Let me set the scene for you.

It's early morning at the campsite. The leaves are still wet from the night before, the air smells like pine and campfire smoke, and your crew is starting to stir in their tents. You've got a full day ahead — hiking, fishing, doing absolutely nothing — and everyone is going to need a real breakfast before any of that happens.

You could crack open a box of granola bars. Or you could fire up the 28" Blackstone FlexFold and cook a breakfast spread that makes the whole campground jealous.

I chose the griddle. Every single time.

Why I Brought the FlexFold to the Woods

I'll be honest — when I first started camping with the Blackstone, people looked at me like I was crazy. You're hauling a griddle into the woods? Yeah. I am. And once they smelled the bacon hitting that flat top at 7 AM, nobody was laughing anymore.

The 28" FlexFold is built specifically for this. The legs fold flat, the whole unit breaks down compact enough to fit in the back of your SUV next to the cooler and the camp chairs, and it's ready to cook in under five minutes once you're set up. Two burners, 28 inches of flat top cooking surface, and the Adventure Ready branding isn't just for show — this thing is actually designed to travel.

I've taken it to state parks in New York and Pennsylvania, and it performs the same way every time. Consistent heat, easy ignition, and enough surface area to feed a crew without doing it in shifts.

Setting Up at Camp

Setup is genuinely simple. Unfold the legs, lock them in, connect your propane, and you're cooking. The FlexFold's folding leg design means no tools, no assembly headaches, and no fumbling around in the dark when you're trying to get breakfast going before the kids wake up.

One thing I always do at camp: bring a small folding table to set next to the griddle for your tools, oils, and ingredients. The side shelf on the FlexFold helps, but when you're cooking for a group, you want that extra workspace. Also — level ground matters more than you think. Find a flat spot before you set up, not after.

Propane management at camp is different than at home. You're not running a 20-pound tank — you're usually working with 1-pound green bottles. The FlexFold runs on those just fine. I typically bring four bottles for a weekend trip, which gives me plenty of runway for two days of cooking without rationing.

What I Cook at Camp

The beauty of the flat top at a campsite is that you can cook anything. But here's what I actually make when we're out there:

Morning: Smash burgers for breakfast — yes, breakfast smash burgers. Scrambled eggs, crispy hash browns, and thick-cut bacon all going at the same time on that 28-inch surface. Pancakes if the crew is feeling it. The flat top gives you even heat across the whole surface, so nothing burns on one side while the other side is still raw.

Lunch: Quesadillas are the move. Tortilla, cheese, leftover protein from breakfast, fold it, press it, done in four minutes. Feed six people in one round.

Dinner: Smash burgers. Always smash burgers. There's something about eating a smash burger in the woods that just hits different. The sear, the crispy edges, the melted cheese — it's the best campfire meal that doesn't involve an actual campfire.

Tips for Camping with Your Blackstone

Season before you go. Don't show up at the campsite with a griddle that hasn't been seasoned. Season it at home, wipe it down, and it'll be ready to cook the second you fire it up.

Bring a lid. The dome lid is worth its weight in gold at camp. It traps heat for melting cheese, steaming vegetables, and finishing thicker proteins. I never go without it.

Pack smart. Squeeze bottles of oil and butter, a metal spatula, a scraper, and paper towels are all you need. Keep it simple. You're camping, not running a restaurant.

Wind is your enemy. At camp, you don't have a fence or a wall blocking the breeze. If it's windy, position the griddle so the burners are sheltered from the wind direction. It makes a huge difference in how evenly the griddle heats.

Clean up matters. At camp, I scrape the griddle while it's still warm, wipe it down with a paper towel and a thin layer of oil, and cover it. Keeping the griddle clean at camp is easier than you think and it protects the seasoning for the next cook.

The Real Reason I Bring It

Here's the truth: camping food is usually an afterthought. Hot dogs on a stick, canned beans, granola bars. And there's nothing wrong with any of that. But when you roll up to the campsite with a Blackstone and start cooking real food — smash burgers, breakfast spreads, quesadillas — it changes the whole energy of the trip.

People gather around the griddle the same way they gather around a campfire. The cooking becomes part of the experience. The smell of bacon in the woods, the sound of the sear, the crew standing around with their coffee waiting for their plate — that's what camping is supposed to feel like.

The 28" FlexFold makes it possible to bring that backyard patio energy into the woods without compromising on cooking quality. It folds up, it travels, and it performs. That's all I need.

Final Thoughts

If you've been on the fence about taking your Blackstone camping, stop overthinking it. The FlexFold was built for exactly this. It's not a compromise — it's the right tool for the job.

Pack it up, find a good campsite, and cook something that makes your crew forget they're sleeping in a tent.

Fire it up. Even in the woods.

— Daddio