Always remember this Norwegian proverb “There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes”. Unlike the inhabitants of the islands you will only be here for a short time. You won’t have time to wait for ideal rainfall, wind and temperature conditions before you leave your tent or Rorbu, so make sure you are properly equipped when you leave.

Equipment for all seasons:

Vital equipment

Fleece jacket
Wind/waterproof jacket (rain capes are impractical due to the terrain)
Warm underwear  – Long-sleeved T-shirt + long-johns  (ideally merino wool)
Hiking socks (warm)
Woollen hat
Gloves
Sunglasses
Hiking trousers
Woollen jumper
Quick-dry underwear (not cotton while hiking)
Walking shoes (waterproof if possible)

The rest

Handheld GPS
Umbrella
Water bottle or thermos flask
Knife
Walking poles (even if you are not used to using them, the terrain here is perfect for Nordic walking)
Sunscreen
Bathing suit (you never know)
Quick-drying towel
Small first-aid kit (everything is available here but more expensive than in France)
Mobile phone
Plus everything you usually take with you…

Mosquitos: unlike the north of the Norwegian mainland, there are few mosquitos or stinging insects in the Lofoten Islands. Although, the last  years we have notice some midges and other mosquitos in the evening in july and august.

 


Winter equipment

Vital equipment

In addition to the all season equipment you should take:
A pair of snow shoes (if you want to leave the road)
A warm quilted jacket
A pair of under-gloves + a pair of warm gloves
A cagoule
Woollen underwear, socks and hat.
A head lamp
A pair of warm walking shoes suitable for your snow shoe fastenings.

The rest

Handheld GPS
Thermos flask
Knife
Walking poles
Sunscreen
Bathing suit (for the sauna, or the bravest of you!)
Quick-dry towel
Small first-aid kit (everything is available here but more expensive than in France)
Mobile phone
Plus everything you usually take with you…

NB : Make the most of your rucksack to ensure you don’t overfill it. Remember you will find everything when you get there (in case you’ve forgotten anything) but that it’s more expensive than in France. Lastly, do not underestimate the cold that may come in any season at this latitude. My personal experience is that wool (particularly merino) is the best material ever invented in terms of warmth and comfort.

 

 

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Our tips

Where to sleep, eat, drink and more in the Lofoten Islands

As we are not a tourist office, we will only publish recommandations for places we think are hikers and backpackers friendly and that we have tested AND appreciated. This section will get more stuff as we go along.

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 Increasingly accurate maps!

The Day Walks section has been improved thanks to the work of Frank Ingermann and the fantastic vector map background of Norgeskart.no (Norwegian Mapping Authority - Karverket). Hiking-Lofoten offers hiking guides that are getting ever more accurate and professional. Come and find out about them!

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Download the official Lofoten Islands maps

Lofoten Islands maps, scale 1:50 000 (UMT33)  download them for free on hiking-lofoten!Maps from the Norwegian National Institute of Cartography (Kartverket) are available in high definition (Tiff) on a set of ten maps.  Essential to prepare your hikes in the Lofoten Islands...

Lofoten maps

Northern lights forecast

Discover aurora forecast for Lofoten islands, thanks to NOAA POES satelitte from the "National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration"

GPS routes

  • The GPS hiking routes are finally available as free downloads from the Hikes section!
  • Discover eight new routes in the Lofoten Islands with detailed Topos from Rando-Lofoten.

Day Length in the Lofoten

The Lofoten archipelago is located above the Arctic Circle, the result of this situation is a period of permanent days in summer and at the opposite a period of permanent night in winter (polar night).

To organize properly your trips and expedition in this region, it is important to take this phenomenon into account due to the high latitude. Discover our sunset/sunrise calendar

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