I would use a propane fire pit only if you need a permit for wood and cannot get it or if there’s a fire ban. Otherwise, no. I don’t see a point to bring a pit when most sites already have one or I build a fire directly on sand while at the beach Edited comment to be more clear* More on reddit.com

I use an Outland propane portable pit and it is AWESOME. We love it for a few reasons: It is legal to use during level 1 fire bans in most CO counties, when burning wood be prohibited. Zero smoke, zero sparks. Wildfire danger is extreme in our area, and this is a much safer alternative. It is really easy to start and stop - no bucket brigades to make sure it is fully extinguished It is convenient when some added warmth would be welcome, but a real wood burning fire would be a hassle. We start it up while making breakfast before going hiking/climbing for the day. Debatably more spatially efficient than packing in your own wood, especially if you're already taking propane for other grills/stoves. More on reddit.com

fireside outdoor makes a nice pop-up fire pit. It collapses down to about the size of a collapsing camp chair. You can get it with a heat shield to protect the ground under it also. It not cheap, but definitely cheaper than the solo stove fire pits. As for starting a fire, just buy some firestarters at the store and watch a YouTube video. If you have a constant flame source like a firestarter, it will be fairly easy to get the fire going. More on reddit.com

I have been enjoying my Snow Peak Taikibi fire pit and grill. I've taken it camping and use it at home. It's heavy, but folds down into a canvas bag for packing in the car or carrying up to the deck. At home I protect my deck with some slate patio tiles (it's a plastic sort of decking), but the baseplate the grill comes with works just fine camping. I've grilled a few things on it and cooked in the coals. More on reddit.com