The New Firepit Essentials

Firepit

Georgia’s Sea Island Forge fire kettle checks every box for a Southerner. Inspired by kettles used to make cane syrup in the eighteenth- and nineteenth-century South, the deep, wide ductile-cast-iron construction allows a fire to breathe, and the clever stand includes a hand-twisted boot rail on which to prop your feet. A handy spark screen keeps the blaze in check. Consider this your new family heirloom ($2,610; ggfieldshop.com).

Chairs

Relaxing by a fire when the weather finally breaks is one of the great pleasures of the season. Do so in comfort in these camp-inspired chairs by Hay. Powder-coated steel protects the frames from the elements, and cushions crafted from quilted Teflon-coated fabric are equal parts strong and soft ($75 each; us.hay.com).

Kindling

Here’s a natural way to get your fire started: fatwood kindling bundles from Orvis made from resin-soaked wood inside the harvested stumps of longleaf pines ($15 each; orvis.com).

Table and Lanterns

Aluminum and teak come together beautifully to form this practical perch by Lane Venture ($930; laneventure.com). The handsome portable, dimmable, and rechargeable lanterns by Menu bring a warm glow to get-togethers ($160–$225; food52.com).

Cooler

A hat tip to Igloo for dreaming up a reusable paper cooler just as hardworking as models in polystyrene foam—including the four cup holders on the lid—but easier on the environment. An ingenious wax coating creates a waterproof barrier that still breaks down readily when discarded ($10; rei.com).

Lighter

The Looftlighter by Looft may look like an oversize curling iron, but you’ll want to keep it away from your tresses—the surprisingly effective tool uses superheated air, not lighter fluid, to kick up the flames in a charcoal grill or a firepit in sixty seconds or less ($80; williams-sonoma.com).