Hiking in Finland: Packing for a Multi-Day Solo Summer Backpacking Trip

Hiking in Finland: Packing for a Multi-Day Solo Summer Backpacking Trip

If you are a rookie in hiking, use a ready-made packing list. That will save you a lot of time. The net is full of printable lists, but they are all different. How do you know which one is right for you? The answer is: you don’t. Hiking needs and preferences vary from person to person, and the lists are more like general guidelines.

Planning your first multi-day solo summer backpacking trip in Finland? Not sure if you should be prepared for snow, mosquitos or polar bears? No worries, getting your ducks in a row is easier than you would guess!

I’ve collected a list of essential stuff for classic multi-day hiking, from choosing a backpack to kitchen on the trails and hiking clothes. Also included some tips and tricks for the Finnish weather!

Use a packing list

If you are a rookie in hiking, use a ready-made packing list. That will save you a lot of time. The net is full of printable lists, but they are all different. How do you know which one is right for you? The answer is: you don’t. Hiking needs and preferences vary from person to person, and the lists are more like general guidelines.

You’ll learn what works for you only by hiking, trying and testing and changing things according to your own experiences. However, reading about other hikers’ experiences and recommendations and comparing various packing lists will lead to an overall idea of where to start.

I’ve got an Excel file in which I have listed and weighed every single item for different types of adventures, according to the season, destination, duration, and type, such as basic hiking, kayak camping and hiking, snowshoe hiking, lightweight backpacking or fastpacking.

It is both a great list for last-minute checking I don’t forget anything (a survival tool for an absentminded person) and also for counting how much food I need and how much the whole crap will be weighing and swapping items.

The Finnish summer

The Finnish summer is full of surprises and huge variations in weather between different regions. The summer season changes earlier in the South than in Lapland, and in the central areas. In June, the weather can be anything from snowing and raining to sunshine and heat. Quite often there is still snow in the most northern parts of Finland, and sometimes we get hail showers while barbequing in bikinis during the mid-summer festival in Helsinki Region too.

The hiking season kicks off in mid-May in the Southern Finland, but July-August is probably the best time for summer hiking in the North. It is the warmest and driest season in the whole country, but temperatures may still drop near zero Celsius degrees at night. Most likely it will rain at some point, or the wind tries to blow your tent down.

I hiked the Bear’s Trail in the Southern Lapland and Northern Osthrobotnia in the end of June, and the Halti Trail in August, and both trips included partly cloudy warm days, sunny hot days, and cold stormy and rainy days.

The wildflower scenery is usually at its best from June to early July, but there are still plenty of wildflowers, ferns and other vegetation to admire until the late autumn. There are, obviously, no polar bears, just ordinary brown bears. You won’t see them. You may see a moose, but in that case it’s probably in the middle of the road.

Between Kuusamo and the Arctic Ocean there are reindeer, lots of reindeer. They are kind of pets (semi-domesticated) grazing free in wilderness, and you will most likely see them. Take pics but don’t disturb the animals, and slow down speed if driving a car.

Then there are mosquitos. Depending on the year, there is räkkä (a time when there are a lot of mosquitos) or there is one hell of a räkkä (a time when there are so many mosquitos and horseflies you can’t believe it). The best summer hiking time in Lapland is also the time of räkkä. You can’t escape the flying little bloodsuckers in the Southern Finland either. Proper clothing is the key to enjoy the Finnish summer.

Choosing a backpack for hiking

For a multi-day’s hike you need a backpack (40 L to 80 L) and a rain cover. The cons of taking too small backpack: half of your stuff will be desperately swinging outside of your bag. The cons of picking too big backpack: you can’t resist the empty space and take also a pile of books, a foldable table, and a beach volley kit, because you can.

Choose a backpack that fits your torso and feels good to carry around when you have stuffed all your necessary and unnecessary things into it. The backpack should be easily adjusted for your back length and shoulder width and have a great hip belt. Other functions and additional features are just a bonus.

For longer trips, I’ve got a Fjällräven Kajka 75 L, women’s version. It’s batshit heavy but it has been great for my easily aching curvy back.

Recently, I have made a transition to lightweight backpacking, using a smaller and lighter 60 L The Mo from Atom Packs. It's too early to say if I'll ever use the traditional backpack again, as I'm quite enjoying the lightweight backpacking.

As a rule of thumb, choose the size according to your needs – e.g., lightweight and UL stuff needs less room than normal stuff. If you can borrow a backpack for your first hike, great. If you have to get your own, invest time and probably some money to get a good one. There are absolutely great options on the lighter and less expensive side too.

Sleeping bag & sleeping pad

You’ll probably survive in the Finnish summer with a summer sleeping bag, but not always if you go to Lapland. I’d recommend having a three-season sleeping bag, as it’s way more versatile. My three-season Exped down sleeping bag has a comfort value of +3°C, which is often a bit too hot in the summer, and a bit too cold in the autumn or in the mountains.

It’s tricky to find a perfect match, as sensing the cold varies hugely from person to person. Sleeping well is important for getting enough rest and retaining good energy levels for the hike. That’s why I got myself another sleeping bag, women’s Sea To Summit Flame FmIII, with a comfort value of -4°C.

If you need a pillow, take a light inflatable pillow with you. Alternatively, you could make a pillow from what you already have in your backpack, by stuffing a pile of clean clothes into a shirt or a light down jacket. I do this quite often.

For me, a good sleeping pad may be even more important than the sleeping bag (which I didn’t figure out until recently). My first ones were a mid-priced and mid-weigh inflatable Thermarest Neoair Venture pad with an R-value of 2.2, and a cheap Thermarest Ridgerest closed cell foam pad with an R-value of 2.0. I had thought of combining them to get a three-season bed, but then there were too many items and too much weight.

I ended up using my heavy winter pad already in August, and then invested in do-it-all UL pad, the Thermarest Neoair Xlite WR with R-value of 5.4. But for a summer hike, my old inflatable pad is great, as it’s more comfortable than the UL pad. The cell foam pad is just too hard for my body to rest. If you can, test before you buy any pad.

What is the best tent for a solohiker?

When you hike solo, you probably want a tent from the lighter end because you have to carry it all by yourself. But the most important thing is that you can pitch it easily alone. After that, it’s more nuances and your budget.

I like 2-person tents more than 1-person tents for several reasons. There’s room for a big backpack inside. It’s easier to take your things when you don’t have to open the zipper all the time and possibly let the mosquitos in. Changing clothes in a roomy tent is nicer. A big tent feels safer. I’m ready to carry a bit more weight for the luxurious space.

Anyway, in the summer, I really enjoy a mesh ceiling to see the stars in the sky. I also may want to camp on a cliff, so I prefer freestanding tents. My go-to-choice for summer hikes is the MSR Hubba Hubba NX. It's actually as good as the reviews tell you.

But if the forecast tells me it's going to be freezing cold and rain cats and dogs and whatnot, I may sometimes pack my 4-season Exped Venus II Extreme tent. It adds a bit weight but survives a deluge and a hailstorm.

Sleeping in the wilderness huts is an option, too. But, if you stay at the rental wilderness huts, you need to know the exact nights in advance and stick with your schedule. If you stay in the open wilderness huts, they may be crowded, especially when the weather is poor.

I don’t have experience from multi-day hikes with a tarp or hammock yet, but they could be great alternatives for a tent (except in the treeless fells). I think I’ll try as soon as I feel like giving up the coziness of my 2-person tents!

Cooking and kitchen on trails

There are many alternatives for your camp kitchen, but basically you need a stove, fuel, and pot(s). The classic Trangia has a small 27 UL version for a solo hiker. The pros: works well in a storm, packs nicely, but even the smallest UL set is a tad heavy. The MSR Pocket Rocket 2 weighs only 72 grams (I use it with the Trangia 27 UL pot and a small MSR grip) and it works well.

A solo hiker survives several days with a small gas (230 g / week) - gas is the only fuel I've tested and I plan to stick with that. If you are hiking a route with open wilderness huts, you can also use the hut’s stove and gas for cooking. One pot, a long Sea-To-Summit spoon (not a Spork, they are useless) and a Kupilka mug are usually all I need.

I’ve got two Nalgene bottles (1 l and 1.5 l) for water, plus a MSR water filter. Nowadays I leave the filter home when going to Lapland, and I have swapped the smaller water bottle for just a Kupilka mug. The mug is hanging on my backpack’s shoulder strap so that I can just grab it when I see a refreshing stream.

There are two camps of people: those who don’t want to take any risks and purify all their water, and those who couldn’t care less and drink straight from the awesome clean streams. I belong to the latter, and Imodium has stayed in the first aid bag. (But this goes only in Lapland, I purify water in Southern Finland and central areas of the country.) And by all means, you can swap the Nalgene for an empty soft drink bottle as well!

I’ve always got two boxes of matches in tiny sealable freezer bags. I keep the other bag with the cooking set, and the other in some of my dry bags so that I’ll have at least one box of dry matches. In the cleaning pouch I’ve got a tiny bottle of ecological washing liquid (works also as a shower gel), mini sponge, a lightweight cloth, a couple of plastic bags for rubbish, and some UL cords. (I have used the washing liquid only once so far, maybe it’s time to ditch it.)

The mini sponge is for cleaning porridge and soup from the kettle, the cloth for drying the tent, and the cords for sudden needs for cord – very useful. Then I’ve got a small scout girl’s knife. It doesn’t weigh much but it has been extremely useful from spreading butter to carving wood and fixing a non-working gas bottle.

How much food for a week's hike?

It may be surprising how much the food weighs, and it is also a category where you can cut excess weight quite easily (unless great food in nature is the thing for you). Choose anything dried and dense in calories, having enough carbs, proteins and fat.

My typical day during a summer hike when I walk 25-30 kilometers consists of a breakfast (oatmeal with dried berries and butter, fast coffee with or without oat milk, small bun), a lunch (a cup of soup with bread, butter and cheese or game), a dinner (dried trekking meal, and hot chocolate), and snacks such as chocolate bars and dried fruits and nuts between the meals. In a particularly heavy day, I make double oatmeal or double soups.

The daily menu is around 3000 kcal (maybe a bit less in the summer), which is probably quite accurate for me on my typical hikes. Anyway, in case of a sudden change of plans because of weather or an emergency, I usually carry an extra meal and some snacks.

Hiking clothes for the Finnish summer

On a multi-day hiking trip, you’ve got basically two sets of clothes: those you’ve got on you while hiking, and change clothes. Technical and merino wool are great materials, cotton sucks. If it’s hot, shorts and a top may sound tempting. Remember the mosquitos? Bare skin is tempting for them too. I like to wear long Fjällräven Abisko Pro hiking tights (warm weather) or Fjällräven Abisko hiking tights (cold weather) during the mosquito season (although I get sucked through the fabric) but also to protect legs from scratches.

A technical t-shirt (Salomon, Salewa, Patagonia) doesn’t feel as hot as a wool shirt. But for underwear and socks, merino wool is amazing: it doesn’t get much sweaty or stinky. I use merino wool or Coolmax liner socks and thick merino wool hiking socks. For my head I’ve got a cap or a merino beanie or tube (Lundhags, Buff) and sunglasses. If my mosquito threshold gets exceeded, a cap is compatible with a headnet.

Then I’ve got rain pants (Marmot Precip Eco or OMM) and a rain / Goretex jacket (Mountain Equipment, Bergans or OMM Kamleika) usually hanging outside of my backpack.

A great pair of waterproof hiking boots or shoes (or rubber boots) is perhaps one of the most important items to get you going. They should not feel snug with two wool socks. Wear them enough before you go to the hike. If they feel uncomfortable and you’ll get even minor blisters after walking a couple of hours, expect exponential growth of all that later on trails. E.g., Hanwag Tatra or Hanwag Banks are classic great boots for hiking.

If you’ve got light or UL equipment, consider a great pair of light trail shoes instead of classic hiking boots. I’ve got Inov 400 Rocklite shoes, and they rock. Take also for example sandals for breaks. You’ll be happy if the sandals are big enough for wool socks. If there are rivers to cross (maybe not on your first hike), take sandals that are suitable for wading.

If you like trail running, you could take also trail running shoes for breaks and day trips (e.g., Hoka Speedgoat 5), and with lightweight equipment, trail runners are great for hiking as well.

A change set includes at least the clothes you wear while sleeping, an insulating mid-layer set, and a warm jacket. For the Finnish summer night, I’ve usually got light merino tights (Northern Playground, Icebreaker) and a silk-merino top (Engel) and alpaca wool socks and a light merino beanie (Lundhags).

On my trip to Lapland in mid-July I had to wear my thick winter merino set (Icebreaker), two merino wool sweaters (Tierra) and winter fleece pants (Haglöfs) because it was freezing cold at night. Check the weather in advance and pack accordingly.

The mid-layer long-sleeve and pants could be e.g., technical fleece (such as a Rab fleece). A light down jacket is a great option for a break jacket, as it is very warm but light to carry, and it turns into a pillow. I've found great light down jackets from Mountain Equipment and Scandinavian Explorer.

Then you may want another pair of underwear. I pack merino briefs (Icebreaker, Mons Royale), for a week’s hike also another bra (Mons Royale). I usually pack a few technical shirts (E.g., Salomon, Arc'teryx) and merino shirts, and many socks. One pair of wool socks is just for sleeping. I’ve also got a bikini and a quick-dry UL towel.

Pack everything in a dry sack.

First aid for hiking

Customize the first aid bag according to your needs and destination. My basic set includes small scissors, a mini bottle of disinfection liquid / a couple of sterile disinfection wipes, breathable and waterproof plasters of various sizes, a wide plaster sheet and a couple of large adhesive plasters, a roll of Leukoplast tape, an elastic gauze (e.g., 6 cm x 4m), a couple of sterile gauze pads, a needle, an emergency blanket, ibuprofen 400 mg (2 x 10 tablets), hydrocortisone (10 tablets), and 5 tablets of Imodium. To this day, I have used everything except the emergency blanket and diarrhea pills.

According to season and destination I may also include a spray for stuffy nose, burn-gel packets, tick tweezers, more Leukoplast tape rolls of various sizes, and antibiotics. I pack everything into a double sealable freezer bag that weighs between 150 to 250 grams.

Mobile phone and electronic devices

Sometimes there’s mobile network in the woods, sometimes there isn’t. Anyway, using the phone in flight mode saves the batteries. Switching the mobile off saves even more. I’ve got one Power Bank, a Garmin Forerunner 935 on my wrist, and nowadays a Garmin InReach Mini in a pocket on more challenging adventures. Plus, three charging cables.

If you are not a sports addict, you don’t need a sports watch, and if you are not going into wilderness and unmarked routes, you don’t need a satellite device either.

In this category I’ve also got a DSLR camera with one lens, two camera batteries, filters, a small gadget and a carbon fiber tripod. They weigh a lot, carry only if you are a passionate outdoors photographer.

Toilet paper and other hiking necessities

  • Even if you go to a signposted trail, take a map and a compass with you. Buy a map that is printed on a waterproof paper.
  • A small foldable foam pad warms your butt, keeps dirt out of your tent in the vestibule, and makes a great windshield or breakfast table.
  • Hiking or trail running poles are also amazing. I’ve got the foldable Black Diamond Distance Carbon Z poles, and they go everywhere I go.
  • A headlamp (my favorite is Petzl Tikka) with preferably a set of extra batteries is a must, except not in the Finnish mid-summer when the sun never sets (even in the Southern Finland the night is quite bright). Consider eye shades for sleeping instead.
  • The amount of toilet paper depends on personal needs. One big roll lasts a week on my trips. Carry toilet paper in a dry sack. The roll is a great place for a small hand sanitizer too (unless you take it out to cut off weight). Hygiene stuff can be as minimal as a toothbrush and a small toothpaste. Some people cut the handle of the toothbrush off to cut off weight, but I prefer a light ecological version as it is. I also have lip balm and moisturizer for dry skin (but I always end up having my lips and skin from my fingers eventually peeling off).
  • Pack personal medication if needed.
  • Chicks: take also makeup and mirror if you wish. I have heard that lipstick doesn’t prevent running, so it’s likely not disabling your hiking skills either.
  • Last but not least: have enough dry sacks of various sizes. Have a dry sack at least for your clothes, sleeping bag, matches, electronic devices and money. Alternatively, go for a huge waterproof sack for everything.
  • A few small carabiners are great for hanging stuff on the backpack too.

Packing for your first solohike: where to start?

When you are just planning your first long hiking adventure, you probably don't really know which items and equipment will work for you best. But you need to start somewhere to get going. Other hikers' lists and renting your equipment in the beginning are a great place to start.

I started collecting my hiking stuff by reading hundreds of reviews and customer feedbacks and with the mentality of buying great quality items that last forever, preferably on the lighter side (except the backpack that I chose on the basis of being nice to my back and looking good), sustainable and green choices, and keeping my finances in balance.

My hiking philosophy was that I don’t mind if my backpack is a bit on the heavy side. I have carried unnecessary items such as decorating lights, a notebook and some makeup to my hikes and felt them adding to the luxurious experience. I have carried my heavy 4-season tent and a winter sleeping pad already in August for comfort and aesthetic reasons.

Sometimes I carry a Tenkara rod and combine fly fishing with backpacking. I see weight as an opportunity to work out in sceneries. I think everyone has the right to carry as much or as little as they wish.

But, I also began my ultralight fuss in the summer 2021, because adventure running with a 20+ kg backpack is just a non-functioning equation. A heavy backpack is also torturing my feet, so going lighter for classic hiking trips is not bad either. In this post, I've listed and recommended a lot of equipment from the lighter end, suitable for classic hiking as well as lightweight hiking.

Good luck with your first long adventure!

PS. I'll be updating this post and my equipment in the future when I change some items or find better options.


Equipment Finland Backpacking Hiking Multi-day adventure Summer
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