There's no reason to sleep on the ground and deal with bugs simply because you want to enjoy an evening around the fire. Installing a fire pit in your backyard can bring the most enjoyable part of camping to the comfort of your own home.
Materials
Fire pits come in a variety of materials. Brick or stone fire pits are typically built on site, to your specifications. They can be large or small. You can even have matching brick benches and a table top integrated into the design to create an entertaining center around the pit. Metal fire pits can be either fixed or portable. Some are simple bowls or rings, while other are ornate shows of iron work that are attractive even when there is no flame inside. Glass pits are another option. These use a combination of metal or stone and glass pebbles. Glass fire pits are typically for use as tabletop models with gas as the fuel.
Style
There are three main styles of fire pit -- fixed, portable, or table top. A fixed fire pit is installed permanently. It may set on top of the ground, or it may be in the ground so that the edge of the pit is more or less level with the surface. Portable pits are most often made of metal. You can move them to different locations in your yard or even take them with you elsewhere if you plan to entertain. Tabletop pits can be fixed, which means they are built into the table, or they may be portable so you can move them to different surfaces depending on your need.
Fuel Source
Fuel options include gas, wood, or gel. Gas is suitable for metal, brick, and glass fire pits. Gas can be piped in and permanently hooked up if you have a fixed ground or tabletop pit. For portable pits, tanks are preferred if you go with a gas model. Natural gas or propane is used for permanent hook ups, and propane is the fuel of choice for tanks. The benefit of gas is you can simply shut off the fuel when you are done with the pit, and there will be no ash to clean up afterward. Wood pits are usually only found in fixed or portable ground based pits that are made of brick or metal, although there are coffee table style pits available that use wood. Gel is usually reserved for use in glass pits.
Contact an outdoor fire pit installation contractor for more help.