The nature around you and its inhabitants do not mind a lone backpacker, and hiking offers good opportunities to observe animals in the middle of their daily tasks and vegetation basking in the sun. The slowly changing scenery clears your mind and takes all your worries away.
Your mind is at ease when you go hiking.
Cheer up with a day trip
There are numerous marked paths, campfires sites and lean-tos all along the coast and on various islands, many of them suitable for a day trip. They often offer magnificent landscapes or culturally important sites, and some routes can also be traversed with strollers or a wheelchair.
All you need is a good pair of shoes, clothes to match the weather and some water. If you are planning a longer trip, you should also pack something to eat. For many, lunch around a campfire or a sandwich by the sea is the highlight of the whole journey.
The former Bodback fishing harbour at Kvarken, a world heritage site.
Proper equipment is a must
If you are planning to stay overnight, the amount of equipment you need increases quickly, and instead of a light bag, you will need a sturdy backpack. You will be carrying everything on your back or, during winter, in a sled. The daily hiking distance will be shorter, which needs to be taken into account when planning your route.
Proper planning and equipment are important, and the current season and the changing weather need to be taken into account as well. An up-to-date map, a compass and map reading skills are another must, even following marked paths.
Experienced backpackers can find their own routes outside marked paths but in such cases it is necessary to know any restrictions and rules related to local protected areas.
Surviving in nature provides a sense of freedom
When you go hiking, you can put your limits to the test to learn more about yourself and nature. Surviving on your own, without the protection of the built environment and society, offers experiences of success and a sense of freedom.
When you have the proper equipment and possess the necessary skills, you are free to choose your own path.
I wonder who has walked on this beach?
Hiking skills can be learned on day trips or in your own yard
You can safely practise your hiking skills in a familiar environment and get gradually accustomed to your equipment and its limitations. If you have never been camping, it might be a good idea to set up a tent outside your own home or in another familiar and safe place.
Knowing how to start an open flame and map reading skills are important when hiking, and they should be practised under controlled conditions beforehand.
Backpackers on a nature trail in Valsörarna.