Expedition Arctic Circle: Sweden

Join Michael Douglas of Maine Primitive Skills School as we once again join forces with renowned Arctic Survival Instructor Toby Cowern.

This course provides a unique opportunity to learn a comprehensive set of survival skills in one of the world’s most extreme environments.  Our expedition travels through stunning areas of taiga forest, expansive lakes and majestic rivers. We travel in the mid part of the year so are constantly illuminated by the midnight sun and 24hr daylight, throughout our journey.  The area is home to classic Scandinavian fauna such as moose, reindeer, brown bear, wolves and wolverine.  

The main purpose of the course is to travel around the Sapmi region of Northern Sweden and learn more about the indigenous people of this area as well as learning and practicing various primitive skills.

The course will be a mix of theoretical and practical sessions and will run in field-based conditions including ‘sleeping out’ each night.

The course is transient by its nature and so there will be periods of vehicle travel throughout the course.

ITINERARY: DAY 1 • Travel to Umeå where your instructor will meet you and take you to Allégården, your home for the course for a welcome dinner. DAY2 • A mix of classroom lessons, outdoor practical sessions

DAY 2• Outing to the local forest to get oriented to the flora and fauna after a brief stop in the local village to get any treats for the mini-expedition. Depart for our first night in tents. 

DAY 3 • First Encampment. • In the afternoon Survival and Natural History Lessons and exploration

DAY 4 • Collapse our first camp after breakfast and back out to new location for lunch. • Re-deploy back out into the wilderness for further adventure. 

DAY 5 • A day of exploring lakes, forests, and eye-catching landmarks before camping under the stars for our final night in tents.

DAY 6 • Collapse our final camp after breakfast head back to Allégården to de-service our equipment. • Followed by a hearty lunch and traditional Swedish final dinner. 

DAY 7 • Departure day with transfers to Umeå airport. 

Travel Information:

Students will need to travel to the city of Luleå. The course commences at 1400 hrs (2pm) on Sunday 13th July. At this time there will be a minibus pick up from Luleå airport and city centre. Students arriving prior to this will need to make their own plans and provisions until course commencement.

We will return to the Luleå area on the afternoon of Saturday 19th July.

Accommodation:

We will be sleeping out in field conditions for the duration of the course. Students should plan and pack accordingly. Equipment hire options are available. Hire details are contained later in these Joining Instructions

Meeting Point and Arrival:

The meeting point will be at Luleå airport, unless individually otherwise arranged. From here we will drive approx. 60mins West to the first of our training sites.  

If for any reason you will be late arriving, please notify Toby via sms or ‘phone call. He is available on +46 73 800 7285

Equipment List:

We suggest you bring the following as a minimum:

1. Rucksack 

2. Dry sack(s)

3. Sunglasses

4. Suncream 

5. Drinks Container- At least 1 litre, I personally prefer the wide mouth Nalgene type of bottles.

6. Insect Repellent 

7. Personal First Aid Kit /Medications

8. Knife 

9. Folding saw

10. Firesteel 

11. Emergency Whistle 

12. Cordage (At least 30meters)

13. Blister relief/foot care (Talc etc)

14. Waterproof Overtrousers

15. Waterproof Jacket

16. A warm top (Fleece or similar)

17. Baselayers (Not Cotton, I would recommend bringing both long and short sleeved tops and one pair of ‘longjohns’ in case the weather becomes cold)

18. Suitable socks

19. Suitable boots 

20. Spare trousers/top

21. Spare laces 

22. Suitable hats (one for sunny conditions and one insulative)

23. Gloves

24. Scarf or Neck gaiter

25. Snacks / Drinks

26. A torch (headlamps are preferable)

27. Spare Batteries - for any electrical equipment and your torch

28. Eating utensils

29. Sleeping Bag 

30. Sleeping Mat 

31. Mosquito net

32. Tent or Tarp

33. Blindfold (For sleeping)

34. Towel/Wash kit (Ideally including a mirror)

35. A small pair of binoculars (optional)

36. Notepad and pen(cil)

37. Pan Sponge/Scourer

38. A pair of ‘work gloves’ (optional)

39. Lightweight footwear (Crocs/flip flops or similar)

40. A copy of insurance details/emergency contacts etc

Food and Drinks:

Breakfast, lunch and evening meals, along with tea and coffee are provided on the course. Each day there will be a nominated ‘duty student’ who will organize and assist the group in terms of ‘communal meal preparation’.

Snacks and any other drinks will be purchased and prepared individually. We will pass by supermarkets / food stores frequently during the course, enabling students to ‘resupply’ as necessary.

We aim to have a mix of ‘easy to prepare’ food, along with some local specialties and we can also forage to supplement our menu.

If anyone has specific dietary requirements, please ensure these are communicated to Toby, via email, no later than Tuesday 24th June.

Toby’s email: toby@hellonature.se

Hire Equipment

A range of hire equipment is available. Prices are for the full course duration and are the lowest possible we could source. Students should be aware they are fully liable for replacement/repair costs of any items damaged or lost...

- Sleeping bag - $40

- Sleeping pad - $8

- Bivvy Bag - $25

- Tarp - $15

- Mora Knife - $10

- Folding Saw - $10

- Axe - $15

- Cordage (50mts) - $4

If you require any items of hire equipment, please email Toby no later than Tuesday 24th June with a list of your requirements.

Anticipated Weather Conditions

In July, at this latitude, we are in the middle of summer. The midnight sun should still be present, so darkness never settles on our adventures! 

It’s ‘mosquito season’ so students are advised to still be prepared to fend off a variety of insects, so repellants and insect nets are highly recommended

Students are advised to familiarize themselves thoroughly with all aspects of equipment they are bringing on the course and ensure they are suitable for the conditions / environment. 

We very much look forward to seeing you on the course. For any queries regarding these joining instructions or the course in general please feel free to email.