While campfire cooking is synonymous with pitching a tent and camping in the woods, sometimes you want a taste of the comforts of home—namely, some tasty smoked meat. A portable smoker is the perfect accessory for camping in an RV or living that van life. The Traeger Ranger in particular is perfectly portable, with all the features of its full-size smoker cousins.
This excellent camping-sized smoker from a highly respected grill company is often on sale—and we recommend giving it a try.
Traeger Ranger Wood Pellet Grill and Smoker
Megan Swinney for Wide Open Spaces
While my full-size Traeger took quite a bit of setup and a whole lot of patience (seasoning alone took about an hour), the Ranger comes out of the box with very little setup. It warmed up like a dream, and was ready to infuse my dinner with smokey flavor in less than 30 minutes. Much like the other Traeger models, it uses wood pellets, which come in various types such as Apple, Cherry, Mesquite, and Pecan, to name a few, each infusing your meal with their unique flavors.
The Ranger is compact and resembles a small metal suitcase with two latches on the front. When it's opened, you have the 8-pound hopper to the left and 176 square inches of grilling space on the right. That's enough space to grill up about four regular-sized hamburger patties or two good-sized chicken breasts—three if they are on the smaller side.
Traeger
If you are cooking for two to four people, it's just enough space; but if you need more food than that, it will take a while. The Ranger has a cast iron griddle, porcelain grill grate, grease drip tray, and a grease bucket. It also has an owner's manual that walks you through the short setup and prep steps (feet and handle must be attached, for instance).
Our first meal on the Ranger was hamburgers for six. We cooked eight patties in total in two separate batches, no problem. A roast or tenderloin will fit perfectly on the grill space, and you'd probably have room for a couple of potatoes, too.
The Ranger's digital temperature settings increase in five-degree increments, much like the larger versions of Traeger grills. One feature I'm absolutely in love with is the keep-warm setting. It keeps the grill temperature at a steady 165 degrees to keep your food hot and ready to serve without overcooking it. The included meat thermometer attaches to the node in the front, allowing you to keep track of your meal's temperature as it cooks, and you can set the probe alarm to alert you when your food is done. The LCD screen also has an indicator for a cooking timer. Unlike some of the smarter Traeger models, the Ranger doesn't have Wi-Fi or Bluetooth connectivity, which, honestly, isn't that big of a deal. Most of us don't venture into nature to be tied to our phones anyway—even for food.
Traeger
READ MORE: 19 Easy Camping Recipes for Delicious Dinners Outdoors
