So today’s guest had to cancel due to an illness. So I was left with no topic, no guest and well potentially no show. Rather then gin up a last minute topic I decided to talk about a bunch of … Continue reading →
Episode-2564- Topic Round Table With Jack and Nicole Read More »
Recruiting members to your survival group was once a nearly unheard of idea. When the prepping movement really garnered top momentum at the turn of the century, most survivalists were either determined to go the lone wolf route, shied away from the use of the internet entirely or were active only under clever usernames for OPSEC reasons.
Today, prepping and survival groups abound online across all media platforms, even Pinterest, stepping out of the shadows to learn more, share more, and connect with other preppers, and without reducing important OPSEC has become commonplace.
By connecting with like-minded folks who share our same mindset and similar or more varied skill set, we become far more self-reliant and prepared to withstand whatever comes.
Surviving any type of long-term disaster is going to be a battle, make no mistake about that. There is no type of battle that you will ever fight where numbers won’t make a difference. Odds are you landed on this article because you already knew that.
It is finding the right type of people to bolster your prepping tribe that seems problematic, and not the knowledge that you need to do so to increase the chances that you are your loved ones will indeed be survivors and not become statistics in some SHTF death toll.
Are you taking a risk by letting your friends, neighbors, co-workers, and extended family know that you are a prepper? Yes.
The next steps you take when recruiting members to your survival group have to be measured, embarked upon with caution, and must be undertaken in the most intelligent and well-researched way possible.
You obviously do not want to just fly your prepper flag from your front porch, alerting everyone that you house is the one to go to or rob when disaster strikes.
There are two distinct types of people to court into your survival group: folks with skills who do not necessarily label themselves as preppers, and proud preppers in your area with which you may not be personally acquainted.
Carefully cultivated relations that are evaluated with each baby step you take when revealing that you are a prepper to skilled non-preppers and established preppers, alike.
When you are outing yourself as a prepper you do so by tipping your toe in the water and not just doing a big old cannonball in public waters. You guard your personal information and survival plan tightly, sharing only small parts when you are confident it can be done so safely, never before.
The folks you recruit to be members of your survival group must bring something to the table that will lighten your load, increase the skills of your existing group or family, and be willing to put skin in the game on a regular basis to train, enhance stockpiles, and complete vital prepping projects as a part of your tribe.
Put your best foot forward when recruiting either your first survival group member, or adding onto an established tribe. A group, a true group, will have a leadership structure that is clearly defined and approved by the founding members.
Any recruit accepted into the group must be allowed to review the governance documents and sign a document stating they understand and agree to abide by the established policy.
In additional to the foundational governance documents, a survival group should also have a policy document that details all of the rules, rights, responsibilities, and repercussions for breaking the rules of the prepping group.
All recruits must sign the document stating they understand and agree to follow all of the established rules – with the original being kept by the group and a copy being given to the recruit.
No matter how incredibly skilled and character driven a new member may seem, if he or she does not know upfront what is expected or agree to abide by those terms, you would likely have a revolt or disparity in the group at meetings, trainings, and during a disaster scenario.
Before you begin reaching out to others in any way as potential survival group recruits, you must determine what you are looking for in new tribe members, and develop a way to “grade” each person who is being considered for approach.
Making actual contact with a potential recruit before you have a plan in place to evaluate them and a set of survival group rules which they must agree to abide by is a recipe for disaster.
You must have a clearly defined set of goals for your survival group and know exactly what skills your tribe both has in abundance and is in need of the most.
Unless you have an unlimited budget, amount of land, and living quarters for your survival group, you can only take in X number of new preppers.
While it might seem like a huge score to find four new preppers who are all accomplished hunters or even medical professionals, if you are light on members who have a self-defense background or know how to grow and preserve their own groceries, filling all of your available recruit slots with preppers who share the avid hunters will leave your vulnerable in the other essential survival categories.
Another thing to take into consideration before recruiting starts is how many people each recruit would need to bring with them. It is best to complete the evaluation process outlined below entirely for each potential recruit before issuing an invite to join for even an outstandingly skilled member.
If you have space for only 10 new people total at your retreat and the first highly skilled member needs to bring four family members with him but a similarly skilled member you would meet later only needs to bring himself or a spouse, then your available space to take on more preppers would be unnecessarily reduced.
You should also consider giving the option to bring their own RV or build their own living quarters if you meet them or are contacted by them virtually after you have filled all the space you have established at your survival retreat – if natural resources available and the stockpile they will bring with them warrants such a decision.
Conduct a personal inventory of each person you are considering to recruit as a survival group member. No matter how long you have known them, even if they are flood related, put pencil to paper and review how they measure up to the essential character traits below.
To undertake such an inventory of a “stranger” prepper you meet online or at a local meet up event or militia meeting can take months.
Adding a member to your survival group is a process that simply cannot be rushed – your life will depend on the choices you make – this simply cannot be stated strongly enough.
You should plan on online, telephone, and multiple in person meetings with a potential survival group recruit that you have not known for years or are related to – in addition to shelling out about $50 for a complete background check on the person.
Top 10 Character Traits of Survival Group Recruits
The folks you choose to focus upon as survival recruits will eventually learn all of your secrets. If you cannot trust them completely, they are not only of no use, but have the capability to become well-informed enemies.
Draw several columns on a piece of paper or insert a table on a blank computer document to create a checklist to gauge each potential survival recruit’s prowess with each character trait on a scale from 1 to 10 – or print our the sample table below.
| Recruit | Integrity |
Work Ethic |
Dependability | Intelligence | Ingenuity | Decisiveness | Diligence | Dedication | Adaptability |
Ability to keep a secret |
Every member of your survival tribe must bring at least one vital skills to the group. My husband and I decided a long time ago that we would never turn away family – no matter what, even the ones we might not like if we weren’t related – not even my liberal brother.
By doing so, we knew that although each person would score high on the character traits review, many would possess few critical survival skills.
This same scenario will likely materialize when you choose to invite a highly skilled recruit into your survival group that has a spouse or significant other (and children) that do not have a well-honed skill set.
Every person in the survival group must contribute or they will simply be dead weight and another mouth to feed – both things you can ill afford during a long-term disaster.
The first part of this section will address essential survival skills and scenarios to ponder in order to estimate how the recruit will react, and what they can bring to the table.
The second section involved thinking outside of the prepping box to other more common everyday and survival homesteading skills that new members may have, or can quickly be taught and what chores they can be tasked with to free up your more skilled group members, during a SHTF event.
40 Possible Skills and Career Backgrounds of Survival Recruits
When you are recruiting new survival group members, they will likely possess multiple skills in addition to the possibility of an emergency preparedness professional background.
I highly recommend also making a chart (or printing our sample one below to use) to record and perhaps apply a grade to each recruit’s potential assets.
|
Recruit |
Skill #1 |
Skill #2 |
Skill #3 |
Skill #4 |
Skill #5 |
These skills are not directly survival related but can either be beneficial to have members who possess them in your group during a long-term disaster.
The spouses or significant others of skilled members can use these types of skills and knowledge to fulfill common daily needs on your survival homestead or prepper retreat that are important to the health, meals, and general well-being of the shared living areas and your small survival community.
Do not underestimate the benefits of creating an environment of normalcy during a SHTF event. Providing some morale boosting activities in addition to establishing some semblance of a routine home life can go a long way to preventing or reducing stress, fatigue, anxiety, and depression for everyone in the survival group.
The skills in this section also gives everyone in the survival community a job to do and something of value to contribute – even the youthful and elderly members of the group.
Remember, a highly skilled person looking for a survival group to join can be a hotly sought after commodity. To get him or her to become a recruit member of your survival group you may also have to be willing to take in their children and parents, as well.
22 Non-Survival Skills of Survival Group Recruits
When discussing both survival and non-survival skills with group recruits it is also good to add a notation to any activities or skills the person already has an interest in learning or is willing to learn as a part of their membership invitation.
It is not unusual for a group to require recruits to submit to a physical and drug test during the first stage of consideration. Each recruit should also be willing to share his or her medical records and family history of disease and illness for evaluation.
An out of shape individual, a person with a physical disability, or a person who has a chronic condition for which they must take medication does not necessarily need to be ruled out.
The skills and knowledge such a recruit brings to the table can far outweigh the physical fitness, mobility, and health issues of concern. Such issues must be evaluated on an individual basis after you thoroughly review and discuss what each brings to the table during a SHTf event.
One of our most skilled survival tribe members is a diabetic, as is one of his six children. His diabetes is far more under control than his child’s. What he and his wife both bring to the table from a skills perspective far outweighs any longevity and medical supply drain concerns any seasoned prepper could have.
Because we know about the need for insulin now, we all have time to stockpile as much as possible, have a plan to keep it from going bad if the power grid fails (when – really), and to make a natural alternative to commercially manufactured insulin.
While we won’t know how well the natural alternative will work until forced to use it, a plan is in place to deal with the potentially life threatening issue.
If all members of the survival group are expected to share in the cost of building or maintaining a prepper retreat or contributing to agree upon supply and materials purchases, getting a financial history would be incredibly wise.
Even if the recruits do not have to pool their money for specific survival retreat purchases, the group may mandate each member purchase X amount of supplies to stockpile in a locked area inside the member’s living quarters for their own personal use when the SHTF.
Some prepping groups require a credit check even if the members do not have shared expenses simply to verify the responsible nature of the recruit. In turn, a recruit may ask for verification of your financial status for the very same reason.
Once you have an in-depth view of the potential survival group recruit’s character traits and skillset, it is time to move on to see how they would react and be of value in specific types of situations you are prepping to survive.
For this part of the study, review, and intake process, you will be doing more note taking and conversing than charting on a table. First, think or write down how each recruit’s character traits and skillsets would be of value or a problem in each SHTF scenario.
You can use this same list of doomsday disaster scenarios when you do an interview with the recruit or work them the topics into conversations during face to face meetings or chats.
There are two primary ways to connect with other preppers or skilled individuals who might be preppers in the making: online and in your community.
Unless you know the person in your community is already a prepper, you will go about connecting with them differently than you would on a self-reliance social media platform, or in comments beneath a prepper story.
No matter where you live there is likely at least one natural disaster that threatens or plagues the area on an annual basis. In my region of Appalachia we deal with flooding every fall and spring.
Using a “sane” prepping topic like this one to work with your neighbors, community members, and volunteer groups to better prepare the area to deal with the twice-annual flooding is a superb way to rub elbows with folks that are dedicated, responsible, diligent, hard working, and likely possess some skills that could be useful to you.
Attend or start a group meeting, or a local survival expo that specifically deals with prepping for a common localized weather related problem.
Spend time talking with the folks at the meeting to gauge their possible skill level and interest in taking their home protection and “life assurance” efforts a few steps further.
Connect with them on social media to get a better idea of their personalities and to forge a friendship that stems beyond the initial shared goal.
Once you have a rapport established and have decided this person could be a good recruit for your survival group, start sharing a little more about your self-reliance efforts in small doses.
Can you can your own jams and jellies? Make natural remedies from foraged material? Have a target range on your land? Stocked pond? Great hunting trails?
What activities you and your group does that you could share without risking OPSEC to entice the potential recruit to learn more about your self-reliance and prepping efforts?
As the relationship develops, you will be better able to determine if the new friend is a good fit for the group and shows enough interest in being prepared to tell them you have a survival group.
From there, still with primarily baby steps, you can enlighten them about the group, if you feel comfortable and they show interest.
12 Local Groups to Join or Places to Go to Meet Survival Group Recruits
There are a few ways you can go about meeting other preppers in your area online. You could join a free or paid online group via social media or a website, visit a website with a highly active comments section or forum, or attend prepper meetups in your state.
It might be hit or miss when seeking to connect with a prepper from your area via a comments section or forum, but the odds are you will get to know other preppers from your state.
I was a little surprised when multiple readers on The Survivalist Blog who comment regularly beneath my weekly column (they are dubbed, “The Pack”) were not only from my state, but lived within a short drive (in rural folks terms) from our survival retreat.
Prepping websites that require you to join either for free or a nominal cost offer a space for survivalist to connect with each other to recruit for prepping groups and to share valuable tips and hints.
Top Prepping Connection Websites
Top Prepper Groups On Social Media
What you say, how you say it, and when you say are crucial for both OPSEC and attracting the right caliber of recruits.
Approach each new interaction slowly and never willingly share your full name, address, or specific information about your survival plan or survival group until you are ready to invite the person to become a recruit.
Protecting your personal information from anyone online is nearly impossible. If you use your real name when interacting on social media, online groups, online forums, and in the comments section of websites, all it takes is a simple Google search for anyone to find out far more about you than you are likely comfortable with.
When engaging in recruiting efforts online, I would highly recommend making up one first and last name for a man and a woman to represent your survival group.
This not only protects your personal information, but also allows every existing member of your survival group to log onto the same social media accounts and review the conversations and comments by and to the group.
When multiples from your group have access to the account it will be easier to manage timely responses and to keep the account highly active.
If you go this route, expect to spend hours setting up an online persona of a prepping couple that depicts what your self-reliance lifestyle is all about without giving away any personal details.
You should like and interact on all the pages, groups, photos, etc, that appeal to you to round out the faux prepping couple’s persona.
Include photos to make the persona appear highly authentic, but do not show expose the faces of anyone who poses in them or any distinguishing attributes of your survival retreat. Google Earth searches are quite advanced, a fact worth remembering.
Unless the online group you are in is localized or state-specific, you have to narrow down your potential recruit pool to a reasonable geographic area. Make a log of every person a member of your survival group interacts with that includes checking out their profile to find out their location.
Begin a folder on any person of interest that lives close enough to be a prospective recruit. Print out or copy and paste all interacts with the person, and other details and photos you can find related to them on social media or via online searches that sheds more light on who they are.
Increase your group interactions with this person, tag them in comments or send them survival related tidbits or other funnies they might enjoy on a consistent but not overwhelming or stalking basis to establish more rapor and create a real online friendship.
If the second stage goes well and creates more interaction that proves out your theory of their potential recruit status, begin chatting with them privately online or via texting.
Start these conversations with questions they might be able to help you with that are survival related, or sharing of a garden or gun photo privately – telling them you thought they would like to check it out but the image wasn’t something you wanted to share publicly for OPSEC reasons.
Gauge their response to OPSEC and the topic the carefully chosen photo is about to again to learn more about this potential recruit.
Ideally, there should be at least a phone conversation between you and the recruit before moving forward with information about your survival group.
You could message the person and ask that they call you if they have not yet shared their phone number, because you needed some tips on a project that was simply too long and detailed to message about. Not being willing to give up a phone number at this stage should not be a deal breaker.
Since you live near each-other, consider sharing information about a gun show, training class or something that would seem of interest to the person, and invite them to attend so you can have a casual meeting in a public space.
If no such event is occurring and you are certain you want this person in your group enough to risk OPSEC, you could set up some type of a training at your place with only other group members in attendance, and invite your new online prepping pal.
Renting space at a campground or similar area to hold a training of some type is also an OPSEC worry free option, as well.
Whichever way you decide to communicate, private message, phone, or in person, now would be the time to have an introductory conversation about you being part of or the leader of a survival group. Hopefully, the response will be, “Wow, really?” and followed up by questions that rely interest in joining.
If this conversation takes place on the phone or at a public event and goes well, schedule a time to go have a drink or bite to eat or hit the shooting range with the recruit and a handful (not an overwhelming number) of group members to give the recruit a better sense of the dynamic of the group.
At the second conversation or meeting, bring along some type of a welcome gift for the recruit that showcases the skills and offerings your self-reliance tribe has created together.
This could be dehydrated fruit or vegetables that you grew, quality compost that you cultivated, a little ceramic or leather item that someone in the tribe made, a homemade bow out of PVC that was part of youth training, deer jerky, a little off grid or campfire cookbook of the group’s favorite recipes, etc.
If the recruit has a family, make the second meeting a gathering with other spouses and children to again, better showcase the dynamic of the group and this time to allow a full meet and greet with all group members that are willing to attend.
Perhaps at this meeting it will be time to go over the group governance and rule book, only you will know if that stage has been reached or if such things should still be relayed just verbally in broad strokes.
It may take additional meetings either away from or on the prepper retreat before the survival group is ready to hand out the formal paperwork and turn the recruit into a member.
Always use caution when bringing recruits to the survival retreat or giving a full tour. It is not necessary to do so until the final meeting where group paperwork is shared.
This “getting to know you” phase will likely takes weeks or months. You might want to approach this person quickly about joining the group because they seem like a perfect fit and as we all know, the S can HTF at any moment.
But, do not rush this process. Think of it as dating. You would not ask someone to get engaged or move in with you after just knowing them a few weeks or even 60 days, right?
The relationship you are cultivating with this person who was just an online stranger a few days ago, is geared to a possibly lifelong cohabitation – one in which your life might just be in their hands.
How to Recruit Members to Your Survival Group Read More »
I recently went on a day hike in the desert and brought my Camelbak M.U.L.E. I’ve had this pack for at least ten years, maybe more. It’s been a good companion, holding 100 oz in the bladder and a few other items. Before my hike I had wanted to pack a rain jacket but didn’t have the room. Climbing over rocks later on, I got hot but didn’t have the space to stow my fleece. Then it rained on me. It was evident I needed something with more storage space that was still light. I wanted something that was good quality but not covered in MOLLE webbing. I love bags, so any excuse to get a new one is good enough for me!
By J. Bridger, contributing author to SHTFblog and Survival Cache
Enter the Osprey Talon 11. If you’re looking for a day hike pack, an everyday carry bag, or an innocuous pack for a grab-and-go bag, this is a good contender. It’s lightweight, comes in two sizes, has enough capacity to carry your essentials, and has a great suspension system. It will carry whatever you put in it comfortably. It has good back ventilation, a sternum strap, and a hip belt. Let’s take a closer look!
I mentioned the Osprey Talon 11 comes in two sizes: you have Small/Medium and Medium/Large. Confused? Me too. Moving on. It comes in several colors: Black, red, bright green, blue, and yerba green. I chose yerba green, which is similar to a dark olive drab. An added bonus is Osprey’s All Mighty Guarantee. I appreciate good customer service, and steer clear of companies that don’t share that sentiment. If your pack needs repaired, they’ll fix it, doesn’t matter how or when. Simple!
The S/M has 9 liters of storage and the M/L has 11 liters. It’s on the small side for a day pack. If it were any smaller, I’d want a bigger one. The Osprey Talon 11 has one main pocket, and a separate pouch for a water bladder (sold separately). It can accommodate a 3-liter bladder (though keep in mind this will limit how much you can fit in the main pocket). My 3L Hydrapak takes up a substantial part of the pack’s capacity. That’s okay, I bought this pack mainly to carry water. I can cram 3 full size bath towels into it, if that gives you any idea of its capacity. It can hold my day hike loadout with a little room to spare: 3L Hydrapak, down jacket, rain jacket, beanie, headlamp, Spyderco PM2, bic lighter, water tablets, Chapstick, handkerchief, compass and map, and 6” Emergency Trauma Dressing.
The Osprey Talon 11 pack is loaded with features, almost too many. I don’t like having loops hanging off the pack to snag. Luckily, I was able to remove some of them without damaging the pack. I can reattach them later if I decide I want to; I really appreciated this feature. Inside the main pocket is a mesh pocket with a clip for your keys. I can nearly fit my spread-out hand inside; it’s a good size. On the front flap, there is a top pocket that is a little larger than the inside pocket. If your pack is stuffed full, these will really only accommodate flat items. On either side of the pack are two elastic pouches. These are too small for a 1L Nalgene but will hold one of the smaller, thin walled 17-ounce water bottles perfectly. There is a cinch strap on each side that you can place over the side pouch or tuck inside.
The hydration compartment has a buckle to hang your bladder. You can get into this pouch without opening the main compartment. A small handle is sewn on top of the Osprey Talon 11. On the front of the bag is a neat device you can use to attach a helmet. This would be great for biking, kayaking, or outdoor climbing. I was able to untie this and remove it without permanently damaging anything. There is a generous amount of shock cord underneath, which I like. It’s a great place to hang wet socks to dry. The compartment buckles at the top, allowing you to stuff something larger inside, like a shirt. Below this are two slots for a bike light.
The sternum strap has a built-in whistle that works surprisingly well. This is a great addition that shows how much thought was put into the Talon. If you’re lost, you can blow the whistle instead of yelling (it’s louder and saves energy). The hip belt is one of my favorite features of this pack; they are made of breathable material and have a generously sized pocket on each side. They can be a little difficult to get into when you’re wearing the pack, but it’s far from impossible to access. These hip belt pockets are perfect for holding a compass, Chapstick, and Cliff bar. The hip belt is easy to tighten and loosen; Osprey really did an awesome job here.
The shoulder straps are comfortable and have lots of adjustment. There are two usable elastic loops on each strap, perfect for hydration tube routing. On the left strap, there is a long skinny elastic pouch sized just right for a pocket knife or a Surefire G2 Nitrolon-sized flashlight. It’s too narrow for a cell phone, and I wouldn’t want to cram my Wiley-X’s in there. Also, on the left shoulder strap of the Osprey Talon 11 pack is a short piece of shock cord to secure your hiking poles, with the help of a loop hanging off the bottom left side of the pack. I won’t use this feature, so I easily removed both to keep things simple. Lastly, on the right side of the pack is an ice axe attachment. I also won’t be needing this, so I tucked the loop up under the front flap and removed the shock cord.
This bag is well thought out and could easily fill many different roles. I intend to use it as a day hike pack, but it could also be used as a range bag, everyday carry bag, laptop bag, canyoneering or small climbing bag (It holds a 45-meter static line, harness, and has a helmet attachment point), or a go bag. It’s also small enough to be a carry-on personal item for a weekend flight. The Osprey Talon 11 is lightweight, well built, and has an awesome warranty. You really can’t go wrong with this one!
Specs:Weight: 1lb 6oz (22 oz)
Capacity: Medium/Large = 11 Liters. Small/Medium = 9 liters.
Features: hip belt, sternum strap, helmet attachment, hiking pole attachment, ice axe attachment, hydration compartment.
Cost: $100
Hip belt and pockets
Ventilated back
Lightweight
Packed with features
Cons:
Doesn’t come with a bladder
Gear Review – Osprey Talon 11 Pack Read More »
The best EDC flashlight is the one you will actually carry everyday and will work when you need it. Here’s what you need to look for…
You’re reading 9 simple tips you need to buy the best EDC flashlight, originally posted at Graywolf Survival – Emergency preparedness from a Counterintelligence Agent by Graywolf.
9 simple tips you need to buy the best EDC flashlight Read More »
When backpacking I like to pick the treats which nature has on offer along the trail. However, this time I went out with Minna from Arctic Sky to pick berries, search for mushrooms, and then create a tasty 3-course meal out of it!
Disclosure: This trip was supported financially by the Arctic Outdoor project. As you know: I’m keepin’ it real and tell you how it is – I maintain full editorial control of the content published on Hiking in Finland. Read the Transparency Disclaimer for more information on affiliate links & blogger transparency.
We rolled into the Arctic Sky parking lot and I immediately felt like this is a good place. Beautiful wooden buildings, a herb garden on the side, and a traditional Kota being built to gather in in the evenings. Minna welcomed us in, and it almost felt like I entered my own home. Minna and her partner Aarno have built this small resort – ten people can stay here – from 400 year old lumber which they picked up in southern Finland and transported here to the far North, and then continued to decorate their house and the Guesthouse in a wonderful cozy style, from the hand-made woolen socks which you can slip into at the door to the beautiful animal prints which give each of the five guest rooms their names. Yes, you can stay at Arctic Sky, but I was here for an introduction to nordic Herbs and then some searching and cooking some wild food, as part of my Polarlife Outdoors experience.
So after a look through the cozy house we shouldered our packs, grabbed each a woven basket and headed into the woods to find some Mushrooms, pick berries, and hike to a Laavu to prepare our findings into a tasty meal.
We hiked on the Ruijanpolku, a trail I didn’t exist, and which is a rather old and long trail. I might need to return to go backpacking on it some day in the future, but right now I was more occupied with finding tasty mushrooms and bilberries for our desert. It’s funny how I can completely can zoom-in on searching mushrooms, and the hunter & gatherer in me is also one which isn’t happy with having a full basket of mushrooms – I always want to find more ????
After a very successful search for mushrooms, and learning to identify a few new ones (that is one of the benefits of going mushroom picking with someone!) we arrived at a very wonderful Laavu next to a lovely stream. We weren’t alone, though – many dayhikers enjoyed this beautiful spot, eating snacks, drinking tea, and grilling sausages. Also, I made a new friend.
While I was busy snapping the next Konsta Punkka image Minna was busy preparing our food.
The smell of mushrooms which sizzle over the fire in a pan is something so mouth-watering, just the thought of them makes me want to grab my coat and head out into the forest to go find some mushrooms!
But while the mushrooms were frying in the pan we ate our starter, which we prepared ourselves from the things Minna brought along. We garnished it with some of the herbs we picked in her garden, and yes, it was as tasty as it looks!
Then it was time for the main course, our fried mushrooms were served with a vegan nettle pancake and some again we could use the different herbs we picked earlier to garnish it. These mushroom pancakes were so tasty that I ate three of them – just so much to leave some space for the dessert!
A lingonberry mousse in a dark chocolate coat, together with a bilberry sauce which we prepared from the berries we picked along the way. Oh my, this indeed was a sweet finish to an outstanding meal! If you now feel hungry – then no worries, Minna is happy to take you out on a hike like this! When you stay with Minna and Aarno at the Arctic Sky Resort you can pick and choose from a great variety of activities, including the one you just read about! I definitely would recommend going with a few friends or the family, that way you can enjoy sitting in the cozy kitchen in the evenings, play some UNO or another board game, and chat while it slowly gets dark outside!
After all that tasty food and the hike back I got a ride to the Wilderness Hotel Muotka, but not to lay down and rest – nope. I did the most typical thing you can do in Finland: Going to Sauna.
Now while I didn’t much enjoy my river crossings in the Hammastunturi Wilderness, at Muotka I even went to swim in the stream several times! I reckon if a warm Sauna and dry clothes are waiting for you, going into a cold stream is less of an issue ???? Obviously going to chill by a fireplace in the sun afterwards makes a dip in the cold stream even less of a problem.
I stayed in Saariselkä, which is probably THE place to be when you want to explore the North-Eastern corner of Finnish Lapland – or you stay at Arctic Sky if you want to be enjoy a more silent stay. Besides a dozen or more options for accommodation options – I stayed at the Lapland Hotels Riekonlinna – the village lays right at the border of the Urho Kekkonen National Park and is just a short 2 hour stroll away from the Hammastunturi Wilderness Area. This means you don’t need a car to go outdoors in Saariselkä, as you can walk in a few minutes from your Hotel or log cabin to the start of a trail. Here’s the full list of Hotels and Cabins in Saariselkä, and feel free to use that Affiliate Link when you’re making a reservation!
Getting to Saariselkä happens in one of three ways: You drive your car north for a veeeeeeery long time but are mobile there. Useful if you want to drive to different places, but hopefully you’re not alone in that car! The second and best option is to take the train and Bus. Taking the Bus from Rovaniemi to Saariselkä is a short and scenic 3 hour ride, and it really gets you in the mood for the outdoors as you ride past lakes and forests and every so often slow down to let the Reindeer get off the road. Taking an (overnight) train to Rovaniemi from Southern Finland is also very convenient, as you wake up well rested and just a short ride away from your next outdoor adventure. This is also a good way to travel if you want to explore Helsinki before or after a visit in Lapland. Finally, if you come from abroad you also can fly directly to Ivalo, from where you can take a bus or Taxi to Saariselkä.
Saariselkä has for a village its size a variety of different options for eating out, from Anne’s Garden which serves delicious Burgers (great for backpackers who just returned to civilization!) to fine dining at Santa’s Hotel Tunturi and Lapland Hotels Riekonlinna or the tasty Buffet at the Holiday Club. Cafe Porotupa at the market square makes really good coffee (On a side note, I’m always baffled how much bad coffee you get served in a variety of places in Finland, the World Champion in coffee consumption) and also fresh pancakes and cakes. If you rather cook yourself, then the supermarket in the village has everything you need, or if you need to stock-up on dehydrated meals for another backpacking trip then visit the Partioaitta Saariselkä, probably the most-northern Outdoor Store in Finland!
During my visit at Saariselkä I participated in many different Polarlife Outdoors activities, include going to the Sauna and Spa at the Holiday Club, hiking on one of the dozen of trails around the village, visiting the AMAZING Aurora Open Wilderness Hut when you want to see Northern Lights, participate in a wild herbs Workshop, visit a Sauna and going to swim in a stream, or rent a Mountainbike and explore one of the many single track trails and holler with joy when you ride down the fjell! During the next weeks you’ll be able to read more about my adventures in the far north and some of these activities, so consider becoming a Fan on Facebook or Twitter to not miss the next instalments!
Support me on Patreon and get some useful rewards (like hanging out on Discord with me, and Discount codes for kit from partners!) or buy me a coffee – I work Full-Time on Hiking in Finland to bring you inspiring trip reports, in-depth gear reviews and the latest news from the outdoors. You also could subscribe to the rarer-than-ever Newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Twitter, Facebook and Youtube for more outdoorsy updates!
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Spending all your time on money on supplies and gear could be a deadly mistake. Learn survival and prepping skills instead – here’s why…
You’re reading Adapt or die: Why you need more skills and less stuff, originally posted at Graywolf Survival – Emergency preparedness from a Counterintelligence Agent by Graywolf.
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What was anyone not thinking? In fog with no navigation system or marine radio. CHICAGO — The Coast Guard located a motor vessel with 49 people aboard after one of the passengers called 911 stating she was concerned that the operator … Continue reading
It’s the first Nordic spa in Alberta with one more scheduled to open in Edmonton in 2020 near Fort Edmonton Park.
The Kananaskis Spa on a chilly June night
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Located behind the newly renovated Pomeroy Kananaskis Mountain Lodge is the 50,000 square foot spa. It features both indoor and outdoor spaces including a three story lodge that boasts massage treatment rooms, locker rooms, a lounge and bistro.
We were there in the evening and only availed ourselves of the locker room and outdoor facilities.
Outside are a variety of saunas including barrel saunas that can seat four to six people, a Finnish sauna and the Banya Sauna. We tried all of them!
There’s also a steam room/aromatherapy room filled with the purifying scent of eucalyptus. Numerous pools across the property include a 12°C plunge pool – which we used four times. It’s very invigorating.
There are a couple of winterized hammocks – big enough for two people. Cozy up and have a nap after all your time in the pools.
At the end of your stay be sure to visit the exfoliation room. Use the scrubbing salts followed by a shower for a feeling that will leave you fresh and relaxed. In total we spent 90 minutes in the spa – and both left feeling rejuvenated and less stressed.
John testing the water temperature of one of the hot pools at the Kananaskis Nordic Spa
A serene Rocky Mountain setting for the the Kananaskis Nordic Spa
It was a good night to warm up by the fire
I spent a lot of time lounging in this hot pool
We finished our visit with an exfoliation stop and shower
I have been lucky to visit a couple of other Nordic type spas – the Nordik Spa – Nature in Chelsea, Quebec and Thermëa Spa in Winnipeg. Both were truly fantastic but…. you had to be quiet.
Sometimes being quiet is great – but at other times – for instance on a girlfriend’s getaway where you’re trying to catch up with friends, it’s a treat to be able to chat. I don’t want people shouting in pools anymore than the next person but I do like to be able to have a conversation without feeling guilty.
Guests must be 18 years of age and older.
The Kananaskis Nordic Spa gets particularly busy on weekends and holidays. Check their Twitter page for wait times. At peak times the wait can be anywhere from 2 – 5 hours.
Normally entrance to the spa is $85+ GST per person or $70 +GST if you’re staying at the hotel.
Opening hours are 9 AM – 9 PM Sunday to Thursday, 9 AM – 11 PM Friday and Saturday.
If you get hungry, no worries. The Two Trees Bistro – called the “social hub” of the spa serves small plates and sharing platters along with herbal teas, espresso drinks and even better – wine and craft beers.
Visit the Kananaskis Nordic Spa website for more information.
If you want to enjoy an overnight getaway with the Nordic Spa just minutes from your bedroom, book the Kananaskis Mountain Lodge. With new nicely renovated rooms, you’re in for a treat. And there is so much to do in this part of Alberta, no matter what the season.
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