I was skeptical that the portable pit would be good enough to throw heat for a group sitting around it. This past summer we have used it during fire bans (was allowed) and also in Jasper when we were unable to get a site with a fire pit. To be honest it was nice not having to haul/split wood and when folks were tired...just turn the knob, and 5 mins to cool down and put away! In fact we used just over half a 20LB tank in a week having a 90 min fire each night. Also perfect in damp conditions when a fire is a hassle to start and keep going. Just drag the LP one under the awning and have a nice fire or into a vented dining tent (obviously take precautions). We really enjoy ours, and plumbed an eternal LP connector to run off the onboard tanks also.
Daryll