Last updated at 26.05.2013
Foreword
This is a guide compiled by me about Estonia, my home country, from a bushcrafting and camping perspective. I believe it is a perfect place for a bushcraft camping trip because of the wilderness, accessibility and prices.
This guide will expand by editing, so please apologize if the content at first seems thin. I will not be able to fit everything here in one session, so I will take the next couple of weeks to expand this with good content.
Please let me know in the comments what you would like to see here and I will plan accordingly. I have currently set up an outline what this will contain so you'll get the general idea.
Contents:
1. Introduction
Typical pine forest in Estonia
2. Facts
Climate and Weather
Quote from Wikipedia:
Estonia lies in the northern part of the temperate climate zone. Because Estonia (and all of Northern Europe) is continuously warmed by maritime air influenced by the heat content of the northern Atlantic Ocean, it has a milder climate despite its northern latitude. The Baltic Sea causes differences between the climate of coastal and inland areas. Average temperatures range from 16.3 °C (61.3 °F) on the Baltic islands to 18.1 °C (64.6 °F) inland in July, the warmest month, and from −3.5 °C (25.7 °F) on the Baltic islands to −7.6 °C (18.3 °F) inland in February, the coldest month.
More info about the weather (with all sorts of useful graphs and averages) can be found on the homepage of Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute.
Generally speaking we have 4 distinct seasons which are similar in length. In the summer the weather can be warm and sunny for weeks, but in the winter you can have nighttime temperatures of -30 C. This poses a problem for people living here. If you want to go outside you have to have three separate sets of clothing. One for summer, one for winter and one for the wet and windy bits inbetween. With that being said usually we don't get a lot of rainy days here.
In the summer the forests are very thick and filled with mosquitoes, blackflies, deerflies and ticks so the best time to visit would be anywhere between August and May (both months included). In the autumn you can enjoy beautiful colors, in the winter you can experience almost proper subarctic conditions and and in the spring you can visit a forest filled with active birds and animals.
Estonian bog in the winter
Seasons
There are 4 seasons in Estonia. Official dates aside and focusing on the weather it usually goes like this:
However, in one of our national parks Soomaa, the locals call the spring flood "the fifth season". This can raise the water levels by as much as 5 meters as a result of the flat relief, small height differences and many rivers and small streams. It usually floods everything - fields, forests, meadows, roads and homes. This is not a yearly disaster, but a fact of nature that people have gotten used to. Usually it happens at the end of March or beginning of April.
This is an excellent opportunity for the avid paddler. I went canoeing in Soomaa this year and it was absolutely fabulous. To paddle a canoe 300-400 meters into the woods and over crop fields is a unique experience.
For more information visit the unofficial website of Soomaa national park.
Soomaa during the "fifth season"
Landscapes and Habitats
A short list of the different landscapes and habitats that are most common in Estonia:
Estonia is mostly flat with a lot of woodland and bogs. People go camping in the woods during autumn, winter and spring. They usually go to the coast and islands in the summer (less mosquitoes and beautiful sunsets).
Typical west coast scenery
Wildlife
Wildlife is plentiful in Estonia and you will see signs almost everywhere you go. I used to live 30 minutes from the capital and saw moose, deer, fox and hare tracks daily. Estonia is also a place for migrating birds and we have a national park specifically set up to protect one of the bays where a lot of the birds nest.
From the 2012 wildlife report I was able to pull the following numbers of animals shot within a year and the estimate total population in brackets, if present. This also doubles as a list of the most common wild mammals in Estonia.
Total number of different geese shot is 3716 and different ducks 11905.
As you can see from the numbers, there is a lot of wildlife. If you are quiet and camouflaged then there's a real chance of seeing something magnificent. It is not uncommon to see a roe deer or a boar family during evening walks. There should even be a small wolverine population in Estonia.
A winner of the annual photo competition "Bloodless Hunt" which depicts a lynx with a fresh kill and a moose witnessing it
Fishing
Fishing is a hobby enjoyed by many due to the high number of rivers and lakes. Casual fishing is everyone's lifelong right in Estonia, but there are restrictions. You can only use a simple fishing rod, the line can't be longer than 1.5 times the fishing rod and you can only use a single hook. That means no reels, double or triple hooks. Fly fishing is not casual fishing.
If you want to use any other form of fishing (including fly fishing) you need a permit. Luckily they can be bought with a phone, so make sure to pick up at least one disposable SIM card at the supermarket.
1 day is 1 euro with the code 400, a week is 3 euros with the code 401.
You just call to this number: 1322*permitcode*IDcode
Foreigners can insert their ID code using 0YYMMDD0000. So if you were born on the 20th of March in 1970, and want to fish for a week you just call: 1322*401*07003200000
To prove you've bought it you just need to have some ID on you.
Or if you have a credit card just call 11800. There's additional calling fees though.
More info about other fishing licenses can be found here: https://www.pilet.ee/cgi-bin/splususer/splususer.cgi?op=list_varia&piirkond_id=51&year=2013
The river Piusa in southern Estonia with sandstone cliffs and caves
National Parks
Fire
Sharps
Safety
Getting around
3. Resources
4. Gallery
5. Trips
6. FAQ
Foreword
This is a guide compiled by me about Estonia, my home country, from a bushcrafting and camping perspective. I believe it is a perfect place for a bushcraft camping trip because of the wilderness, accessibility and prices.
This guide will expand by editing, so please apologize if the content at first seems thin. I will not be able to fit everything here in one session, so I will take the next couple of weeks to expand this with good content.
Please let me know in the comments what you would like to see here and I will plan accordingly. I have currently set up an outline what this will contain so you'll get the general idea.
Contents:
- Introduction
- Facts
- Resources
- Gallery
- Trip reports
- FAQ
1. Introduction
- Estonia is a small country in the north-east of Europe. It is about the size of The Netherlands, but has a population of 1.3 million people. The metropolitan area of Tallinn, our capital, has a population of about 550 000 people. This means a majority of the population is centered in one place.
- About 50% of the country is covered by forests and bogs. Pine, Spruce and Birch are common. We have over 1500 lakes and over 1500 islands. There is around 2500 miles of coastline.
- There are 5 big national parks: Lahemaa, Matsalu, Soomaa, Vilsandi and Karula. More about these later.
- 40% of the woodland is owned by the government and The State Forest Management Center has set up numerous campsites, forest huts and hiking trails in the 5 national parks, 13 outdoor recreational areas and over 40 other protected areas. Also more about these later.
Typical pine forest in Estonia
2. Facts
Climate and Weather
Quote from Wikipedia:
Estonia lies in the northern part of the temperate climate zone. Because Estonia (and all of Northern Europe) is continuously warmed by maritime air influenced by the heat content of the northern Atlantic Ocean, it has a milder climate despite its northern latitude. The Baltic Sea causes differences between the climate of coastal and inland areas. Average temperatures range from 16.3 °C (61.3 °F) on the Baltic islands to 18.1 °C (64.6 °F) inland in July, the warmest month, and from −3.5 °C (25.7 °F) on the Baltic islands to −7.6 °C (18.3 °F) inland in February, the coldest month.
More info about the weather (with all sorts of useful graphs and averages) can be found on the homepage of Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute.
Generally speaking we have 4 distinct seasons which are similar in length. In the summer the weather can be warm and sunny for weeks, but in the winter you can have nighttime temperatures of -30 C. This poses a problem for people living here. If you want to go outside you have to have three separate sets of clothing. One for summer, one for winter and one for the wet and windy bits inbetween. With that being said usually we don't get a lot of rainy days here.
In the summer the forests are very thick and filled with mosquitoes, blackflies, deerflies and ticks so the best time to visit would be anywhere between August and May (both months included). In the autumn you can enjoy beautiful colors, in the winter you can experience almost proper subarctic conditions and and in the spring you can visit a forest filled with active birds and animals.
Estonian bog in the winter
Seasons
There are 4 seasons in Estonia. Official dates aside and focusing on the weather it usually goes like this:
- Winter conditions (snow and ice) from late November to the beginning of March
- Spring weather from the middle of March to the end of May
- Summer heat from the beginning of June to the end of August
- Autumn from September to November
However, in one of our national parks Soomaa, the locals call the spring flood "the fifth season". This can raise the water levels by as much as 5 meters as a result of the flat relief, small height differences and many rivers and small streams. It usually floods everything - fields, forests, meadows, roads and homes. This is not a yearly disaster, but a fact of nature that people have gotten used to. Usually it happens at the end of March or beginning of April.
This is an excellent opportunity for the avid paddler. I went canoeing in Soomaa this year and it was absolutely fabulous. To paddle a canoe 300-400 meters into the woods and over crop fields is a unique experience.
For more information visit the unofficial website of Soomaa national park.
Soomaa during the "fifth season"
Landscapes and Habitats
A short list of the different landscapes and habitats that are most common in Estonia:
- Coastal meadows with junipers on the islands and the western part of Estonia
- Pine forests with mushrooms, blueberries and lingonberries
- Primal, deep and dark spruce forests
- Smaller and larger bogs with multiple lakes
- Limestone cliffs and rocky beaches on the north coast
- Rolling hills in the south (our highest point is only around 300m above sea level)
- Classic broad-leafed woodland with very thick undergrowth
Estonia is mostly flat with a lot of woodland and bogs. People go camping in the woods during autumn, winter and spring. They usually go to the coast and islands in the summer (less mosquitoes and beautiful sunsets).
Typical west coast scenery
Wildlife
Wildlife is plentiful in Estonia and you will see signs almost everywhere you go. I used to live 30 minutes from the capital and saw moose, deer, fox and hare tracks daily. Estonia is also a place for migrating birds and we have a national park specifically set up to protect one of the bays where a lot of the birds nest.
From the 2012 wildlife report I was able to pull the following numbers of animals shot within a year and the estimate total population in brackets, if present. This also doubles as a list of the most common wild mammals in Estonia.
- Moose - 4730 (12470)
- Wild Boar - 18159 (22320)
- Red Deer - 693 (3100)
- Roe Deer - 1211 (no estimate, although most numerous in our woods and they are letting the population recover at the moment)
- Bear - 53 (700)
- Wolf - 151 (31 reproductive packs)
- Lynx - 100 (103 reproductive females)
- Fox - 7144
- Racoon Dog - 12577
- Beaver - 6240 (16480)
- Brown Hare - 419
- Mountain Hare - 101
- Pine Marten - 2023
- American Mink - 190
- European Polecat - 198
- Badger - 166
Total number of different geese shot is 3716 and different ducks 11905.
As you can see from the numbers, there is a lot of wildlife. If you are quiet and camouflaged then there's a real chance of seeing something magnificent. It is not uncommon to see a roe deer or a boar family during evening walks. There should even be a small wolverine population in Estonia.
A winner of the annual photo competition "Bloodless Hunt" which depicts a lynx with a fresh kill and a moose witnessing it
Fishing
Fishing is a hobby enjoyed by many due to the high number of rivers and lakes. Casual fishing is everyone's lifelong right in Estonia, but there are restrictions. You can only use a simple fishing rod, the line can't be longer than 1.5 times the fishing rod and you can only use a single hook. That means no reels, double or triple hooks. Fly fishing is not casual fishing.
If you want to use any other form of fishing (including fly fishing) you need a permit. Luckily they can be bought with a phone, so make sure to pick up at least one disposable SIM card at the supermarket.
1 day is 1 euro with the code 400, a week is 3 euros with the code 401.
You just call to this number: 1322*permitcode*IDcode
Foreigners can insert their ID code using 0YYMMDD0000. So if you were born on the 20th of March in 1970, and want to fish for a week you just call: 1322*401*07003200000
To prove you've bought it you just need to have some ID on you.
Or if you have a credit card just call 11800. There's additional calling fees though.
More info about other fishing licenses can be found here: https://www.pilet.ee/cgi-bin/splususer/splususer.cgi?op=list_varia&piirkond_id=51&year=2013
The river Piusa in southern Estonia with sandstone cliffs and caves
National Parks
Fire
Sharps
Safety
Getting around
3. Resources
- Official State Forest Management Center site
- Official State Forest Management Center resource for finding a place to camp and hike (Unfortunately in Estonian and Russian only! Use Google Translate.)
- Rural Tourism (For guided trips and more civilized places to stay.)
- Supermarket 300m North of the airport
- Outdoor shop in the abovementioned supermarket (For fuel and other possible items needed. In Estonian only.)
- Estonian Meteorological and Hydrological Institute (For historical weather data and current predictions.)
- State Forest Management iPhone App (Only in Estonian, but has all the trails and campsites on a map.)
- State Forest Management Android App (Only in Estonian, but has all the trails and campsites on a map.)
- State Forest Management Windows Phone App (Only in Estonian, but has all the trails and campsites on a map.)
4. Gallery
5. Trips
- BareThrills trip report Easter 2013
- jacko1066 trip report Easter 2013
- Teepee trip report Easter 2013
6. FAQ
- Is wild camping allowed?
Yes! You have to ask permission on private land, but on the state's land it is okay as long as you find a suitable place for yourself.
- How big is the bear/wolf threat when out and about?
There is hardly any threat at all. Bring bear spray if it makes you feel safe, but there hasn't been a story about animal attacks in the news for a long-long time.
- Can I make a fire?
​Fire is allowed where appropriate. On private land you have to seek permission. On state lands if you make a good site for your fire it is okay, except during the dry months when risk of fire is too big. Then you can only make them where the State Forest Management Center has built a place.
- What are the laws on knives?
​No laws you need to worry about. Both big and small knives are allowed, swords, machetes and axes are allowed. Bring what you need to have a fulfilling time outdoors, but don't go overboard.
- Do people speak English?
​Yes! Most people younger than 40 speak English quite well.
- Any other dangers I should know about?
​Ticks. Tick-borne encephalitis is a problem, as is Lyme disease. Get vaccinated and wear long clothes. Ticks are active whenever the daily average temperature is above 0 C.
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