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  1. #1
    Senior Member K0m4's Avatar
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    Planning the trip of dreams - six nights north of the Arctic Circle in Sweden

    Ok, so I've decided to do the trip of dreams. On 9 July, I will travel to the very north of Sweden to Kiruna - by far the northernmost I've ever been - to be airlifted by helicopter out to an area of lakes and streams to fish for brook and char trout. The area has no mobile coverage, I will be going alone, and there are bears there... And while I do believe I have everything more or less dialled in, I will be spending six nights in total wilderness, so my lack of humility notwithstanding, I thought I should see if there's any advice to be offered by this immensely knowledgeable community in order to avoid the trip of dreams turning into a nightmare... So, in my preparations, I have decided to do the following:

    - I have ordered a Spot. Hopefully it will make it on time, otherwise the company with the helicopter offers to rent a sat phone;
    - I will bring freeze-dried food for all days - I do not value my fishing skills that high, especially in totally new-to-me waters with wild fish that on a good day can be difficult to come to terms with;
    - I will bring clothes for just about any weather. It is July, but it is north of the Arctic Circle, and weather can be (and is) highly unpredictable - I have to expect anything between -5 to +25, rain, wind, snow and sunshine... quite possibly all at once...
    - In that spirit, I will bring an extra tarp. I will not venture above the tree line (which is the common thing to do when fishing up there), for clear reasons - no trees! - but nonetheless I would not want high winds to rip my one and only tarp on the second night;

    The rest of my gear will be the normal stuff:
    - knife and saw;
    - rain jacket and pants;
    - two sets of middle layers (I think I can get away with one base layer, but it's good to be able to bundle up with middle layers);
    - several ways to make fire, including cotton balls soaked with vaseline;
    - a little emergency kit (small lighter, fire steel, emergency blanket, mini maglite, small knife - victorinox multi tool, button compass) which will never leave my person;
    - a medikit, and a separate trauma bandage which also will always be on my person (I'm big on redundancies since I'm going by myself);
    - a mosquito net for my head - no chemicals is ever going to fend off the mosquitos up there as I understand it, they are simply too many and too agressive so keeping them off me physically is the only way to go;
    - a 1:50k map of the area in addition to the map issued by the company of the fishing area, and a compass - possibly also a gps;
    - coffee, a coffee pot, some more coffee, and a way to make coffee...

    And on top of it of course my fishing gear... Yeah, I know, but this is no hiking trip - I'll be airlifted and left for dead by helicopter in an area where I'll set up a base camp, so weight and bulk is much less of an issue.

    What kind of advice does the community have to offer?

  2. #2
    Senior Member oldpappy's Avatar
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    Wow - enjoy this once in a life experience. Take pictures and post a trip report.
    Seems a good plan (I wish I could go) - my only advice: I don't know what predators reside where you are going - just offered as a something to think about. I guess you don't have a dog to bring along for predator guard duty? If not maybe bring a small portable motion detector to allow you to sleep in peace? My only far north experience was on the ice pack and polar bears were fearless.
    It seems to me that the farther north you go the more serious the competition for life is, thus the more alert you must be.
    Last edited by oldpappy; 06-15-2014 at 09:32.
    Enjoying the simple things in life -
    Own less, live more.

  3. #3
    Senior Member K0m4's Avatar
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    Oh, you can be sure there will be a trip report - I won't spare this forum from a trip like that!

    Thanks for that - I am considering a bear bag or something of the like. There won't be any polar bears there - I'd have to get up to Svalbard or somethig like that to see them - a bit of ocean separates us from them. Brown bears, and the odd wolf are the apex predators up there, as well as the odd lynx and wolverine (although I think all of them except the bear are so rare I doubt there will even be tracks of them). I would bring pepper spray, but that's illegal to carry in Sweden, so I'll just have to rely on my big, menacing viking looks! :rofl: Lots of people go up there to enjoy nature though, and there are never really any attacks reported, so I don't think I have to fear it.

    Keep 'em coming though, it's really helpful to hear people's thoughts ahead of a trip like this!

  4. #4
    Senior Member BillyBob58's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by K0m4 View Post
    ...... Brown bears, and the odd wolf are the apex predators up there, as well as the odd lynx and wolverine (although I think all of them except the bear are so rare I doubt there will even be tracks of them). I would bring pepper spray, but that's illegal to carry in Sweden, so I'll just have to rely on my big, menacing viking looks! :rofl: Lots of people go up there to enjoy nature though, and there are never really any attacks reported, so I don't think I have to fear it.

    Keep 'em coming though, it's really helpful to hear people's thoughts ahead of a trip like this!
    I sure would want that bear spray, wonder why it is illegal for hikers in bear country? Good grief! Will they, as an alternative, allow a 12 gauge pump shotgun with slugs?

  5. #5
    Member Swede2378's Avatar
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    What are you using for sleeping? Trees are hard to come by up there! Let me know if you plan on making it to Stockholm afterwards and want to find a nice warm forest full of trees to hang in afterwards!
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  6. #6
    Senior Member K0m4's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by BillyBob58 View Post
    I sure would want that bear spray, wonder why it is illegal for hikers in bear country? Good grief! Will they, as an alternative, allow a 12 gauge pump shotgun with slugs?
    The bears there aren't nasty grizzlies, they're cuddly brown bears :-) No, there are way too few to make a big deal out of, so I'm not too concerned with it. But a 12-gague would be fun to bring nonetheless! I'm afraid the law would have a few things to say about that though!

    Quote Originally Posted by Swede2378 View Post
    What are you using for sleeping? Trees are hard to come by up there! Let me know if you plan on making it to Stockholm afterwards and want to find a nice warm forest full of trees to hang in afterwards!
    I've specifically asked them to drop me in a forest location, not up above the tree line (like the usual fisihing trips up there), so I'll be hammocking. Don't have anything else! I will be passing through Sthlm on the way back, but I have a few things to take care of so I'm not sure I'll have time for another night out, though it would be nice. I'll keep it in mind!

  7. #7
    Member Swede2378's Avatar
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    Do you live in Sweden or the US? Saw in another thread you are a native, wondering how long you would be here.
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  8. #8
    Member NordicNorm's Avatar
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    Before bear spray road flares were a commonly used deterrent.
    Latest inspiration: In the dirt. Ep3
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  9. #9
    Senior Member K0m4's Avatar
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    Quote Originally Posted by Swede2378 View Post
    Do you live in Sweden or the US? Saw in another thread you are a native, wondering how long you would be here.
    Neither - I live in Georgia, the country in the Caucasus (not the US state). I have a day or so in Stockholm after the trip, before I have to get back.

  10. #10
    Senior Member MAD777's Avatar
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    That's a fantastic trip! It sounds like you have thought things through. Take a variety of medicines since you can't hike out, especially diarrhea pills. Looking forward to your trip report; I have enjoyed your past trip reports from Georgia.
    Mike
    "Life is a Project!"

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