Old Man Winter has returned for another season. He brings with him a blanket of white, colder temperatures, and shorter days. With these conditions comes exciting ways to explore the outdoors.

Cross Country Skiing

Cross country skiing can be enjoyed both on groomed trails and in the backcountry. Groomed trails are a great way to get comfortable on skis if you haven’t been on them or if you are just getting started. These trails also offer an option for great exercise outdoors during the winter. Look into your local parks and recreation departments to see if trails are groomed in your area. Some trails may even be lit at night giving you the ability to ski in the evenings.

If you’re looking to get into the backcountry during the winter, cross country skis help explore new places. They are also an excellent option to access the wilderness and enjoy winter camping. You can read more about winter camping here. Cross country skis allow you to glide across the snow, move more efficiently, and help you cover more ground faster than you would on snowshoes or on foot.

If you plan on camping while you’re exploring on your skis, make sure to bring your Littlbug stick stove. We encourage you to include the Fire Bowl to help create a base for your stove for the best experience. This prevents the snow from melting underneath the stove as quickly. If you don’t have the Fire Bowl, try to find a large rock to substitute as a base instead of directly in the snow.

Fat Biking

Enjoy mountain biking? Take on the trails in the winter with a fat bike. The fatter tires on a fat bike provide the perfect traction to travel across snow. You’ll want to keep your adventures to packed snow areas like gravel roads or frequently traveled trails.

Bike packing and winter camping can easily be combined with a fat bike. Save some weight and enjoy the best winter experience and use your Littlbug backpacking stove to melt snow into water. Don’t worry about carrying a lot of water or skimping on your coffee, tea, or hot chocolate to help warm you up. You’ll have endless amounts of water all around you. The Littlbug Junior stove weighs in at 5.1oz, making it an ultralight option, and occupies very little space in your pack.

Leave your fuel canisters at home and save space in your pack for an additional layer or an extra pair of dry socks. During the winter months, the perfect fuel for a wood burning stove - sticks, leaves, and other natural burning elements found in nature - tend to be dryer than the other three seasons, making it exceptionally easy to start your Littlbug stove. You can depend on natural fuel sources without the worry of dampness, and easily light your ultralight wood burning backpacking stove.

Snowshoeing

Snowshoeing delivers another alternative to explore the outdoors. If hiking is your thing, snowshoeing is right up your alley. Venture out on your favorite hiking trail and enjoy the scenery blanketed in fresh snow.

Downhill Skiing & Snowboarding

Downhill skiing, one of the more popular options for winter activities, can be enjoyed by everyone. Bring your family or invite some friends and enjoy a local ski resort. If you’re feeling adventurous, book a vacation at a popular ski destination. Ski resorts often have rentals available on site for those that don’t have their own equipment. They also typically provide lessons if you’re interested in trying something new. If you haven’t been downhill skiing or snowboarding before, Littlbug recommends taking lessons until you feel comfortable going down on your own or with friends.

Ice Skating

Outdoor skating rinks during the winter are always a fun experience for everyone and can easily be enjoyed by those who don’t have much experience on the ice. We recommend bringing someone with to go ice skating, and in this case, the more the merrier.

Invite friends and family and enjoy an afternoon gliding around the ice. If you’d like to make hot drinks to help you stay warm while you’re outside, bring along your wood burning stove, fire it up next to the rink with an alcohol burner, and boil water in a pot and enjoy the best winter experience.

Now, get outside and make this winter the best experience yet.