5 Days Winter Camping in Extreme Cold -25℃ | Hardanger Plateau late January 

Thanks. It truly was a great experience 👌

Thanks, it was a great trip ❄️

Thanks 🙏

Hey Holmen 😀 Thanks, I appreciate it a lot. Yes, it takes time, but it’s fun to document the trip. Hope you’re doing well my friend 🙏

Takk for det, Emil 😊

Going out on a one week adventure in two days :) So there is more to come.

I’m glad to hear that 👍 Thanks for letting me know 👌

Thanks, Soren, and thanks for such a nice comment 😃 The Hardanger plateau is a great place for winter camping 👌

I love the Nanok isolation layer. It’s simple, durable and keeps you warm, but the set is hard to come by. Where did you get yours?

That’s so kind of you, Andrew 😃 Appreciate you leaving a comment 🙌

Thank you, Chris🤩 Congratulations! you’re so lucky to have a cabin with direct access to Hardangervidda. It truly is a beautiful place both winter and summer 👍 I’m glad to hear that you enjoyed the video 😃 Have a great weekend.

It definitely was an amazing trip 👌 Thanks for that. Are there any new videos in the pipeline from your side?

@@HikingHansen Just working away on a 10 day canoe trip through Wabakimi. Should be finished it this weekend hopefully. Maybe post next week if all goes to plan. Looks like you put your gimbal to use on this video?!? You had some super smooth footage however you got it. Looked great.

@@CanoeTheNorth Nice 👌 I’m looking forward to seeing it. Yes, I used the gimbal a couple of times, but I had some trouble with the motors functioning properly because of the cold. It’s always challenging to work with electronics in cold temperatures.

Thanks 🙏 That’s so kind of you. Winter is great, as long as you have the right clothing and equipment - if you choose to go winter camping 🥶 Sure thing, I will 🙌

Awesome! It’s such a great place for winter camping. What’s your plan?

@@HikingHansen Finse to Ustaoset or to Haugastol. Camping in my tent. Should be fun. Be safe.

@@Vladimiradventurephotography Sounds like a great plan. From March and towards Easter all of the trails are marked with sticks, so yes, it’s safe and easy to navigate. If you’re not documenting the trip the hike from Finse to Ustaoset takes about two day’s. I can also recommend going the opposite way (North) and head into Hallingskarvet national park - you can still end up in Ustaoset. I think the scenery is a bit more dramatic and the area isn’t that crowded 👍 Let me know if you need any help planning the trip 😉

@@HikingHansen Thanks! I'll check out northern trails too.

Thanks, Sam 🙌 It was a great experience. I always add a couple of degrees to the EN 13537 rating, and especially after using the sleeping bag for a couple of days. It’s kinda unique to take the train to Finse. It’s only accessible by train and has no roads. Thanks, you too 😃

Thanks 😊 No way? Only a bivy bag in February, gosh that sounds like a cold and wet experience. The hardanger plateau is a beautiful place for summer and winter hiking. I’m definitely going back this winter as well 👍

@@HikingHansen my bad, I've meant "with tent / without cabins" 😅 I would be probably dead in a bivy bag with the weather up there. For me, it will be some Swedish snow this year, or (if lucky with the schedule) will I go for a greenland ski trip, depending on my friend's availability. Best of luck in the Hardangervidda, stay safe 🙏

Takk for hyggelig tilbakemelding, det setter jeg stor pris på. Hardangervidda er virkelig flott, både sommerstid og vinterstid. Det er undervurdert å ha med bord på tur. Fint å få brenneren litt opp fra bakken (gitt at det er god nok takhøyde). Ser frem mot ny sesong i vinterfjellet igjen ❄️

I think most people getting off the train at Finse were heading to the hotel or to the cabins. We were alone on the train station after a couple of minutes. The MSR gas didn’t work very well - as expected - but it was the only gas we had at the time. Great observation though 😉

At that time there is always a lott of people,

Thanks, Brian. That’s a great trick 👍 The bottle tends to be all over the place in the arctic bedding 😊

Thank you, Colin 🫶 She’s doing great. We celebrated her second birthday the other day. It was too cold for her to join us on this trip, but she wasn’t too happy seeing me leaving home with all of the equipment without her. But, the Easter week we’re heading back out in the mountains for a week. She will join us then 🐶 enjoy the weekend 🙌

Wow! Only two years old! I bet she went crazy when you returned home from your trip 😂😂, lovely dog! Cheers 🍻👍

Thanks 🙏 I have no idea actually 🤷‍♂️ we tend to bring too much gear, and especially on trips where distance isn’t an issue.

It was a cold experience, I can tell you that. Filming in these conditions was even colder 😄

Talk for det, Stein-Evert 😀 Ja, det var litt av en tur. Deilig å kjenne litt på kulden, men det er til tider utfordrende med kamerautstyr og kondens 😅 Neste tur blir ikke før til påsken

Da får vi krysse fingrene og håpe på finvær 👌 Påsketur på vidda blir flott

Thanks, that’s so kind of you. The Hardanger plateau is a place you definitely should visit some day. I’ve been there so many times and keep returning. I agree that multi day adventures are more interesting. Think I’ll visit a new national park Easter week, but that’s five weeks from now. The red jacket is from a brand called Amundsen. I don’t think they sell the cotton anorak anymore, but they have similar products 😉

@@HikingHansen Thanks very much. I’ll look forward to the video of the your new national park exploration 👍

Thank you 🙌 off course I can share more tips during the trip. I recently started speaking my native language (Norwegian) in my videos, but I will put in English subtitles in all of them. It feels more natural than speaking English ☺️ Condensation is an issue on longer trips. In the latest video I posted I tried out a vapor barrier bag. I think that’s the solution. It’s quite okay to sleep in as well.

Hi, Frank. The fabric around the sleeping bag is called arctic bedding. It’s made from nylon with a silicone coating - much like tent fabric but with thicker treads. Everything worked great in -25 except for the electronics ☺️ So filming in these conditions was a struggle. The biggest challenge over time is keeping the sleeping bag dry. After a couple of days the bag began to loose loft and felt damp.

I’m glad to hear that 😃 That’s a tough one. The Saitaris is a 4 person tent and the Svalbard is a 6 person tent, so it’s not the same. If you compare Helsport’s Svalbard 3 with Saitiars I would go for the Saitaris. If you need the space, Svalbard 6 is the tent for you. In my opinion, both Hilleberg and Helsport make great tents. There’s one thing I wasn’t too excited about when it comes to the Svalbard 6, and that is the vestibule, it was way too small compared to the size inner tent.

Thank you so much! Regarding the parka, it's from Amundsen Sports. It's served me well on many winter trips :) Cheers back from Norway!

Thanks, Andrew 🙌 The boots have integrated gaters, I guess that’s why they look so insulated. You can buy a polar edition of the shoes and they are heavily insulated. I only have the Alfa Outback edition.

Hello! Thank you 🙌 using a dedicated bag for the sleeping system has become quite normal in Norway. The original model was called Arctic Bedding, and is made by a Piteraq. Different brands like Fjellpulken has also started making these kind of bags. It’s a fantastic way to keep the sleeping pad inflated and the sleeping bag ready for the night.

Thanks, Kurt 🙌 I really like the shoes from Alfa (Outback APS or Polar). Recently Rottefella came with a new binding system (Xplore). Curious to try that out one day 🧐 I’ve seen many tourists coming to Norway with alpine touring kit. I can only imagine how demanding that can be - if you don’t have a kite though. I prefer having both. Since Hardangervidda is so flat, I usually go for the rope (with the bungee cord) just because it’s more comfortable. And for downhill, definitely the fixed pole system 👌 Cheers 🍻

I just returned from an 8 days Hardangervidda tour where I had an NNNBC set (Alfa Guard, Rotofella magnum binding, Fischer OTX 78 crown/skin) and an alpine backcountry set (Scott superguide 95). I used the Alpine set in powder for 2 days. As a beginner NNNBC user, I did not feel too much difference (now the Scandinavian friends can through stones on me :), but I am sure that with some more experience and with the right snow conditions, you can go with the Nordic set faster. Parallelly, on more hilly or alpine conditions, alpine BC skis are definitely more practical.

@@ilpee I agree with you. The cross country skis are probably better in flat to

Thanks, Sylvain. I truly enjoyed reading your comment - one of a kind 🙏 I recently bought the MSR stove. This was actually the first time I was using it. Before I left I took a cutting board from the kitchen and modified it into a stove plate. It feels more safe to have it attached to something, especially since we use it inside the tent. We borrowed “the monster” from Helsport before we left. It’s categorized as a basecamp tent made for 6 people, but we concluded that it’s a spacious two person tent 🤭 You should check it out (Svalbard 6). Helsport makes really good tents for all conditions. The poncho is a multi purpose isolation and waterproof bag. In Norway we call it fjellduk (mountain bag). The one I used is from a Fjellduken and the one that my friend wore is from Helsport - it’s quite popular here in Scandinavia. Again, thanks for the comment. I love talking about gear, so keep ‘em coming 🙌 Cheers 🍻

@@HikingHansen thanks a lot for the detailed response ! Cheers 🍻

@@bonpecheur4565 The pleasure is on my side, Sylvain😀 Btw, sorry for spelling your name wrong in my last reply. I will correct that immediately.

The helsport doesn’t seem to compare to hillerberg fabrics though?

@@AJ_Alive it’s hard to tell, but I think Hilleberg operates with three layers of silicone on their fabrics, and Helsport two. I believe that the tear strength is similar on both since they have the same 40D fabric, but it’s only speculations from my sides 🤷‍♂️

Actually we just need a full gear video, breaking down your whole winter backpacking kit. I’d love to get the insider knowledge of each piece of gear and how you like it!

Thank you 🙏 The gloves are from a Norwegian brand called Brynje (expedition mittens). I can consider gear videos in the future. Thanks for leaving a comment, I appreciate it 😃

Thanks for the comment. According to the Norwegian site “varsom.no”, small lakes are safe already now (green). Green color indicates ice thicker than 10 centimeters. Big lakes are marked as yellow (not safe yet). Check the site before you travel to Finse and enjoy the trip 👌

@@HikingHansen Thank you! Much appreciated.

Thanks, Christian. Dovrefjell is nice. Where are you planning to go? The pants are from the military. They are called Nanok SF.

@@HikingHansen I'm planning to photograph the Musk Oxen at Dovrefjell so I'll be wandering around looking for them :D

@@christianbailleul I’ve seen them ones, beautiful animals. I’m heading up to Dovre myself late march (Easter trip). Hope you will be able to find them 😊

Thank you, Martin 👌 The system I bought from Acapulka is made for the Paris Expedition pulk. Or, the pieces that connects the wire system to the pulk is purposely made for the Paris model. I think it works quite well, but personally I prefer rope + a bungee loop in the senter. It’s just more comfortable and easier to get things from the pulk on the go without taking of the backpack.

@@HikingHansen Pros and cons with everything I suppose…Myself, I really try to avoid ropes as much as possible since I find it a real pain going downhill🙈. I’m looking into getting a new pulka from Jemtlander (the guys behind Hilleberg) but need to have a shaft that I can fold so the Acapulka/Paris setup might be an alternative. Anyways, thanks for the reply and looking forward to the next video!

@@Martin.Edling I totally agree that rope + downhill isn't the best combination - that's why I always bring both systems. The Jemtlander seems like a hybrid between Acapulka and Paris Expedition - good choice. It's not that many who know about the Jemtlander. I think I stumbled upon Bo Hillebergs side project only two years ago.

Great tip, I have to try that out 👍

I dry liner socks on my bare stomach with my body heat under clothes overnight.

Hei Atle 😃 Ja, turutstyr er veldig gøy. Er det gassbrenneren du tenker på? Det er i så fall MSR sin Reactor. Supereffektiv snøsmelter, gitt at du har med vintergass 😅 Eller er det lampen du tenker på? Det er BioLite sin BaseLantern XL

Ah, var lampen ja, litt rar vinkel så derfor jeg lurte. Takk👍

Hi! I prefer to have both. In my opinion, the rope is much better in flat terrain - like most parts of the Hardanger plateau - but as soon as its gets steep, the poles are much more predictable. The positive thing about rope and downhill skiing is that the rope and the carabiner can work as a anker to reduce the speed. Both works well :)

@@HikingHansen Good to know for when I build my pulk. Thanks for the response

It’s called “fjellduk” in Norway. A waterproof fabric with isolation 👍

I love this tent. We were able to bring both pulk bags and a table inside. For us this was a spacious two person tent😅 I haven’t seen inside the VE 25 IRL, but it seem like a spacious tent. I think both brands has a lot offer. For example, I think Helsport has better zippers - especially on their winter tents. Hilleberg tends to freeze and can sometimes be hard to open. I also like the snow skirts on the Helsport tent. I know Hilleberg states that you don’t need it, but I think it’s easier to close all of the small holes that leads to snow filling up the outer tent. What’s your thoughts?

@@HikingHansen Thank you for your feedback and reply! No experience with Hilleberg, either. I'm over 2m tall (6ft 2in) so their floor dimensions seem a little small for me. I like the external pole set up of the Helsport tents - so I think for my ski crossings (sorry, no RU-vid videos of my adventures :( ) I think the Helsport Svalbard 6 looks great. Now, how do I get one shipped to USA?! Edit: I love my North Face VE 25. No real complains except the vestibule doors are very low to the ground and you always have to crawl in. Other than that, it is an extremely tough tent and has great volume - I rarely use all of the guy lines since the pole architecture is so strong. It is also easier to break the weight up between 2 people since the tent body and fly are separate already. So - no real complains, but I'm going to try and get my hands on a Helsport Svalbard 6 if I can find one! I'd trade my VE25 + $$$ To anyone interested.

@@joshuaborchardt2475 You’re Welcome ☺️ That’s a good question 🤔 Helsport doesn’t have any dealers in the US, but it should be a way to send a tent to you. It’s a Norwegian brand so I can send them a email - if you want?

@@HikingHansen Thank you for the offer! I'm not ready to buy at the moment, but when I am, I'll be sure to reach back out. Thanks for the back and forth and hope you get some good final ski trips in for the season. Josh

I had TNF VE25 in Antarctica for 3 months. It was a great, stable, and comfortable tent. I managed to try a Helsport Fjellheimen 3 Xtreme tunnel tent recently in Hardangervidda for 8 days, and honestly, I preferred it above everything I tried in the past 20+ years for the following reasons: - Tunnel tent - you fix the poles with duct tape and you can pack the hole tent in a 200cm tent bag on top of your sled. It makes the raising of the tent and also the start in the morning so much faster than taking everything apart. - External poles are awesome, It makes not only raising much easier and faster, but also packing. The fact that internal tent is attached to the external tent you can pack and raise the tent in a rain or snowstorm without exploiting the internal tent to the weather. - Solo usage: I could erase this tent alone, even in wind and storm. - Snow skirt of the tent is really practical in snowy, stormy conditions (by my taste) - interial height was a bit more comfortable - Huge entrance room for cooking and equipment (this was so comfortable as having a separate team tent!) - Stability was amazing especially with double poles (but wind direction is important by tunnel tents. For extreme winds with changing directions, I would still bring rather a dome tent.

We could, but not with the same equipment 😅

Det var relativt gode forhold denne gangen, men ja, i løssnø kan det være en skikkelig tung motbakke 😅

Thanks for your kind words! I use a Sony a7iv camera with a Tamron 28-70 mm lens for filming. As for power banks, I use a generic one. You're right about the cold being a challenge while documenting trips. I try to keep the batteries warm as much as possible :)

thanks for the info, cant wait for my next small adventure in the austrian alps!

Ja, jeg er onkelen til Lukas 😊