he former feels like what camping should be, but it takes a while and is unpredictable. The latter gives you more options and is faster, but you have to deal with propane and—admit it—it kind of feels like cheating.

The BioLite Basecamp ($200) straddles those options by allowing you to grill your burgers over a self-contained, wood-burning stove. As opposed to a typical campfire, the Basecamp purposefully focuses the heat from the burning wood directly onto its hibachi-style cooking surface, making camp cooking more efficient and predictable. And because it burns wood, you don't have to deal with propane. If you're the woods, your fuel is all around you.