Solo Stove Bonfire Fire Pit + Patio Inspiration

When you live in Iowa, you want to make the most of being outdoors when the weather is nice. Part of enjoying what your home has to offer, and your surroundings, is making sure you have things to do! We have loved working on projects around our home and then enjoying relaxing around our Solo Stove fire pit in the evening—it’s the perfect way to unwind. Even better? Inviting friends and family over to take advantage of the experience with us!

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*This post is sponsored by Solo Stove—all opinions are my own. Post also includes affiliate links. Purchasing through them does not cost you any extra money, but it helps my female-owned small business—thanks!!

Want to make the most of your outdoor living space? A Solo Stove firepit is a great way to relax and take in the elements, whether it’s just you or you invite some friends and family over to enjoy too!

I did not grow up in any sort of a camping family. We didn’t really do any kind of outdoorsy type things at all, come to think of it. I mean…we ate outside on our deck sometimes and played outside, but we didn’t necessarily just sit out there for the sheer enjoyment of it.

As I’ve gotten older, though, I’ve really learned to enjoy nature, and the beauty and relaxation that it has to offer. Living in Iowa, we are limited on the months that it’s warm enough to be outside for long periods of time. No matter how many layers I put on, you will not find me just sitting around outdoors during the winter.

As soon as the weather turns remotely warm here, Jason and I try to get outside, at least for a little bit, every day. We enjoy working in the yard doing maintenance and landscaping projects, taking walks, but most of all, taking advantage of the backyard space we inherited with this home.

We didn’t have a specific spot to put any outdoor furniture at our old house. There was no porch, deck, or patio. When we moved in here, though, we had all the above and then some! I feel so thankful to have these spaces to enjoy. Not only do we get to relax in them, but I get to decorate (you know I love that), and we get to share them with other people!

The gold color on the Solo Stove is what the brand considers “patina” and is a badge of use and enjoyment! According to their website, if you want to restore the original silver color on your Solo Stove product, you can use Bar Keeper’s Friend on it. You can read more about care and maintenance.

One of the ways we have made the most of our outdoor spaces has been purchasing a fire pit, which can be enjoyed for many months out of the year. Jason and I went back and forth when deciding what kind of fire pit we wanted to get. One of the big factors we considered was the amount of smoke that a fire tends puts off.

While researching different options for fire pits, I had started seeing lots of people sharing Solo Stove fire pits all over social media, both influencers that I follow and my friends alike. I decided to look into them and was quickly drawn in.

One of my favorite aspects of this particular fire pit, is that the Solo Stove gives off little to no smoke. This is a big deal for me, as I don’t like when my hair and clothes smell like smoke. More than that, though, it really bothers me when it blows in my eyes—they get very irritated, and I wanted to avoid that.

Jason likes to make a bit of kindling to help start the fire. He also helps things along by mixing vaseline and dryer lint. You could make your own fire starter ahead of time by mixing these items and storing them in an egg carton, but we just do it as needed.

I also like that the Solo Stove isn’t necessarily a permanent fixture. We have the Bonfire model , and it is relatively easy to move around. (Although, if I’m being honest, I’d love to upgrade to the larger Yukon.) We set it up in our neighbors’ driveway last year for Halloween while we all handed out candy and it was so much fun! Also, when we’re not using our Solo Stove, we keep it stored away, safe from the elements.

Something that Jason really likes about the Solo Stove firepits is that they burn really hot! Why does that matter? Because the logs burn at such a high temp, it’s a clean fire. There is minimal ash left at the end, which we normally add to our garden, since it helps to neutralize the pH levels and adds potassium!

After we received our Solo Stove, I didn’t want to just get it and then never use it, so we’ve been intentional about making sure that we set time aside for ourselves to enjoy it and to invite friends and family over to spend time around it too.

We’ve made it a point to create a comfortable and inviting space to host in, but also so that we can enjoy it too! I love to surround myself with beautiful flowers and plants—just adding to the ambiance when we’re sitting around an evening bonfire.

In addition to plants, we have four Adirondack chairs (hoping to add two more this season) and a couple of cabana stripe patio umbrellas. While the umbrellas are nice to have when it’s really sunny, I also just love the look of them. They help to delineate the space and add extra height. We do need to come up with some sort of solution, though, because even with their weighted stands, they still blow over very easily. I normally take the top part down when we’re not using them, but that’s a hassle…and then I don’t get to see them as much.

As we continually work on our backyard oasis, I am so thankful for this little fire pit patio are of ours. It has been a nice place to relax while soaking in the sunshine, to kick up our feet after a long day at work, and to gather with friends and family—enjoying spending time together.

As the saying goes… “If you build it, they will come.” And it really is true! We’re naturally social creatures, even those of us who tend to be introverted like to still get together once in a while. Having a space to entertain in and be able to enjoy the beautiful outdoors and weather is an added bonus to time spent with the people you love.

While it was a bit chilly during this night we enjoyed with friends, it was actually more windy than anything, so we had our hoods up! The joys of living in Iowa!

If you’ve been thinking about adding a fire pit to your backyard (or even your campsite), I can’t recommend the Solo Stove enough. It’s rare to find a product that actually lives up to its claims, but these fire pits definitely do that. We’ve gotten a lot of enjoyment out of our Bonfire and hope to use it even more this summer!

I also think a Solo Stove would make a great Father’s Day gift, anniversary gift, or even something special for someone moving into a new home. They’re small enough and easily transportable, so you don’t need a huge space to use them. We also love that the base doesn’t get hot, so you don’t need to worry about what the fire pit is sitting on. Save $10 on your order with code: HILARYP at checkout!

Solo Stove Bonfire Fire Pit + Patio Inspiration from www.hprallandco.com | H. Prall & Co. | Des Moines, Iowa

If you have a Solo Stove already, I would love to hear your experience! Do you use it often, have a special spot for it, or travel with it? They’re just so versatile…I think everyone would enjoy having one!

Post your Solo Stove to your Instagram and tag me so I can see! You can find me on Instagram at @hilaryprall.