Depending on your skill level with dutch ovens or propane stoves, your camp site cuisine can range from heating canned food on an open fire, to culinary perfection. But for those of us who don’t have a semi-professional camp site chef on hand, Traeger is making it easier to bust out incredible meals on the go.
Essentially a miniature version of their digitally controlled pellet smokers, the Ranger is a portable version that still packs a punch. Weighing in at 60lbs, the Ranger is not light, but it’s light enough to carry around to your campsite. It’s also fairly compact at 21 x 20 x 13″, yet it’s still big enough to fit a full rack of ribs, 6 burgers, or 10 hot dogs. Technically the cooking capacity is 184 sq. inches. The hopper itself holds 8lbs of pellets, which depending on how long you’re planning on smoking may be enough to set it and forget it.
Sold with either a griddle pan or grill rack, you can cook just about anything with minimal effort – even eggs, pancakes, and more. The Digital Arc Controller lets you set a temperature in 5° increments and the Ranger will automatically feed the pellets to maintain that temperature. There’s also a Keep Warm Mode that does the obvious. There’s even a meat probe like its big brothers so you can monitor the temperature without lifting the lid.
For those times where you’re off the grid without power, the Ranger can be ordered with a Power Inverter ($69.99) which can power itself directly off your car’s battery.
When not in use, the Ranger has a baffled lid with clasps to keep everything locked down (and keeps the pellets in the hopper), for easy transport. Available for $399, the Ranger is pricey but for those constantly on the go, it could be a worthy addition to your camp kit – not to mention the fact that it can also be used at home.
