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Writer's pictureMaiu Lünekund

Gear list for my 4-day winter hike in Swedish mountains

At the end of April I did one of my most awesome hiking trips. It was a winter ski hike with a pulk sled and most important - it was my first overnight trip with my Alaskan husky Linkka! Together we covered about 65km in 4 days near and in Abisko National park in the Swedish Lapland (see the vlog from that trip here).



Hopefully my gear list will help you plan your own winter adventure, but as cold and remote places in winter time are more dangerous, then please take these 3 things into considerations before you use my list for your trip:

  1. My trip was on a relatively used snowmobile trail with staffed mountain cabins along the way. This way I was always around people if I would have needed some extra help. If going to more remote places then make sure you have a PLB (personal locator beacon) with an active SOS-service subscription.

  2. I had my hard working sled dog Linkka with me who was pulling me and my pulk sled. This way I had a bit more allowance on what gear I could bring with me. If you are going to pull your sled by yourself, you might need to lessen the load a bit. But do not skimp on the safety items! Hiking in winter and especially in remote areas are full of risks and you need to maintain them with your gear.

  3. Warm winter gear can be very expensive. Before buying everything yourself think how much you are really going to use these items. Consider borrowing or even renting some bigger/more expensive items. I had the possibility to borrow a -30°C rated sleeping bag and a proper 4-season expedition tent.


Okay, as we have all safety topics covered, here is exactly what I had with me:


BIG ITEMS:

  • Pulk sled (how I did my DIY sled)

  • Tarp (for covering gear in sled)

  • Bungee cord (for attaching gear to sled)

  • Skiing equipment (skis, boots, poles, ski skins)

  • Backpack (48 liters)

  • 4-season tent

  • Winter/snow pegs

  • Inflatable mattress

  • Foam mattress (for sitting during day, and for sleeping for my dog)

  • Sleeping bag (rated for -30°C)

  • Sleeping bag liner

  • Small shovel (but big enough to shovel snow)


CLOTHING (WEARING):

  • Underwear

  • Socks (Merino wool)

  • Base layer bottoms and top (Merino wool)

  • Rain jacket

  • Sunglasses

  • Neck scarf (for wearing as headband)

  • Thin leather gloves

  • Skijoring harness

  • Shell pants (windproof pants)


CLOTHING (EXTRA)

  • Warm down parka

  • Base layer pants x2 (Merino wool)

  • Base layer tops x3 (Merino wool)

  • Camp shoes (I recommend waterproof ones)

  • Extra socks x3 (Merino wool)

  • Wool socks (for sleeping)

  • Underwear x2

  • Neck scarf x2

  • Cotton bandana

  • Wool headband (too much, shouldn’t have brought it)

  • Wool sweater

  • Knee support

  • Hat (Merino wool)

  • Thicker gloves with spare wool liner

  • Thinner working gloves

  • Waterproof thin gloves (too much, shouldn’t have brought those)


ELECTRONICS:

  • Smartphone

  • Backup phone (old Nokia)

  • Battery bank

  • GoPro with small tripod

  • GoPro extra battery

  • Charging cords

  • Extra memory card


NAVIGATION:

  • Paper map

  • Compass

  • Smartphone app with topographic map (Topo GPS with Sweden map)


HYGIENE:

  • Toothbrush

  • Toothpaste

  • Dental floss

  • Wet wipes

  • Sunscreen SPF 50

  • Lip balm SPF 30

  • Toilet paper

  • Small hair brush

  • Hair ties

  • Small mirror

  • Ear plugs

  • Face oil (jojoba oil)


KITCHEN:

  • Plywood board

  • Food and snacks for me

  • Food and snacks for my dog

  • Gas burner and gas (liquid gas and burner work better in winter!)

  • Pot

  • Long handle spoon

  • Cup

  • Thermos x2

  • Water bottle


OTHER:

  • First aid kit

  • Emergency / survival kit

  • Pepper spray

  • Windsack (I had this one here, you can also read about it here)

  • Head torch

  • Sketching kit

  • Notebook and pen

  • Warming packs

  • Matches

  • Tuck tape

  • Leatherman

  • Cash

  • Extra batteries (for head torch)

  • Extra sunglasses


GEAR FOR MY DOG LINKKA:

  • Dogsledding harness

  • Bungee leash

  • 4 booties

  • Paw cream

  • Jacket

  • Dog t-shirt (for possible harness rub)

  • Bowl

  • Dog poop bags


If you wish to have a bit of an explanation and visual to this list, see my video on the same topic:


If you ask how much it all weighed, I have no idea! ;)

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