Changes

The End of Hiking in Finland as we know it and the start of something new.

Sometime last autumn I purchased a new domain. My mind is set, I need a fresh start. After eight years of blogging at Hiking in Finland I need a new challenge. It’s a bad time to do this, but if I don’t do it not now I never might. Hiking in Finland is the most-read English-language blog from Scandinavia, there’s over 30.000 Regular Readers a month, add in the close to 20.000 Followers and Fans on the different Social Media channels and you can understand the dilemma of changing something that’s so successful and generates part of my income (Yes, I work full time on the blog since 2014).

Things that led to this is that I do far more nowadays than hiking in Finland - just last year I was ski-touring in Norway & Switzerland, on adventure travel trips in Macedonia, Greece and Mexico, on active family holidays in Vorarlberg, backpacking in South Tyrol and cycle touring in Finland. So the name is out-dated and limits me, but I also moved away a bit from what this blog was about in the beginning - ultralight backpacking. While I maintain that Ultralight is Not Dead I also have started to look over the borders - I have entered a partnership with Helsport for example, and while I always try to carry as little as possible and use the lightest gear for the occasion it’s not the be all and end all of all things like it was more in the past.

But mostly I feel I have become complacent. The status quo is a dangerous place to get lazy and before other’s think It’s the same old I myself might just kill the status quo, reinvent and embark on a new journey. It might be rough on the edges at the beginning, some of you might not like it, but I am sure that with a new challenge I am able to grow myself and the blog to a new level that’s more creative & honest.

DESIGN or why does HiF look not like it used to?

Last November I managed to destroy the backend of Hiking in Finland - right before the #HiFAdventCalendar should have started and while I was in Mexico. Some bacteria or virus knocked me out for two weeks once I returned from Mexico and I barely was able to publish the daily doors on the ad-hoc blog I created. As I got healthy again I had a big hacking session and managed to get HiF back online the way you see it now - still not really how it used to look like or how I would like it to look, but better than a 404. During February and March I will try to update the layout and looks, but first there’s some other priorities.

Yeps, there’s gonna be a new blog

Hiking in Finland will continue & will be regularly updated in the future, but my new website Hike Climb Travel will see a lot more action. Hike Climb Travel is much broader in name as Hiking in Finland and reflects that I do much more than hiking & backpacking in Finland. Hiking in Finland will be home to my adventures at home and neighbouring countries, while Hike Climb Travel will be my outlet for everything that does take place outside of my beautiful home country. It will kick off some time in February, with a pretty, responsive layout, a great brand identity and some great stories to get you hooked. The best way to stay informed about when the new blog goes online is to subscribe to the Newsletter and follow me on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube, but no worries, I also will let it be known here.

For some time I will try to work on both blogs, but time will show if that is possible & smart or if I just move everything over to the new website. Thus, if there’s a favourite article here on the Olde Blog, now is a good time to save it as a pdf for future references. Some content will will also be moved over, so no worries that it’s gonna be all lost down the aether.

TWIR is Death

A couple of weeks back I asked on Instagram and Facebook for one reason why you follow me and a large part of the answers included TWIR. But a lot has changed since I started The Week In Review six years ago: I got married, have two wonderful kids and a house that still needs a wee bit of renovation (not to mention the garden). I feel I have neglected my family the last years every Sunday for several hours while writing the TWIR, and with a little daughter of one year I (maybe too late) realised it is time to kill The Week in Review, reclaim my Sundays and spend them with the people that matter the most to me - my wife and kids.

Also, The Week In Review is a popular post but it never generated much of income for me. I tried to monetise it in some tasteful ways by affiliate links to offers that matter to you, and a couple of times the Packrafting Store sponsored an issue, but these were not putting enough €$£ into my pocket for the time I invest into the TWIR. Because I know that so many of you love the TWIR and rely on it to find new, relevant content that matters, I am open to suggestions on how we could keep the Week In Review alive - but it would be published then on Mondays as I want to have a weekend. Maybe a PayPal subscription would be an option, but that would mean some of you would need to start to pay for the TWIR content. If you think that’s something you’d be willing to do, leave a comment underneath - and also other ideas and feedback is welcome.

All in all I am very happy to have this off my chest. I felt bad leaving you loyal readers in the dark about this since last December, but now that I typed it down and re-read it a couple of times it feels good and I am happy to hit publish and see how you take these changes. Thus, comment away - here or on the Social Media channels you can find me on!

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Park West at Lions Gate

Coming Soon to the Lions Gate area of North Vancouver is a new master planned community. Consisting of 263 over two towers (23 and 19 stories) Park West will be the first buildings in the new community that when completed will be a vibrant, pedestrian-oriented neighbourhood, with parks, retail and the great hikes of the Capilano River. Located on the corner of Capilano Road and Marine Drive, Park West is a unique location with easy access to the Lions Gate bridge, Park Royal and a quick drive up Capilano to highway one.

Join our VIP list to stay up to date on this development and many other like it coming to the north shore

The post Park West at Lions Gate appeared first on Vancouver New Condos.

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Annual Day Zero HiF Advent Calendar Send-off 2016

The “Annual Day Zero HiF Advent Calendar Kick-off 2016” is a Send-Off this year - Happy holidays!

Dear Santa,

I really missed talking to you. Twelve months is a long time of radio-silence, and I have a lot to tell you. Like all the awesome trips I have been on this year, from Ski-touring in Lyngen to backpacking in the Dolomites, 2016 has been fantastic. I spent great moments with my family in the mountains, and am looking very much forward to winter backpacking and other adventures.

But lets get down to business and start talking about the holiday season and the awesome Hiking in Finland Advent Calendar. I saw it was again very nicely filled with prizes worth over 5.000€, and what better way to celebrate an awesome #HiFAdventCalendar season than with a sweet ADZHiFASO package from some small companies!

whoopieslings.com make a complete Hammock and Tarp Suspension Systems, and as I decided to give hammocks another chance what would be better than having a smart suspension system for it? A set of 6” whoopie slings, a pair of 6’ tree huggers and a pair of toggles should make setting up my hammock a breeze!

Similar to hammocking I think it is time to step up my trailrunning again! A VRV8 Pack from KS ultralight gear would be ideal for that - the pack is super simple yet efficient and packs all I need for a day out running in the forests and hills. It carries my poles, soft flasks or water bottles, and 8 l of gear fit into the main compartment, all with restricting movement.

One thing I have learned which should always be along is a pair of rain mitts. The Mountain Laurel Design eVent Rain Mitts are the lightest rain mitts on the market and rumour has it that if one carries a pair rain usually doesn’t bother one when outside, so they’re kind of a good charm, too!

Also a pair of GooseFeet Gear Down Socks have been on my list for a long time - not just because I get awfully could feet at camp in winter, but also because they pack so tiny & light when I’m hiking throughout the day. Filled with 850 fill power DownTek down these socks keep me toasty on my winter adventures, which is especially great after a long day in boots!

And finally, a 32 oz Wide Mouth Bottle from Hydro Flask would be swell - not just for plenty of coffee the whole day but also for keeping drinks cold in the heat. It is BPA-Free, Toxin-Free and comes with a Lifetime Warranty - so this would be the last bottle I’d ever ask for!

To win this sweet prize package just enter via the Rafflecopter Widget below:

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Read The Tips & Rules. The prizes are sent directly from the companies, possible import duty fees need to be paid by the winner. You can choose the colour of the Hydro Flask and whoopieslings, the size of the socks and rain mitts.*

I was abroad in Mexico and there were technical difficulties in the backend of the blog. While I fix a few little things you can read how I pack for a ski-touring trip =) 

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Advent Calendar Door 24

Dear Santa,

also for freeriding and ski-touring lighter means better: A lighter ski, boot and backpack allows you to skin up in more comfort & faster, while at the same time preserving energy for the ride down. Mammut updated their Ride Removable Airbag 3.0 Backpack which got even lighter this year, with the Removable Airbag System 3.0 getting even more compact & dependable while remaining just as removable and transferable to other compatible packs as before. The airbag system itself is just 690 g and with a carbon cartridge it tips the scales at barely over 1 kg. The 30l backpack on the other hand fits enough gear for a long day in the mountains, with a front pocket for avalanche safety equipment & a padded google pocket, it carries skis or a snowboard and an integrated helmet carrier carries the helmet when skinning up, too. All in all it’s a might fine pack and Airbag System that helps to keep me safe during deep powder days where the avalanche risk is high! Now lets hope that this winter is going to be better than the last one!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Read The Tips & Rules. The prize, a Ride Removable Backpack 3.0 incl. the Airbag System, is sent directly from Mammut in Switzerland. Possible import duty fees need to be paid by the winner.

I was abroad in Mexico and there were technical difficulties in the backend of the blog. While I fix a few little things you can read how I pack for a ski-touring trip =) 

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Advent Calendar Door 23

Dear Santa,

you know what I like (you probably do by now =)? Small companies which make innovative gear. Páramo is such a company, which not only designs & makes great garments for outdoor activities, they also do good and foster ethical & sustainable production. Take their Enduro Jacket for example, which is made from their directional Nikwax Analogy Waterproof fabric. It is Made in Colombia, is 100% PFC Free, at the end of its long life it can be recycled via the Páramo Recycling Scheme and the company helps to fund conservation projects across the globe. That’s a lot of good things a single jacket can do for people, planet and the one wearing it. Made for the mountains the Enduro can accompany one ski-touring and alpine climbing with its great freedom of movement, while the many pockets keep important kit close at hand. The large peak on the helmet-compatible hood keeps snow and rain at bay, and large arm vents help to stay cool when skinning up a mountain. And after a long season of use & fun it can be made like new again by washing it with Nikwax products! Yeps, that are exactly the kind of things I like and wish there would be more from!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Read The Tips & Rules. The prize, an Enduro Jacket (Winner can pick the Size), is sent directly from Páramo in the UK. Possible import duty fees need to be paid by the winner.

I was abroad in Mexico and there were technical difficulties in the backend of the blog. While I fix a few little things you can read this Layering Guide and How to Dress for Winter!

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Advent Calendar Door 22

Dear Santa,

Ruta Locura is one of those small cottages which know their trade and their ultralight materials, in in their case that’s carbon fibre. Josh has been building since the mid-2000s carbon fibre and titanium goods for ultralight backpackers, campers, fishermen and hunters alike, and their Yana Trekking Poles are some of the most versatile poles on the market. Not just are they great to pitch Pyramid shelters and tarps at the end of the day, they also can be transformed into a tenkara rod when you want to add some trout to the Menu in the evening! The poles are also light, as you would expect, and so durable that a pair should last with some proper care and maintenance at least half a lite time!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Read The Tips & Rules. The prize, a pair of Yana 2017 trekking poles, is sent directly from Ruta Locura in the USA. Possible import duty fees need to be paid by the winner.

I was abroad in Mexico and there were technical difficulties in the backend of the blog. While I fix a few little things you can read this Layering Guide and How to Dress for Winter!

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Advent Calendar Door 21

Dear Santa,

Winter is also the time for wearing toasty warm down jackets. But down does not equal down, and hence we as consumers need to sometimes steer companies into the right direction. One company which doesn’t need steering but is leading in responsibly manufactured down is Mountain Equipment with their Down Codex. Since many years they offer customers the ability to 100% trace the down in their sleeping bags and jackets, which means one can have peace of mind in knowing that the down which keeps one warm was gathered with animal welfare in mind. So back to that toasty jacket I mentioned: With winters being warmer in the last few years a jacket like the Men’s Arete Hooded Jacket is ideal for the temperatures one encounters in our winters. The 320 g light jacket comes with two zippered pockets for cold hands & camera batteries, and the hood ensures also ears and neck don’t need to freeze. Best of all: The water-resistant down doesn’t collapse when the snow turns to slush, and with some smart layering one could use this down jacket all year around!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Disclaimer: Read The Tips & Rules. The prize, a Mountain Equipment Men’s or Women’s Arete Hooded Jacket (you can choose Sex, Size, Colour), is sent directly from Mountain Equipment in Germany. Possible import duty fees need to be paid by the winner.

I was abroad in Mexico and there were technical difficulties in the backend of the blog. While I fix a few little things you can read this Layering Guide and How to Dress for Winter!

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