Hiking in Finland

Climbing, bikepacking, skiing & packrafting in the north

The Hiking in Finland Advent Calendar

For kids the time before Christmas is exciting. You sent in your wish list of presents to your parents Santa, in the hope that he hasn't observed you those times when you were nasty to your siblings and/ or mom & dad and only checked in on you when you were showing your best side. The waiting time till the 24th was made easier with advent calendars. As I was a kid, those contained small chocolates. Some things change (We got our son a fabulous LEGO Star Wars Advent calendar! It is for him, I promise =), and while I still have a calendar full of small chocolates today, I thought it would be fun to do something special for you - the amazing readers which make Hiking in Finland such an interesting place to be, which keep me motivated to write, film, and photograph and share my adventures.



As I have good connections to manufacturers, distributors and shops selling lightweight backpacking, climbing and biking gear, what better thing as using those connections to create the ultimate UL Backpackers/ Climbers/ Cyclists Advent Calendar? Exactly! So I set out, invested a bunch of my time to get companies and shops on board, and it is with much satisfaction that I present you

The Hiking in Finland Advent Calendar

Over the next 24 days you will be able to win each day a piece of kit. From pullovers over backpacks to climbing gear, each day one post with a sweet piece of kit goes online, and will be raffled off to a lucky Hiking in Finland reader. There will be some rules and tasks, though:

1. You only can win once. This adds a bit of a gamble to the whole calendar, and makes you take risks with when & where you post your comment. Of course if you don't win one day, you still can try your luck the next day!
2. Generally you only need to comment to participate, but on some occasions there might be additional stuff you need to do to qualify.
3. It is open to everyone. As in from Afghanistan to Zambia, I send prices everywhere. And as I pay the postage out of my pocket, don't expect priority & signed shipping for huge items.
4. If you win, and I don't hear from you by the next day via Email, you lose and it goes to the second in line.
5. Posts go online in the morning at six, and entering closes at noon 3 pm (or 15 o'clock for those who count the hours like me) - Finnish time. I then will annex the post with the winner (+ 2nd and 3rd places) to keep updates to a minimum.
6. You can't bribe me or anyone involved to win. You use the item(s) on your own responsibility. Use common sense.

That's it, really. The Advent Calendar starts on Thursday, the 1st of December. Become a Follower, subscribe to the RSS feed, follow on Facebook, Google Plus or Twitter to stay up-to-date and don't miss it!

Edit 01.12.2011:

Starting from the 2nd December the time to enter your comment will be 6 am to 3 pm (15 o'clock) FINNISH TIME. I won't consider late comments, sorry.

Disclaimer: All gear is sponsored. I pay all the shipping out of my own pocket. I am super-busy with work and family commitments, so relax if a post goes up a tad late or I don't reply an email asap.

The Week in Review

After a brief, cold, beautiful Sunday yesterday, the November misery continues. As I am swamped with work, this will be a quick and dirty edition of TWIR.



Quite some gear news this week:

LOCUS GEAR celebrates their two year year Anniversary, and has a host of specials - Check them out.

Tarptent has a new Soloshelter, the Notch.

Alpacka finally introduced a new spraydeck design which should make the packrafts a lot drier in white water.

Porcelain Rocket has a new (beautiful looking) website.

And otherwise:

Darren's Waterdragon Canyon takes the crown this week. Recommended Read.

Paradise Meadow Hike.

E4 through Catalonia.

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EKP Adventures has a new URL.

A Day Hike on Torronsuo National Park.

Bowl, Behive, Goham. Ocean Path.

Ian Battrick and Timmy Turner - Land of Fire and Ice.

Backtracking.

A Beginner’s Guide to Bushcraft and Camping - Part 1.

Don't ditch your Nalgene bottle.

Keep an eye on the Bully.

Haglöfs Ozo review.

The French Connection.

Cycling to Machu Picchu. And more Machu Picchu.

The Sauce Headwear Ventilator Headband.

Locus Gear Khufu Sil pyramid shelter and a Mountain Laurel Designs Alpin bivy.

Down and out on Gael Charn.

Red Planet.

Endura Strike Waterproof Cycling Glove Review.

Præstø to Vordingsborg; Along Sjællandsleden.

A Quick Dose: Highland Trail, Algonquin Park.

Isle of Jura: Corryvreckan Whirlpool; Breacan's Cave and Glengarrisdale Bothy.

The Berghaus Knoydart Jacket a few months on.

Holdon tent clips.

Fell?

On hiking in winter.

What Gear Do I take.

Hafod Estate – A hidden gem.

Destination: Guitar Lake.

Jain Temples of Rajasthan.

Mount Guyot and Zealand Overnight Trip Report.

Hiking, A Metaphor For Life! - 13,600 foot Mt. Bard, Colorado.

Rendezvous at Kilo Hot Springs.

ZPacks sleeping bag.