Along with the likes of Howl and Live Outdoor, Washington outdoor heating specialist Ignik Outdoors has been working to pull the wood out of the campfire for years. Now it's giving campers the option of removing open fire all together, without giving up the warmth and flickering glow of flame. Its whimsically named Skullet serves as something of a 360-degree gas fireplace for base camp while also working as a traditional stove burner that brings its own ingredient-mingling discada.
Just like a traditional skullet (skull + mullet), Ignik's 48,000-BTU Skullet combines two distinct things into something you're unlikely to forget anytime soon. Perhaps the most unique aspect of its multifunctional build is its enclosed heater function that works more like a patio heater or heat lamp than the typical portable fire pit.
Unlike most heaters, though, this one still runs a flickering LPG-fueled flame inside its three-sided body, providing both warmth and a visual focal point for those gathered around. The prismatic shape ensures that everyone around the folding chair circle can enjoy the heat and view.
The Skullet's flame distinguishes it from Ignik's older, smaller 2-in-1 Heater-Stove, which appears to have served as something of the V1.0 for the Skullet. The Heater-Stove was more of a tabletop-sized model that used a radiant heating element without a visible flame. It did turn orange but didn't have the mesmerizing charm of actual fire.
Just like the Heater-Stove, the Skullet doubles as a cooktop, its inner flame working to get pans sizzling and water boiling. Its burner is designed to accommodate larger pots and pans so as not to limit the chef.
To complete the all-in-one system, Ignik adds its own cooking disc to the package. The company calls it a skillet, but it's really more of a skottle/discada/cowboy wok, featuring a wall-less, slightly concave disc form that allows cooks to easily mix and cook ingredients together or utilize different heat zones. It includes flip-out handles for carrying and an indented spout that allows the cook to pour off excess oil or liquid.
Whether cooking, heating or both, the Skullet comes in two forms. The base model stands directly on the ground and does not include the disc skillet, while the deluxe version includes both the skillet and a tripod with height-adjustable legs for raising the heat and cooking up off the ground. The tripod then collapses and folds into a small, transportable package. The actual stove unit also collapses into smaller packed form.
Ignik is offering the Skullet for preorder now at a price of US$399.95 for the base version and $499.95 for the deluxe. Those prices look pretty steep at first glance, particularly in comparison to a simple camp stove, but compare them to the price of a standalone disc cooker system and some portable propane fire pits, and the Skullet's multifunctional build helps it make more sense.
Source: Ignik
