SOMBA K’E/YELLOWKNIFE
With spring in the air it’s good time to think about dusting off your summer gear, or just gearing up for outdoor adventure.

Overlander Sports manager Gary Tait preps a touring bike for a customer test ride. Spring weather means people are thinking of pre-season bike tune-ups. There's already an almost three-week waiting list for service in their bike shop. - Walter Strong/NNSL photo

Yellowknife’s Overlander Sports is ready to stoke your summer mojo with some new and expanded additions to their showroom floor. Over then next few weeks, the crew at Overlander will be clearing out hockey equipment and skis to make way for more bikes, canoes, kayaks, and stand-up paddle boards.

One of the most interesting things you’ll find on their shelves this spring is the BioLite campstove. The small, self-contained unit lets you set off into the backcountry without any cooking fuel.

"The stove is new with us this year," said Jean-Daniel Boudreau. "You put twigs into the container body and ignite them. It has a built in fan that runs on an internal battery."

"There are always twigs around, even in the tundra. If you wanted to go camping without any fuel, all you would need to bring is this stove."

The stove’s fan battery produces the draw to keep the flame hot enough to cook with. Excess heat recharges the battery. It’s almost a perpetual energy machine.

"Almost. You still have to use your own energy to collect twigs," Boudreau added.

The stove has USB plug-in that will charge your cell phone while you’re burning twigs, a feature which has gained the unit coverage in major publications.

There are multiple sized versions of the stove available, and Overlander has several of the portable units on display in store now.

With spring comes biking. Inevitably many riders won’t remember that their bike needs a tune-up before it’s ready for summer riding. Overlander has a full-service bike shop, but even with two full-time technicians, their’s already a three-week waiting list for spring tune-ups.

"We’re looking to hire for the service shop," said store manager Gary Tait.

"We’re looking for someone with mechanical aptitude," he added. "We’ll train the right person."

Bike mechanics at Overlander can be selected for an expenses paid trip to the United Bike Institute in Ashland, Oregon for training.

Becoming a bike mechanic might not be a career that figures large on most people’s radar, but it can be a promising career.

"It’s absolutely a career," Tait said. "A good bike mechanic will be in demand. Think about a pro team mechanic in Europe. Everyone of them started out in a local bike shop somewhere."

Running shoes are always in demand at Overlander, and this season sees more shoes following the minimalist trend in running footwear. Although minimalist might not be the most apt description for the shoes, according to Overlander’s Ariel Law, the industry is showing a number of new designs this year and the store is stocking a mix of minimalist and traditional running shoes.

"They’re a very lightweight shoe," Law said, holding up a pair to compare with a traditional shoe. "They’re a very reactive shoe. "Think of a track star and they type of shoes they wear, with minimal drop from heel to toe."

The idea with the lightweight runners is that they allow the muscles of your feet and connective tendons to get stronger, hopefully improving your stride and running style.

Although there are many online, mail order options available, Boudreau said that most Yellowknife customers seem to appreciate and prefer the individualized attention they get when coming into Overlander.

"If someone is getting fitted for the right shoe, it can sometimes take up to an hour to find the right fit," Boudreau said.

Walking out of the store with a shoe that fits has advantages over mail order surprises.