Quick answer
Choose the Fireplace Base Plate S for the Pack & Carry S Fireplace and the Base Plate L for the Pack & Carry L Fireplace. Both are steel plates designed to reflect heat away from the ground and keep the fireplace legs stable, so pick by fireplace size first, then treat the plate as ground protection, not a license to burn on any surface.
Why the plate size must match the fireplace, not the campsite
The S and L plates differ in the fireplace they pair with, not in the job they do. The catalog pairs the Base Plate S with the Pack & Carry S Fireplace and the Base Plate L with the Pack & Carry L Fireplace, and each plate has four notches for the fireplace legs. A plate that does not match your fireplace will not seat the legs correctly, which defeats the stability benefit.
If you own both fireplaces, the honest answer is that one plate cannot serve both well. Buy the plate for the fireplace you use most, or accept that the second fireplace needs its own plate before you rely on it for ground protection.
What the base plate does and does not protect
The supplied product facts say the steel plate is intended to protect the ground from heat and reflects heat away from the ground, leaving no trace of a fire. That is a meaningful difference on grass, pine needles, or a wooden deck where you want to avoid a scorch mark.
The facts do not claim the plate makes any surface fire-safe, and they do not list a clearance distance, heat rating, or deck approval. Treat the plate as a barrier that reduces heat reaching the ground, not as a substitute for campsite rules, a fire pit, or a heat-resistant mat on sensitive surfaces. If a campground or deck owner prohibits open fires, the plate does not change that.
When the plate is the wrong fix
If your concern is embers escaping, ash scattering, or flames reaching a tarp or tent, a base plate under the fireplace will not solve it. Those are airflow and placement problems, and the right response is to move the fireplace away from flammable material and follow the site's fire rules.
If you are trying to protect a surface that is already heat-damaged or unknown, stop and choose another location. The plate is designed for ground protection under a compatible Pack & Carry Fireplace, not for rescuing a questionable surface.
Diagnose your ground-protection problem
- Symptom: scorched grass or a dark mark under the fireplace: Likely cause: heat reaching the ground directly. Corrective action: add the base plate that matches your fireplace, S with the Pack & Carry S and L with the Pack & Carry L, and confirm the four leg notches are seated. Stop here if the mark is only surface discoloration and the site allows fires. A size-matched plate is the first fix, not a universal heat shield.
- Symptom: the fireplace rocks or the legs sink: Likely cause: the plate does not match the fireplace footprint or the ground is soft. Corrective action: switch to the correctly sized plate and move to firmer, level ground. If the ground is unstable or the site forbids fires, choose another option rather than forcing the setup. Stability comes from the right plate on suitable ground.
- Symptom: you want to protect a wooden deck: Likely cause: concern about heat transfer to a combustible surface. Corrective action: use the size-matched plate only where the deck owner or campground permits an open fire, and keep the fireplace within the site's rules. Stop and choose another location if the surface is heat-sensitive, already damaged, or the rules are unclear. The plate reduces heat to the ground; it does not override fire rules.
Product facts
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Fireplace Base Plate S: The steel Fireplace Base Plate S is designed in Japan to protect the ground from heat and has four notches for the Pack & Carry Fireplace legs. It is the correct pairing for the Pack & Carry S Fireplace, so the legs seat properly and the plate sits where it can reflect heat away from the ground.
Fireplace Base Plate S
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Fireplace Base Plate L: The steel Fireplace Base Plate L is intended to protect the ground from heat and is paired with the Pack & Carry L Fireplace. If you run the larger fireplace, the L plate is the size-matched option rather than a stretched fit for the smaller model.
Fireplace Base Plate L