often very heavy but there I have seen a few people bring cast iron grates and cookware for backpacking. They love their steaks and they prefer using cast iron to cook them. I do not recommend cast iron because cast iron is very heavy. You may end up hiking for a lot of miles and you will not make it if you are carrying a very heavy backpack.

Is Stainless Steel Magnetic Or Not?

According to these two articles, auskogroup and meadmetals, Stainless steel starts out as non-magnetic. However, after they start cooling up or after they are formed, they exhibit magnetic properties. So a magnet is not a good test whether a stainless steel is plated or coated or not. But do your own research and come up with your own conclusions.

Legs Or No Legs

Legs

Legs add more weight to the item which is why a lot of items do not have them. However, if you want stability then having legs on your item is very useful. The drawback is that the item will be a lot heavier. Some legs are also very flimsy which is why people do not want their grills to have them.

No Legs

People who do not like legs will not get them. They will often use rocks in a triangular, rectangular or circular formation around the fire. The rocks will stabilize the grill and lift it off the ground. The drawback is that a lot of rocks are not the same size so the grill can tip over because it is not on a stable platform or it is not supported well.

Other Considerations You Should Think About

Weight

Weight is very important. I put some 2 pound grills also but they are more casual backpacking. A lot of people really use a backpacking stove and not a grill. This is more of a luxury to most people. Eating BBQ and hotdogs while on a backpacking trip. But there are also people who do not like to carry stoves, fuel and all that so they just carry a grill or grate. They use wood to cook their foods. Weight is something we all consider when backpacking.

Dimensions

It is because we do not want to carry a lot of weight that the dimensions are very important. The grills are going to be small because if they are big, they will weigh a lot of pounds. A small grill or grate will not weigh as much. You need to know what kind of foods that you are going to cook. A small grill will only have enough surface area to cook one fish, or one chicken or one piece of beef at a time. If you have lots of foods to cook, this can take a while.

Compact

There are grills that are foldable and there are grills that are just small. Everyone has a particular design that they like. Some like the pocket foldable stoves, foldable grates and so on. Some just like to carry a small metal grate. Whatever it is, you have to think about how much backpack space the item is going to take. You can use normal grates or normal bbq grills but they are very big and not compact. So we need to think about how compact the item is going to be.

Price

For some reason, the smaller the item, the more expensive they are. It is so weird lol. You would think that the bigger the item, the more metal or materials it has then the more expensive they are going to be. There are really small items that are very expensive. So we need to think about the price because we can also use a wood stove, a gas stove and so on. We have alternative choices or options.

Best Backpacking Barbecue Grills

Here are some of the best backpacking BBQ grills that I know of. These are very durable, they work well, and they are also very easy to use. All product links are affiliate links.

1. Bushcraft Grill – Welded Stainless Steel High Strength Mesh

Technical Specs
Weight: 4 oz
Material: Welded Stainless Steel
Dimensions: 9.5” X 5”
Legs: No
Feature Summary: Improved steel thickness and welding, edge-to-edge welding, mesh grill, engineered to fit into most backpacks

Short Review: This awesome backpacking bbq grill will fulfill your needs. This is the best one I found. It is very light and it is very small. If you want something bigger, you can just get two. It certainly works well. Easy to cook foods with. This item is amazing and resilient and that’s why this has a great deal of positive customer reviews. Compact design makes this very desirable because we need all the room in our backpacks. A great item to have if you love the outdoors and this is also very durable. If you love to barbecue and you don’t want to bring any portable stove then this is a great choice.

2. Ultra Cuisine Store Stainless Steel Wire Cooling Rack

Technical Specs
Weight: 10 Ounces
Material: Stainless steel
Dimensions: 12 x 8.5 x 1 inches
Legs: No
Feature Summary: Amazing item for outdoor activities, tight grid pattern with small holes provides heavy duty reinforced support, non-toxic and food safe for you and your family, heat safe to 575˚F degrees

Short Review: I am excited to recommend this cooling rack that can be used as a backpacking grate because this is pretty good. This is a pretty good item that is made out of 304 grade 18/8 thick stainless steel that is safe to heat up up to 575 degrees Fahrenheit. The wires are crisscrossed to prevent food from falling to the bottom. This has no PFOA, no harmful coatings or chrome plating that can wear off or flake into your food. A pretty good item that works well for backpacking since it is very lightweight, big enough to handle most foods and very safe for foods.

3. DRIX Outdoors Campfire Grill

Technical Specs
Weight: 7.5 oz
Material: Stainless Steel
Dimensions: 12 x 6 inches
Legs: No
Feature Summary: 304 welded high strength stainless steel, made to last, comes with weather resistant canvas bag

Short Review: The one thing I understand without a doubt is that this camping grill is quite fantastic. I really like this, it works incredibly well plus the price tag is extremely low. This impressive item is what I was trying to find and it is well worth the time I put into researching it. This grill is a little larger. However, this still fits the backpack and works well. The weight of this is around 2 pounds which is pretty heavy. But if you really want to barbecue then this is a good choice. Amazing item for the outdoors that provides lots of benefits. This has lots of amazing features and you can see this by checking out the positive consumer reviews.

4. Coghlan’s Pack Grill

Technical Specs
Weight: 12 oz
Material: Chrome-plated Steel
Dimensions: 12.5″ x 6.5″
Legs: Yes
Feature Summary: Company is very trust worthy, sturdy, stable, folds flat for easy storage

Short Review: This lightweight grate is one of the best that I truly love. One of the finest that I have tried which is why I am really satisfied I can purchase this online. This fantastic item is one of the best that is available at this time and it is easy to see why just by reading the positive customer reviews. Coghlan is not really the company that I would go to for the greatest quality. They usually have average quality items for dirt cheap price. However, I was really surprised that this is very good. This is very compact and should not take a lot of space in the backpack. A very versatile item that gives lots of usefulness while backpacking and makes cooking more fun. The selling price of this item is what made me interested in it in the first place. This is a pretty superb item that does the job it is supposed to do.

5. KITCHENATICS Cooling, Roasting & Baking Racks

Technical Specs
Weight: 9.9 oz
Material: Stainless steel
Dimensions: 8.5″ x 12″
Legs: No
Feature Summary: Thick stainless steel grill, easy to carry, multiple welds allows you to rest up to 45 lbs of weight on grate, wire rack for cooking BBQ, grilling meat, fish, vegetables, & even fruit on gas or charcoal grills

Short Review: One of the greatest things that you can acquire is this backpacking grate. This is an extremely high quality item that you should look into. This is made out of 304 (18/8) commercial grade rust-proof stainless steel that can be used inside an oven up to 575 degrees Fahrenheit and safe on top of a grill. A great item that is very lightweight and has a very small size which means that we can use this for backpacking purposes. One of the best items you can get for grilling in the outdoors. The design made this very light which is great for us outdoor enthusiasts.

6. Spring Chef Store Heavy Duty Stainless Steel Baking Rack

Technical Specs
Weight: 8.1 Ounces
Material: Stainless Steel
Dimensions: 8.5″ x 12″
Legs: No
Feature Summary: Great company and very popular, metal platings or coatings that can chip or scratch and transfer toxins/chemicals to your food, perfectly spaced grid size is tight enough that it won’t let food fall

Short Review: The fact remains that this lightweight grate is rather amazing. This is over safe for around 575 degrees and does not contain any platings or coatings which means that we can use this for cooking foods while on a backpacking trip. It is made out of stainless still which is pretty durable and should lasts for a very long time. It is pretty big also which is around 8.5″ x 12″ but it can still fit inside a backpack. A pretty good item that can help us cook a bunch of foods while in the outdoors or in a backpacking trip.

7. Stansport Pack Grill

Technical Specs
Weight: 13.6 oz
Material: Chrome Plated Steel
Dimensions: 12.5 x 6.25in.
Legs: Yes
Feature Summary: Well made, folds flat for easy storage, stable, strong legs

Short Review: Another great outdoor item from Stansport. You will be really happy with this item considering that this is one of the very best. This is one of the best that I have purchased online and this has provided me with a great deal of usefulness when it comes to cooking foods. I love that this is very compact which allows me to carry more stuff. The legs are foldable and fit nicely to the body. There are a good amount of things I love about this high quality item and the company who created this item is unbelievable. Stansport is a pretty good company when it comes to hiking and outdoor gear. I like that this is really sturdy because lots of similar items are just pretty fragile mainly because the design is not good.

8. Chris-Wang 1Pack Multi-Purpose Round Stainless Steel Cross Wire

Technical Specs
Weight: 4 oz
Material: 304 Stainless Steel
Dimensions: Multiple Sizes
Legs: No
Feature Summary: Company makes high quality items, high quality 304 stainless steel, cross wire net, multiple sizes

Short Review: I have been testing plenty of backpacking BBQ grills, and this is extraordinary. This is meant to be a BBQ cooling rack. This is pretty lightweight and the 304 stainless steel cross wire is very durable. These are two significant factors why I like to recommend this. This is made with remarkable high quality materials and the price is extremely affordable. This is very compact which is why it is great because this barely takes any backpack space. A great item to have if you love backpacking with lots of positive customer testimonials. I love this a great deal. I am happy that I bought it mainly because this is one of the finest that I have ever tried.

9. Checkered Chef Cooling Racks

Technical Specs
Weight: 11.8 oz
Material: Stainless Steel
Dimensions: 8 x 11 3/4in.
Legs: No
Feature Summary: Company is amazing and they construct amazing items, designed for maximum strength and durability, resist warping and wobbling

Short Review: There are a lot of backpacking bbq grills that I like but this is one of my favorites. This outstanding item is certain to make men and women satisfied. This item is meant as a BBQ cooling rack. However, after testing it out, I find that this works great for the outdoors as well. This is pretty compact and small. You get two for the price of one. This is very durable. It is a lot more durable than the a few of the lightweight grills I have tested. Easy to carry because of the compact design which gives us more room in our backpacks. Versatile item that makes hiking a lot more fun and provides lots of usefulness. The low price tag is what I love about this item. The simple fact that this is rather good also comes to my mind.

10. Indigo True Stainless Steel Cooling Rack

Technical Specs
Weight: 1.1 lbs
Material: Stainless Steel
Dimensions: 11.5″ x 16.5″
Legs: No
Feature Summary: Practically no effort to clean, Extra large flat mesh, thick cross wire iron rods

Short Review: I am excited to recommend this backpacking BBQ grill considering that this is superb. This is not really the traditional grill design. It is not really made as a backpacking grill. However, it is pretty good and you can use it for backpacking. This is a little bit large but the stainless steel is very durable. The stainless steel is also pretty good as it is 304 Stainless Steel (SS 18/8). It is lightweight enough that you can take it on a backpacking trip. I tried it and this works well as a grill. The item is not very compact but if you need a large lightweight grill then this is a good choice. This is great for the outdoors and performs very well. This is a high quality item that is both outstanding and fantastic.