My name is Laura Emilie, I am 26 years old, and in September, I will begin my master's degree in veterinary medicine. Alongside my studies, I run my own business as a photographer, and my relationship with nature has mainly been tied to aesthetics.
During my twenties, through friends and acquaintances, I was introduced to nature in a new way—where it becomes a place to combine exercise and relaxation, vacation and work. I can now proudly say that I have hiked and climbed mountains in Switzerland, Norway, and Greenland. But if you ask me what makes a good sleeping bag or how to use a compass, I will look like a giant question mark.
Some wise people say that you become the product of what you say about yourself. That if you cultivate a perception of yourself long enough, you will eventually become just that.
I have always said that I am not particularly outdoorsy. That I am too scared of spiders, that I can't go to the bathroom in the woods, and that I have no clue how to start camping in a tent. What should my first trip be about? What equipment do I need? How do you actually become outdoorsy?
Another wise person, my older brother, once told my mom when I was just two years old: "It’s as if, if you tell Laura there’s something she can't or shouldn’t do, she’ll do exactly that." And with that same mindset from nearly 25 years ago, I decided to challenge my own self-perception.
The last thing that should hold me back from something I find exciting is my fear of being bad at it—or of being a beginner.
So, to really throw myself into deep waters, I needed a challenge where there was no easy way out. That’s why I signed up for Fjällräven Classic Sweden—the oldest and longest Classic trek. 110 kilometers through tough terrain, to be exact… And as the cherry on top, I promised myself I would climb Kebnekaise, Sweden’s highest mountain, since I was already in the area.
A challenge like this cannot be tackled without preparation. It requires diving into the essentials of being on an outdoor adventure. It requires acknowledging that I know absolutely nothing and that I need to learn everything from scratch. From setting up a tent and staying warm to my personal worst nightmare: how to go to the bathroom in nature. Not a single cell in my body was looking forward to that experience—so I knew this was exactly the adventure I had to embark on!
At the Large Animal Hospital in Taastrup, I shared my crazy idea with my good friend Clara, who immediately jumped on board. We bonded over our shared concerns about stepping into the outdoor life.
What if we bring the wrong equipment? What if something breaks? What if we get lost?
Together, we would learn everything we needed to become better at outdoor adventures!
We had big ambitions for multiple practice trips—where we would test equipment, get our legs used to long distances with heavy backpacks, and sleep outside. But out of the eight planned trips, only two became reality. And on one of them, I forgot my sleeping mat. Let’s just summarize by saying that I quickly realized that a sleeping mat is not just about comfort. Holy sh*t, I have never been so cold before! I think I slept less than two hours that night. But, like with anything else when you're a beginner, you have to let go of your pride, admit that you know absolutely nothing, just start trying, and learn from every experience—good or bad.
For us, it helped a lot that we were out with KludUd, so there were plenty of kind, experienced people with us who could share their tips and tricks.
I highly recommend taking your first outdoor trips with others. From my experience, the outdoor community is incredibly kind, welcoming, and more than happy to share their knowledge and love for nature.
So far, we have learned that a water bottle filled with warm water works wonders as a sleeping bag heater, that a sleeping mat is essential for insulation, and that there is no shame in asking for help—two, three, or forty times—if there's something you're unsure about or have never tried before.
We are looking forward to gaining even more experience on our big adventure soon —and we can’t wait to share it with you. Stay tuned!
