In case you’ve missed the hoopla, it's Valentine’s Day, and for many that means chocolate. Of course to some of us every day can mean chocolate, and we’d never consider heading out on a hike, ski, or climb without some of the dark stuff along for its “energy” and “health benefits.”

If you want to avoid melted chocolate in summer or less-than-decadent energy bars anytime, try Backpackers Gourmet Chocolate Bars by Hammond’s Candies. Each 4-ounce “weatherproof” bar comes encased in hand-dipped colored wax, which makes it waterproof, heat-tolerant, and rather pretty.

In the selfless interest of our Trailspace readers, I've sampled four of Backpackers Chocolate’s five flavors, all made with dark chocolate from organic butter and half and half:

• Dark Chocolate—unfortunately, the straight dark chocolate was sold out on me, but as the basis for the other bars, it has a very rich, dark, creamy flavor.
• Dark Chocolate Nuts & Berries—bits of cherries, cranberries, pineapple, figs, pomegranate juice, walnuts, pumpkin seeds, and ginger are mixed into the dark chocolate, very flavorful.
• Dark Chocolate Raspberry—a strong, classic pairing of raspberry coulis and dark chocolate, you really can’t go wrong with this one. It’s my favorite of the bunch, followed by nuts & berries.
• Dark Chocolate Peanut Butter—another classic pairing, it includes bits of organic peanuts, but don't expect a typical creamy peanut butter-chocolate candy consistency. This is more robust.
• Dark Chocolate Orange Chili—for the more adventurous palette, those who like some zing in their food will love the orange-chipotle chili flavor combination.

MSRP: $9.95 per 4-oz bar
For more info: www.hammondscandies.com