I had never been in a tent till Summer ’22. The most outdoorsy I had been, if I remember, was a random day hike in the Wicklow Mountains in Ireland when I was a teenager.
It all changed last year, when I spent 9 days out and it was life-changing! My first night in a tent, and I want to be wild camping whenever I can.
Backstory
A little about me… I am a 32 (almost 33) year-old rocking oot and aboot in Stockholm, Sweden. I moved here almost 3 years ago, and work at a desk job. Before that, I had travelled a lot and changed careers when I finally decided to settle in one place and moved here. But, all the excitement from the last few years finally caught up when I finally stopped, I guess – I just wan’t feeling great and could barely recognise myseld. After visiting doctors & psychologists, I was finally diagnosed with PTSD/Anxiety disorder this year.
I digress...
Last summer, we decided to head up North and try out camping for 2 weeks. And for the first time in years, I felt present! I was myself again, with no worries except for what are we going to eat, where are we going to sleep? As a recovering control-freak, this should have ‘freaked’ me out a lot, but it didn’t. I was wayyyyy out of my depth, but I was free, fishing, setting up camp and breaking it up, taking the day as it comes.
We packed up for the summer, and drove North. I had heard so much about the north of Sweden, untouched, less populated and views and I wasn’t disappointed. Ran into reindeers, bear cubs on the road and so many views.
Allemansrätten was actually useful here, with less people, there was always somewhere to camp and fish all the time we were out. We slept out 9 days out of the 14 we had, and I have never looked back.
Today
When we got back home I didn’t want to stop, couldn’t stop. I have found a free way to be fit, fix my mental health and have fun!
And, and, have fun in winter as well. Last winter was so much more bearable with being out, lasted all winter without having to go to the sun (never again 😅), but it was doable, managed to last till around March and by then the light was back. So I have built up the gear inventory, constantly learning and this is what I’m hoping to share here.
So I hope you follow along, share your tips (gear/places to go) and whatever is on your mind.
