Norway trip camping advice

[Speed addicted]

As mentioned in the photo thread I'm planning a trip around Norway, Finland and Sweden on my Explorer in the summer



I'll mainly be staying wherever I end up that day, and there are loads of campsites on route. A lot of these have little cabins you can rent out but in case they're full I'll need a tent as backup. I may also stay in hotels depending on availability and cost.

As I haven't been camping in the last 20 years I need some advice about what's best to get! Ideally I'd like to keep everything in the panniers and topbox so it's more secure and waterproof.

After doing some looking I found the Coleman tatra 2 http://www.coleman.eu/uk/p-26287-tatra-2.aspx as it packs up small enough to get it into the topbox, looks robust enough and and I'll be going alone so won't need too much space.

Another option is something like the Vango stelvio/tour http://www.millets.co.uk/tents-camping/171687-tour...

That won't pack into the top box but offers much more room for getting changed etc.

I won't be staying anywhere for more than one night so I'm thinking a small tent is probably best?

Another question is what to bring regarding sleeping bag and materess. I'm thinking that an air mattress is likely to be the most comfortable and I can pump it up using the bike as a power supply, sleeping bag will need to allow me to go into the arctic from summer in the lower parts.

I'm not looking to spend a fortune as on most trips we stay in hotels, but I'd also like to avoid sleeping in a leaky tent while freezing my arse off.

I'm thinking it might be best to go up through Sweden to make some time at the start of the trip. This would give me an idea how much time I have to cover the distance through Norway in the in the 2nd week. I've heard the roads are more direct in Sweden.

[Speed addicted]

moanthebairns said:

Personally I think you will die camping in Norway. Good luck.

My wife seems to have much the same opinion....

[Speed addicted]

The Free Loon 1 said:

moanthebairns said:

LET ME GET THIS CORRECT. Some nights you will be riding around staying in hotels, some you will be setting up your house for the night, taking it down soaking, finding your penis is now gone, lugging this st about, spending the price of a couple of nights in a b & b and taking up valuable room on your trip.

I don't get it.

you will die.

It's called adventure

It will allow me to just ride, without booking anything in advance or having to worry about finding a hotel or B+B at short notice when traveling through a fairly un-populated area. You can wild camp in Norway so worst case I can just stop and get some sleep if the campsites/hotels are full.

The only thing I'll have booked is the first night in Oslo and the plane home. Two weeks of just riding and taking photos, on my own with no-one to bother me. Bliss.

Also I'm taking a Triumph Explorer with panniers and a top box, space isn't really going to be an issue!

Thanks for the advice (the actual advice, not the doom monger!) it's good to get a better idea what I'll need.

Edited by Speed addicted on Monday 11th January 09:18

[Speed addicted]

Just to be clear, I'm not generally a camper. More a hotels and bars type.
The tent will be a backup to give me a lot more freedom about where i stay and how long I need to look for accommodation, I don't want to be in the situation that I'm screaming through Norway to get to a hotel I've booked or that I can't find one when I need it.

I don't intend to cook unless I really have to so will probably take some self heating meals as a backup, or some dehydrated stuff and a trianga stove. I don't do tea/coffee so boiling water isn't an issue and I intend to buy food wherever I might end up (or just have a big lunch and a crap dinner).

The bug problems seem to be better after june/july so I'm intending to go at the end of July start of August when they're typically better. Hopefully.
I'll take Deet just in case.

[Speed addicted]

I'm offshore just now, so Amazon has been plundered.

Coleman Tatra 3 man tent (light weight, alloy poles and a decent size), Deet, A paper decent map to accompany the Garmin, a spork (looked neat, probably a bad idea), camping towel and a decent tyre pressure gauge bought.

I'll sort out the sleeping bag and other stuff when I'm at home.

Suppose I better book the bike courier and shipping part next!

[Speed addicted]

Although I'm currently sat around 155 miles SE of Aberdeen with sea views all round I actually get seasick on wet pavement. Boats are a total no-go unless there is no other option!

[Speed addicted]

The ferry was stopped in 2010. I was planning to go over in 2009 but stuff happened and I didn't make it, there has been talk every year about it re-starting but every year it comes to nothing.
I've decided to stop waiting and get on with it.

I'd imagine that the ferry will re-start as soon as I've paid for the courier/shipping/flights

[Speed addicted]

Prof Prolapse said:

Ferry to Amsterdam still runs very regularly mate, I'm not sure if you are thinking of a more direct one.

You'd need another Ferry from Denmark so it's not exactly quick or cheap so a courier is still probably a better option now I see the route.

Ah, reading too fast and missing the point! There used to be a ferry that went Newcastle to Bergen.

I'd have liked to ride all the way round but simply won't have the time due to a 3 week on 3 week off offshore rota.

If I wasn't self employed and hadn't just had a really near miss with being made redundant I'd miss a trip offshore and take a month to do it. As it is I'll have two weeks.

[Speed addicted]

FredClogs said:

Another thing I'll tell you that effected me is that Norwegian are very sensitive and protective of peace and quiet, they do not appreciate loud motorcycle exhausts, in the slightest - I must have been chastised at least 3 times a day at every petrol station, eatery and campsite because my motorcycle was too noisy (it wasn't) I was even shouted at for the bleep the alarm made when disarming.

That's unfortunate, I've just found an Arrow exhaust for sale!

Were these just random people giving you hassle for the noise? I'm sure it'll be fine, I don't exactly look approachable...

[Speed addicted]

Now that is the trip I wanted to do! Except there would be another 1400 miles to do the return trip to Aberdeen. I just don't have time. You must have been covering some major distances to do that lot in two weeks?

[Speed addicted]

Well that's me back from Norway. Ended up camping three nights out of 14 because it was too bright to sleep...

I've written up a trip report thing here with loads of photos.
http://www.leportphotographic.co.uk/blog

To sum it up
3700 miles
No police interaction
A bloody fortune

I'd go again tomorrow.

Edited by Speed addicted on Friday 29th July 14:12

[Speed addicted]

SteelerSE said:

Great write up. Long old days though - not my idea of fun.

Yeah, I did get a bit carried away. Turns out I just want to ride my bike and take photos!

I was waking up at 6 or 7 most mornings ready to get back on it. I found the hardest part each day was to say "that's enough" and find somewhere to stay.

[Speed addicted]

Iva Barchetta said:

I haven't read all the thread but I travelled and camped in Sweden/Norway in 2015.

One night I was trying to put up the tent in the far north of Sweden and the bugs just got too much and I threw

all of it back in the car and drove off and ended up sleeping in the car that night.

They really are a massive PITA.

Edited by Iva Barchetta on Saturday 30th July 18:49

Insane amounts of flying biting things in Sweden, everyone told me Finland would be worse but it was far better. Norway had even less of them.

In sweden I had to stop and clean my visor every half hour or so, there were dead flies on the sides of the bike and every time I stopped it would attract live ones.

[Speed addicted]

£550 return from Manchester with eurobiketrans.co.uk
They were really helpful and the bike arrived in Norway safely, I'm offshore just now and will pick it up in Aberdeen in 10 days time.

I looked at renting a bike but the few places I could find were expensive and the daily mileage limits were really low.