One month (or longer) Sweden trip

[Allie]

Hi everyone.
I'm taking a gap year at the end of this year (thank goodness!) and I'm thinking, since I'm going to have a free month or so around late August/September, I could go to Sweden, especially since I've now found a friend who might be interested in doing it with me
I'm thinking we could hire a canoe (I've been researching and that doesn't seem too hard, or very expensive at all) and just paddle around for a month, although I'm wondering if that might get a bit boring? Is there anything bushcrafty we could do to add to that?
I'm wondering about fishing - I've read you can just get a permit and then you can fish to your heart's content - is there a cheap and easy way to do this for a beginner, with no experience and non-expensive kit?
That would be a good time to try new things I think, maybe I'll bring some leather along with me and try some leather work or something
I'm also wondering about location and time. I've read Varmland's good - any recommendations? What will the climate be like in September? Is just using a tarp at that time a viable option?
Oh also - bears - anything to be aware of? Would we need to do that thing where we eat like half a mile away from where we sleep, or is that not really a problem in Sweden - I haven't really seen much about it..
Oh and hunting - I know you can take a gun into Sweden if you have one and a license - I have a shotgun but no license (just do it with my dad right now) and I don't think I'd be comfortable having it in the canoe with me What about snaring and that sort of thing?
I'd basically love to be able to supplement bought supplies with fresh fish and meat.. Oh by that time I should be able to make an eel trap - any likelihood of being able to use that?
And I've never canoed before - well like, once, but I have none of those lush skills you see on Ray Mears - will that be a problem?
Um yeah I'm sure there's more to be asked but I guess I'll leave it like that at the moment - thank you very much for any replies

EDIT - crikey that's a long post - sorry!!!
Oh and I'm not fixed on Sweden, anywhere in Scandinavia is generally what I'm thinking

 

[okar]

I generally dont move very far from the Stockholm-area, but from what i can tell a tarp should be good enough in early september in Värmland. If you decide to stay a bit south you can fish without a permit in the five largest lakes (Vänern, Vättern, Mälaren, Hjälmaren and Storsjön (a little bit fussy on that last one, perhaps any of my fellow swedes could help with that one)) and along the coast, as long as you only fish by hand.
I'm no expert, but i think snaring is illegal in sweden (atleast according to the swedish army suvival guide).

Hope you'll enjoy your trip

 

[forestwalker]

I'm thinking we could hire a canoe (I've been researching and that doesn't seem too hard, or very expensive at all) and just paddle around for a month, although I'm wondering if that might get a bit boring? Is there anything bushcrafty we could do to add to that?

If you are somewhewre like Värmland-Dalsland you can get around fine with a canoe (do get a cart, they make things easier for long portages along dirt roads, which are plentiful in that region). Further north you may end up with a bunch of paralell river systems. One possibility; buy an Ally canoe (around SEK 15000, IIRC) and bring it with you. They are not bad, and then you have a canoe for the future. Also means you can pack it up and take a coach or train to some other region if you want to.

I'm wondering about fishing - I've read you can just get a permit and then you can fish to your heart's content - is there a cheap and easy way to do this for a beginner, with no experience and non-expensive kit?

Fishing is a maze, full of twisty passages all alike. Or rather; full of local fishing permits, all different. There is the national one, but that only covers a small proportion of the waters, no idea how that translates there. The place you rent your canoe should be able to advice you (in that region Preben Mortensens outfit -- http://www.nordkanot.se/ -- at least used to be good people to deal with). Generally net fishing is limited, but angling or spinner sets work fine. You can buy adequate sets in supermarkets for a few hundred SEK (rod+reel+small set of lures). Telescopic is not as good, says the cognocenti, but much easier to pack.

I'm also wondering about location and time. I've read Varmland's good - any recommendations?

You can go further north, follow one of the rivers from one end to the other. You'd have to go to the four northernmost rivers to find an undammed one, but one can portage around the dams. The region you have picked is a good choice though; a network of small lakes, partially interconnected. If you saw RMs canoeing with Lars Fält that was in the southern end of that landscape.

What will the climate be like in September? Is just using a tarp at that time a viable option?

Definitely ok with the tarp (mosquiteos will be pretty much gone by end of August, not that I care any time of year). Expect occational frost nights, quite a bit of rain, some quite warm days. In the beginning of August it can ge quite hot, after mid August the woods empty since school holidays are over then, by the end of September you can expect frost at nigh, but very seldom during the day.

And do check when the moose hunt starts in the region, it may start as early as September, and you will not make friends with the locals for disturbing the Sacred Hunt (trust me, to the people involved in that area it is Sacred).

Oh also - bears - anything to be aware of? Would we need to do that thing where we eat like half a mile away from where we sleep, or is that not really a problem in Sweden - I haven't really seen much about it..

Ignore the whole bear issue. You are only slightly less likely to be attacked by mutant zombies from R'lyeh than to be bothered by bears.

Oh and hunting - I know you can take a gun into Sweden if you have one and a license - I have a shotgun but no license (just do it with my dad right now) and I don't think I'd be comfortable having it in the canoe with me What about snaring and that sort of thing?

Hunting is rather strictly regulated, basically you can forget it. The only two animals you may catch with a snare in Sweden is fox and ptarmigan, and then only in the far north. Special licences, rules on where, etc applies. No hunting.

I'd basically love to be able to supplement bought supplies with fresh fish and meat.. Oh by that time I should be able to make an eel trap - any likelihood of being able to use that?

Considering the status of the eel on the endagered list I'd say no eels. You can fish, you can gather wild plants (lingonberries, cludberries, blueberries, cattail, etc, etc), you can pass a small grocery store every few days.

And I've never canoed before - well like, once, but I have none of those lush skills you see on Ray Mears - will that be a problem?

Not on flat water if you have the sanity to say on shore if the weather turns nasty (you may get sme autumn storms in August-September). Buy a good book (I'd say either Bill Masons books or Davisson and Rugges "Complete Wildernes Paddler", which is fun but dated) and you will be all set. Or get Bill Masons Waterwalker films on DVD, that is *nice* viewing.

 

[forestwalker]

One more thing. By the end of August the driest period is just about over, so there should be no fire ban. Just follow the Right of Common Access rules and you should be fine.

 

[Allie]

Wow thank you both so much
It'll take a while to process all that information I think, but once I have, I'm sure I'll have a couple more questions

 

[steve a]

I can confirm Forestwalkers view of Preben at http://www.nordkanot.se/ , myself and a few friends hire canoes from him every year for our annual Swedish trip, he will also sort you out with maps, fishing tickets, and your nature ticket which enables you to use the dano's if you want to.
He is a great guy and speaks very good English.

 

[DavidJT]

Was just looking at the website Steve, looks really tempting! Could I just ask you..
1: Where do you fly to / from
2: What's a Dano?
3: How much do they charge for a week (roughly)?
Thanks in advance.

 

[Allie]

I can confirm Forestwalkers view of Preben at http://www.nordkanot.se/ , myself and a few friends hire canoes from him every year for our annual Swedish trip, he will also sort you out with maps, fishing tickets, and your nature ticket which enables you to use the dano's if you want to.
He is a great guy and speaks very good English.

Thanks a lot Dano's?
He must be good, he's got a link to a bushcraft site
But I can't understand the website!

 

[bothyman]

The hiring of a canoe can be expensive I would look at buying one then selling it after.

It may turn out cheaper

MickT

 

[forestwalker]

Rather than buying and selling I'd personally would look into an Ally or a PakBoat. Decent canoes, collapse into a backpack (large one, but still), Better long term investment (assuming you want to keep canoeing).

 

[steve a]

Was just looking at the website Steve, looks really tempting! Could I just ask you..
1: Where do you fly to / from
2: What's a Dano?
3: How much do they charge for a week (roughly)?
Thanks in advance.

I fly to Torp or Oslo, you get yourself to Oslo, either by train from Oslo Airport or by bus from Torp, then from oslo bus station you get a coach to Arjang, in Arjang there are a couple of supermarkets, you can stock up there, then from Arjang get a Taxi to Prebens Place.

A Dano is a fixed camping place, normally they are wooden built open fronted sleeping shelters, have a built open fire place, a supply of cut wood ( that normally need splitting),
and a earth closet. You do not have to use them and you cant book them so you either join in with the people already there or just camp away from them.

Rough cost, flights, travel by coach, taxi, food and a bottle or two, canoe ,dry bag/barrel, fishing permit, nature ticket, everything included cost us last year £300 for the week. Thats with two people sharing a canoe.

If you cant understand the website, just paste http://www.nordkanot.se/ , into google translator, it does it all for you.

 

[DavidJT]

Thanks for the info Steve
Sounds really good value, even more tempted now. You haven't done any of the courses (like the WEISS) that Preben runs have you?
Allie: Hope I'm not hijacking your thread! I think you'll have a great time if you follow the advice above.

 

[steve a]

I have done the Weiss yes.

 

[forestwalker]

I fly to Torp or Oslo, you get yourself to Oslo, either by train from Oslo Airport or by bus from Torp, then from oslo bus station you get a coach to Arjang, in Arjang there are a couple of supermarkets, you can stock up there, then from Arjang get a Taxi to Prebens Place.

Or you can walk; it is only about 10 km IIRC.

 

[Allie]

Thanks for the info Steve
Sounds really good value, even more tempted now. You haven't done any of the courses (like the WEISS) that Preben runs have you?
Allie: Hope I'm not hijacking your thread! I think you'll have a great time if you follow the advice above.

No worries, might as well keep it all to one thread


Thanks so much for the information!
How much d'you reckon food provisions for like a month would cost? Probably the same as in England but I don't know what that would be either

 

[steve a]

Foods about the same price as here, you can fish for Pike, Perch, and Lake trout which are all good eating. Booze is a lot more expensive so stock up in duty free !!!

 

[forestwalker]

Foods about the same price as here, you can fish for Pike, Perch, and Lake trout which are all good eating. Booze is a lot more expensive so stock up in duty free !!!

And don't buy food in Norway. It is an expensive country, the reason there are two big grocery stores in Årjäng is that there are coach trips every weekend from Norway for people who want to shop (I lived in Årjäng for a year <mumble...eeek!> years ago).

 

[Allie]

Yeah I definitely intend to fish, although I have no idea how.. what's trolling by the way?
What about gill nets - are they legal? What's the best but least expensive way to catch fish? Will they be around in September?
How much d'you reckon I could rely on fish as my main food source, and just supplement it with things like bannock and foraged greens/berries?
Oops sorry more questions - what can I say I like to learn
I was thinking I'd fly to Stockholm - is that an alright way to get there? How would I get to the canoe hire place from there? Aaah!

 

[born2roam]

Just my 2 cents...

if a translating webpage doesn't do it for Preben's site, just send him an email in English, his English is very good.

Just came back last friday out of Sweden and relishing the time I had... yep a Winter Weiss with some added free time to it....

Grtz Johan

 

[forestwalker]

Yeah I definitely intend to fish, although I have no idea how.. what's trolling by the way?

Letting a spinner (etc) drag after your canoe as you paddle.

What about gill nets - are they legal? What's the best but least expensive way to catch fish? Will they be around in September?

No nets, they generally are not permitted. Least expensive is probably a SEK 20 angling kit (float+hook+sinker+line) uses with a picked up beer can to hobo-fish, a bit better is one of the cheapish spinner sets (telescopic rod, closed reel, line and a few lures. Saw them the other day for SEK 200 and up. I have a telecopic rod I got at a closeout, a Abumatic reel and a box of mixed lures. Fed me a number of times, and I'm no expert. Rapid Expanding Bait is best, but frowned uppon in most waters.

Unfortunately all the fish migrate to the Canaries and Costa del Sol around the first week of September...

How much d'you reckon I could rely on fish as my main food source, and just supplement it with things like bannock and foraged greens/berries?

I'd say that if you need to ask you will not be able to do this. You will need about 2-3 buckets of blueberries a day to give you your basic energy need, and about 2-3 rolls of loo paper a day to manage the runs this would give you.

Oops sorry more questions - what can I say I like to learn
I was thinking I'd fly to Stockholm - is that an alright way to get there? How would I get to the canoe hire place from there? Aaah!

Årjäng? Take a coach or train to Karlstad and then a buss to Årjäng (coach direct to Årjäng from Stockholm is almost certainly much cheaper than the train; about SEK 300 each way, takes 6 hours) from the Stockholm central station. It is about 4 times as far as Oslo though...

And if Stockholm means Ryan Air to Skavsta that means another SEK 250-300 for the coach from there. And probably a coin fee is you need to use the loo while in flight...