Additionally, meat doesn't absorb much additional smoke flavor after a few (most say 3) hours in a smoker, so the advantage to keeping them outside --- apart from simplicity, I guess --- is minimal.
It's not hours. It's temperature. After meat reaches, if I recall, 145 degrees, it won't absorb any more smoke flavor. Also the smoke flavor will become more intense the longer you wait to eat it. So if you smoke something and then let it sit overnight it will become more intense the next day.
