Flatpack Grill & Firepit

The UCO Flatpack Grill occupies a niche that most ultralight bikepackers will skip right past — and that's fine. This is not a gram-counter's product. At 794 grams, it's heavier than some bikepackers' entire cook kits. But for a specific style of bikepacking — slower-paced touring with established campsites, group trips where weight is shared, or trailer-assisted rides — the Flatpack Grill adds a campfire experience that no canister stove can match.

The design is clever. Four stainless steel panels fold flat into a package about the size of a laptop, then assemble in under 30 seconds into a raised fire pit with a removable grill grate. The raised design keeps fire off the ground surface, which is both Leave No Trace-responsible and required at many established campsites. The grate supports real cooking — grilling sausages, toasting bread, heating a pan — with the romance and warmth of an actual fire.

Stainless steel construction handles repeated heat cycles without warping, though the panels do discolor after a few uses. The interlocking assembly doesn't use any fasteners or hinges, which means there's nothing to break or lose. The joint design is rated for repeated assembly without the fit loosening over time.

For bikepacking use, the Flatpack's size and weight are the obvious challenges. It fits reasonably well strapped to a rear rack or carried in a trailer. On a pure saddle-bag-and-frame-bag setup, it's impractical. The flat profile is the saving grace — it slides alongside other flat items and doesn't create awkward bulk.

Fuel is whatever you find on the ground — sticks, twigs, pinecones, charcoal if you're at a developed campsite. This means zero fuel weight to carry, which partially offsets the grill's own heft. In well-wooded areas, fuel collection takes minutes. In arid environments, you may want to carry a small bag of charcoal.

The social dimension is worth acknowledging. A campfire, even a small one in a portable grill, transforms an evening at camp. Cooking over flame, warming hands, watching the fire — these experiences are why many people go bikepacking in the first place. If your bikepacking style values the journey and the camp experience over speed and weight optimization, the Flatpack Grill might be the most satisfying 794 grams in your kit.