Designing a Flat Pack Grill
February 29, 2024 Products
Designing a Flat Pack Grill
February 29, 2024 Products
At Addictive Adventure, we have a mantra that helps guide our designs: a product that’s good at everything is great at nothing. This mantra is at the heart of why Addictive Adventure got started in the first place. We’ve used a lot of outdoor adventure gear, but most of the equipment on the market doesn’t fit how we want to use it. So we took it upon ourselves to make the products that we want to use.
Our bike racks, for example, were born from a need for a rack that doesn’t scratch our bikes on long rough roads. The design of our Drift Boat Kickstands was driven by the need to stop our boat from filling with rain water while stored on the trailer.
The Addictive Adventure Flat-Pack Camp Grill has had an interesting life of design revisions. We knew we wanted a charcoal grill that could be used at trailheads and unimproved or boat-in camping locations. We could have just packed up the Weber, but we weren’t willing to give up that much storage space.
Our first attempt at a packable grill worked phenomenally. It had great airflow, and it was incredibly durable because we made it from a thick steel plate to minimize warpage caused by extreme heat. But the weight of it really limited the number of places we wanted to use it. It packed down flat and fit under the car seat like we wanted it to, but it was heavy and cumbersome to pack up. So, we redesigned it using a lighter material and faced the challenge of managing warpage head on.
Charcoal can easily reach temperatures in excess of 500 degrees Fahrenheit; but at around 350 degrees, steel becomes more pliable and can warp in unpredictable ways. This is why your oven creaks when it warms up and why overheating a car engine can ruin it.
By interlocking laser cut stainless steel parts, we can control the material warpage that we were just avoiding with the thicker plate versions. We used 3D modeling software to create interlocking tabs to hold each part of the grill together, while still allowing easy assembly and disassembly.
Our smallest version of the flat pack grill only weighs about 4 pounds, but it’s big enough to fit enough food to feed several people. We also make a bigger one that has double the cooking area and weighs about 6 pounds. The bigger one is longer when it’s packed up, so when I recently flew to Puerto Rico, I brought the smaller one in my carryon bag to grill iguana and fish on the beach. Flying back, I detoured through Minnesota for ice fishing and cooking brats on a frozen lake. Packing it up is as simple as dousing it with water to cool it and packing the plates with the dirty sides towards each other. The plates all have a handle cut into them so they’re handy to carry around. Bad pun intended.
We designed the flat pack grill for a very specific use; it was never intended to replace a Weber. Frankly, it wouldn’t be very good cooking for a graduation party in the backyard. Instead, stick it under the seat of the truck and grill some hotdogs after a hike. Or put it in the bow of the boat with a ziplock of easy light charcoal and pull up to a sandbar to grill when you catch your own lunch. That’s what it’s great at.
About Addictive Adventure
With decades of experience designing world-class gear and equipment, our team knows how to find and solve problems. Since we are all users of the products we create, we always are looking for a simple, elegant, and effective solution to every gear-related problem.
We believe in making things locally whenever possible. Since we own our own factory, we know every single product will perform as intended. We also control our delivery performance by building just what our customers want when they want it.
Take a look at the products we have available for you and make your adventure more epic!
Experience Our Great Gear
When heading to your race, you want to make sure your bike makes it in one piece and without damage. You will need to use a quality bike rack. Keep in mind that the one you choose can be the difference between smooth transportation and a moving experience that leaves you overall disappointed. Our rack spaces the bikes farther apart so the bikes don’t scratch each other.
At Addictive Adventure, we believe in making things locally whenever possible. Since we own our own factory right here in the great Pacific Northwest of the USA, we know every single product will perform as intended.
We have been building stainless steel industrial equipment for over 20 years. We apply high-quality industrial manufacturing practices to everything we do. Our Bike Rack is built for durability. 100% stainless steel and aluminum construction, so it’s light where you want it and strong where you need it.