One of the many reasons that the Nordic countries are ideal for an outdoor holiday is the freedom to wild camp! Everyman’s Right is a very important part of culture in Sweden, Finland and Norway. This Right to Roam means that individuals are able to walk, paddle, swim and ski in nature and are also able to set up camp temporarily to overnight, provided you respect nature and follow the guidelines of “Do Not Disturb, Do Not Destroy”.
Wild camping features on the majority of our summer adventures including canoeing, kayaking, packrafting and timber rafting, but have you ever considered winter camping?
There is a wide range of ways you can camp in winter, from glamping in a cosy dome tent or tipi that is put up and heated before you arrive to challenging expeditions where you take everything with you on your back or in a pulk and set up camp after a day of backcountry skiing in the mountains!
So, whether you’re a family with children looking for a winter adventure or a seasoned outdoor explorer who’s up for a challenge, we have something for everyone. You may even catch a glimpse of the Northern Lights from the comfort of your tent.
Here are some of our current experiences featuring winter camping to inspire you!
Experience Dog Sledding and Winter Camping in Finnmark (Norway)
This tour uses heated “gamme” tents, which are cosy dome tents, with comfortable padded camp beds and heated with a stove for a snug night’s sleep. A snowmobile is on hand to support along the way and will travel ahead to set up your camp and get it all nice and cosy for when you arrive after a day’s sledding.
It is unusual to be able to offer a challenging expedition-type tour of this kind for family participants or this early in the winter season. However, the unique flexibility of this tour means that the trip can be a wonderful adventure for families with children as young as 8 years as well as for adults.
Ski and Wild Camp in South Lapland (Sweden)
This tour is perfect for those who like the idea of a ski expedition with winter camping but don’t have previous experience. If you are physically fit and have general outdoor experience of camping in the summer and multi-day hiking, then this tour is a great introduction to winter camping!
The tour takes place in the remote and beautiful Blaikfjället Nature Reserve in north-central Sweden and uses shorter, thicker backcountry skis ideal for trekking in mixed terrain. These skis are stable and the skiing itself is not technical, so it’s a great introduction to backcountry ski touring, with 4 days of skiing and manageable daily distances of 10-12km.
Northern Lights Husky Week (Sweden)
Maybe you would like to experience the winter adventure of a multi-day dogsled tour but just dip your toe into winter camping for the a night? The Northern Lights Husky Week combines different levels of comfort throughout the week, including four nights in a comfortable guesthouse with all the mod-cons, two nights in wilderness cabin with no electric or running water and then usually a night’s winter camping, either in large heated tipi earlier in the season or smaller 2-person expedition tents when temperatures are typically milder in the “spring winter”.
Then after driving your own husky team through Swedish Lapland, there’s the use of a hot tub and sauna included after the expedition when you return to the kennels. This is a very personal tour with max. group size just 3 or 4 persons, available on tour dates Friday-Friday on regular dates between January and April.
Backcountry Skiing and Northern Lights in Finnish Lapland
An already challenging wilderness expedition on the usual hut-to-hut ski tour itinerararies in Lemmenjoki and Halti, this tour also offers a Wild Camping version of Halti in the “spring winter” in April. The itinerary of the tours is similar to the normal Halti tours and explores the Käsivarsi Wilderness Area and takes you to the highest point in Finland.
However, even on the hut-to-hut tours you will be taking full camping equipment for safety, so if you would like to try out some wild winter campin during your tour, you are welcome to spend a night or more under canvas but still have the back up of returning to the cabin if you’re not a fan. Or you can spend the whole week in a tent if you’ve found winter camping under the Northern Lights is your new favourite thing!
Discover Dog Sledding in Jämtland (Sweden)
Jämtland is a little-visited area and this very personal dogsled tour is ideal for a wide range of adult participants. This husky adventure combines three nights in simple but comfortable accommodation at the kennels plus an adventurous overnight expedition staying in heated tipi, which is already set up ready for when you arrive.
You will also bring snowshoes and ice fishing equipment with you on the expedition, as you will usually be located close to a lake to try and find a good spot to catch some fish once you’ve finished sledding for the day (and taken care of the dogs first, of course!).
How about a challenging Husky Expedition with Winter Camping in the Mountains?
For those who want a challenge, we have a few dogsled tours in the mountains of northern Sweden that include nights in mountain cabins and also one or more nights’ winter camping along the way. In the mountains, you should expect the unexpected, so itineraries are flexible to adapt to the weather and trail conditions at the time.
Husky Expedition to the King’s Trail in Lapland (Sweden)
A dogsled adventure combining cabin accommodation and winter camping in kåtas” (Sámi-style tipi tents) at fixed locations in the remote fjälls and along Kungsleden in Swedish Lapland.
The head guide at the kennels has participated 7 times in the renowned Iditarod, a 1850km dogsled race from Anchorage to Nome in Alaska. He’s also a regular competitor in the Finnmarksløpet race in the far north of Norway, the longest dogsled race in Europe.
Mountain Dogsled Adventure in Lapland (Sweden)
This tour includes 5 days of dog sledding with your own team of huskies in a very small group. It also includes a contingency day, as the Swedish mountains can be unpredictable, and this challenging expedition requires previous experience of multi-day dog sledding.
The combination of wilderness cabins and winter camping will depend on the route taken and weather condition,s but a hot tub and sauna await you for you for one night at the kennels when you return!
Wilderness Dogsled Adventure in Vindelfjällen (Sweden)
These kennels are home to a two-time world champion for long-distance dogsled racing and multiple winner of Europe’s longest and most prestigious dogsled race, the 1200km Finnmarksløpet in Norway!
There are both 6- and 9-day tour options. The 6-day tour normally includes one night camping and for the 9-day tour, you will hopefully spend at least half the nights wild winter camping.
And finally!
Backcountry Skiing and Winter Camping in Abisko (Sweden)
Not for the faint hearted, this very challenging 6-day/5-night Arctic expedition features wild winter camping on all nights! This experience is suitable for those with a very high level of fitness, previous experience of cross country or downhill skiing and who are used to and enjoy the outdoor life in wintertime.
Whatever your experience, we have something involving winter camping that is suitable for everyone. As with all our tours, you should expect to get involved in duties around the camps, whether it’s setting up camp where necessary, feeding the dogs or preparing dinner. After a day being active in the snow, maybe the Aurora will have a little dance in the sky above that you can spot from the comfort of your sleeping bag.
But if sleeping under canvas in the winter is not quite your thing yet, we still really recommend you take a look at our experiences that include wild camping in the summertime!