Gear Knowledge

When spending one night (or many) in the backcountry, a warm dinner at night and hot beverage in the morning can make the difference. That invariably involves using a stove of some sort–but which one?

Stove technology has been around for decades, but new tech is making them lighter, more efficient, and more dependable than ever before. Here’s a rundown of the different kinds of backpacking stoves:

If you are camping in bear country, or in any place where food storage is a concern, you should strongly consider using a bear canister–a storage system that is built to keep bears out of your food. And in some places, particularly parks in California, Montana, Colorado, and Washington,backcountry campers are required to have and use bear canisters.

While you may get lucky by hanging your food in a sack from a tree, this is not permitted in many areas and virtually impractical in many alpine anddesert backpacking zones. Bear canisters are the preferred method for storing food and other smelly items, but there are many kinds to be aware of. Let’s look at them in more detail.

If you do anyovernight backpacking, or even long distance hiking, there’s a good chance that at some point you may need to go Number Two.

Because of heavy land use and impacts to natural resources (not to mention water sources), this is not always as simple as doing your business and covering it with a rock or a handful of pine needles.

In fact, depending on where you go, you may be required to carry an approved pooping system even if you swear on your loaded lower intestine that you will hold it in no matter what.

Here’s a quick run down on backcountry toilet systems.

The time’s come. You’ve got your lightweight backpack, a comfy sleeping bag (of quilt), a sleeping pad that doesn’t (yet) leak air, a cool tent, a nifty little stove, and a hankering to get out and use it all. Let’s go!

Look–we can’t deny that huge ski areas are popular for a reason. Mega ski resorts often have the most terrain, the newest lifts, the snazziest shuttles, the most interesting base villages, and the best dining and aprés options. They can also (sometimes) have the best snow.

But big ski areas can also be a big pain in the rear. Crowds, traffic, lift lines, parking hassles, wild hotel and meal prices, and jaw-dropping lift ticket rack rates can all conspire to make skiing seem a LOT less fun than it should be.

Winter snow may still cover the high country for another six months or more, but it’s never too early to learn about what’s new in mountain bike tech for 2025. Spring Break is right around the corner and whether it’s a trip to the desert you have planned, or you are dreaming about your perfect ride for this summer, now is the time to learn about what’s new for this year.

Not up for a new bike? Come spring,Durango Outdoor Exchange will have plenty ofused bikes to choose from–we just may have the perfect project bike for some of the tech you see listed below.