Traeger Pellet Grill

[urnmor]

I saw a camper using a Traeger pellet grill over the Fourth and was wondering if anyone on the Forum is using one for camping and if so what are the pros and con for camping?

Thanks

[Al and Missy]

I haven't used mine for camping, but I thought about it.

Three cons-1: you will need 120 volt AC, and lots of it for the first five minutes. The "hot rod" that lights the pellets takes several hundred watts. You could always light it manually if you disconnected the hot rod, but it's a lot of trouble to get to the burner pot. 2. Size: Even the small portable one would not fit in any of my storage cubbies. It would have to ride in the TV. 3. Heat level: if you like to get a good sear on a steak, it won't go over about 450-500F. I love mine at home, but I do steak on a gas grill.

Pro- best smoked meat ever! Just had a smoked pork butt and a brisket yesterday for the 4th.

Al

[urnmor]

Al
Thanks
I am looking for a great grill for low and slow BBQing while camping. One of the small Traegers might work. A site with electric or my Honda 2000s should be sufficient to operate it.

I am now also going to have to look at other smokers for camping. Any suggestions?

Don't need one at home as I have green eggs.
John

[InsideOut]

I love my (medium size) Traeger at home...but vote for something much more portable when camping. I have been known to smoke chicken, brisket & pork butt for rallies though. Last May, my Traeger helped me cater a rally for 150 people...but the Traeger stays home.

1) too dirty, 2) too big to pack & 3) don't want to lug around the pellets.

If we really want to have a BBQ party style rally, we take the 8 burner gas "Event Grill".

Shari

[TerraYacht]

Originally Posted by urnmor

Al
Thanks
I am looking for a great grill for low and slow BBQing while camping. One of the small Traegers might work. A site with electric or my Honda 2000s should be sufficient to operate it.

I am now also going to have to look at other smokers for camping. Any suggestions?

Don't need one at home as I have green eggs.
John

BGE has just come out with a new size, the MiniMax is on their home page Big Green Egg - The Ultimate Cooking Experience. It should be a manageable weight to put in your TV bed, and I will consider how to pack one with my limited moho storage. I may have to switch to a trailer and TV just to carry this cute Egg!

[GCinSC2]

My 5'er camp buddy got one and he flipped out at how well it works. Look at the videos on the Traeger website. Feeds a good sized gang.

[Chipster]

I spend a couple of months at winchester bay, Oregon in the summer. [escaping the heat of the Palm Springs area of So. Cal] I take the Traeger Junior with me and look forward to all of the goodies that are prepared on this grill/smoker.
I purchased an nsf cart on wheels at Costco that assembles or dis-assembles in a matter of minutes. [don't forget a rubber mallet to knock the shelves into place] The traeger [sans legs] and the cart ride in the bed of the tow vehicle until ready to make its debut. Then the cart is assembled and placed by the tail gate of the truck and the Traeger is pulled onto the cart with no lifting envolved and wheeled into its place for the cooking chores.[the wheels lock so that it will stay put] I usually take 2 or 3 bags of pellets with me and can always buy more if needed, they are easy to find at fred meyers or ace hardware etc.
For some individuals this process seems overwhelming, but for those who appreciate the quality and taste of everything cooked on the Traeger will find that their efforts are well rewarded.
bon apetite ! [sp ?]

[Al and Missy]

Traeger does make a folding legs kit for the junior. I've thought about getting one for tailgating. I use an Olympian 5500 because it fits in the rear storage but I miss my smoked meats.

Al

[urnmor]

I enjoy cooking on my green eggs at home however because they are ceramic they can be a challenge to move. I like the looks of the mini max however I would be afraid if I did not pack it correctly it would crack especially over some of the roads we travel.

[urnmor]

Have been doing some research on Pellet grills have found a couple that might fit my requirements for camping. Most important one is it must fit in the bed of the truck when the cover is closed. Would like made in the US and cannot be to heavy. One is the Traeger another is the Greenmountain Davey crockett and the third is the Louisiana 300. None are made in the US however the Louisiana is made in Canada.

[mistral blue]

I made this a few years ago.
Weber has since come out with their own version.
Works beautifully.

[KathyH]

Was camping a few weeks ago with friends who had a smaller Tragger table-top. I personally did not care for it as a regular BBQ'er, as a smoker possibly. It just didn't get hot enough, and if people, myself included, check the steaks to see if they need to be turned over, the heat goes down and takes that much longer to grill your steaks. There were several couples and we had to take turns on the limited space available, took far longer to cook and frankly We ended up eating our steak in the tartare (raw) state because after 15-20 minutes the folks behind us wanted to get theirs on the grill and I was tired of waiting for our medium/smaller steaks to cook further so we just chewed and ate. I'll stick with a gas Weber Q and add hardwood chips if I feel the need for added smokey flavor.


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[Bluestar99]

I have 2 Traeger grill/smokers. I have taken them camping on occasion. While I enjoy them they are really more of a oven or smoker then a grill. It will get up to 450 degrees which is plenty hot for pizza etc, but a steak of burger needs a sear to taste right in my opinion. Anything you can cook in an over can be made on a Traeger. But when was the last time you baked a steak? It really is a smoker and should be thought of that way. I love the things and have made some great stuff on them. I have given some thought to buying the small portable to take with my little charcoal grill.

[AirEgger]

We have used BGEs for a number of years. We have an XL for home and a small for travel. The small minus the nest is about 65 lbs. If you remove the fire box and fire ring prior to loading, it reduces the weight by some 10-15 lbs. For us this results in a liftable weight. We pack the small egg in a plastic tub surrounded by foam pieces to ensure a tight fit. We lift the packed egg into the truck bed. Then we line the egg with bubble wrap and insert the fire box, top that with more bubble wrap and add the fire ring. We use a bungie to secure the lid from bouncing open. This is then secured in the truck bed. We've used this approach for a number of years and hauled the small egg thousands of miles with no problems. All this is a considerable amount work, but we find it worth the effort. However, we only take the small egg if we're going to be in one place for at least 4-5 days. Anything less just isn't worth it. However, once at the RV site and everything is set up, being able to sear steaks at 700+ degrees is a real plus. If you have a slow day and would like to smoke ribs for 4,5,6 hours you can do it. I have no personal/financial interest in BGEs, but have found them to be very versatile and worth the effort to pack and transport them. If I ever broke one, I might feel differently, but so far so good. Will continue to haul and enjoy until it's not worth it.

[JenOregon]

We've got 3 of them, guess you could say we like them. The Texas, our first one, is great for a crowd. The Junior is a better size for us when our boys went off to college and we were just cooking for two. We now have the PTG, or tailgating/tabletop version. We toss that in the trailer for camping trips. It does require plugging in, so if dry camping we take the generator along and use that to run it. It is much smaller but thats the point being portable. We can fit 2 burgers and 4 strips of bacon comfortably on the grill space. The hubby does the grilling and I take care of the rest and he's got it down to an art, we love ours! Pellets are heavy but I call it part of my arm workout.

[WaLee]

I have two of them. One for home and a junior that goes on the road. Since we always bring the honda 2000 power isn't a problem. The junior is small enough to not take over the pickup bed , the roll top tonneau goes right over it, and big enough to cook for a family. I like the way it does steaks myself. We cook mostly grass fed beef so a little lower and slower is better anyway. It's amazing for chicken and pork.



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