--- title: "The Kungsleden long-distance trek – is it worth it? Planning tips and a gear list." description: "A short report from the crossing of the Swedish Kungsleden trek, useful planning tips and a gear list for inspiration on what to pack for the trip." canonical_url: "https://gramino.com/blog/kungsleden-planning-tips-and-gear-list" last_updated: "2021-10-31" --- # The Kungsleden long-distance trek – is it worth it? Planning tips and a gear list. Authors: Martin Benc Date: 2021-10-31 A short report from the crossing of the Swedish Kungsleden trek, useful planning tips and a gear list for inspiration on what to pack for the trip. "Now or never," Kuba announces, and we run for the boat. A window has opened, the wind has eased off a little and we have quite possibly our only chance of getting to the far shore of the lake today. The waves are reaching enormous heights, the tub is leaky, the sailors heavily drunk. How this adventure turns out, nobody knows. On day one we walked 30 kilometers, we came across the blah-blah hut, we climbed over the blah-blah pass, we dipped our feet in the blah-blah lake and for dinner we had instant noodles with blah-blah flavor… That's what the opening of most trip reports looks like. Either overblown talk that leaves you half doubting it was just a day trip outside the city and not into the Amazon rainforest, or total boredom in the description of every single step, where after a few sentences you no longer know whether they hit that hut on day one or day five. In the end you find out anyway that it was day twenty of a fourteen-day trek. I'd like to sell you the Kungsleden trek a little differently. In my view most people are mainly interested in practical information and photographs, and that's what I'll focus on here. (**Spoiler alert**) The answer to the question of whether this trek is worth it is simple – yes, it really is! If that's enough for you and you don't want any more spoilers, you can go and pack right now and head north. Anyone who wants to kill some time reads on southwards. ## **Where does the Kungsleden trek actually go?** This is my seventh trip to Scandinavia, but the first time this far – all the way beyond the Arctic Circle. We planned the **trip itself for the end of August,** **or the first** **half of September**. Partly because the bloodthirsty beasts aka mosquitoes are already thinning out by then, and partly because the school holidays are over and there's a chance it won't be so packed. The main reason we leave this trip until the start of autumn you'll work out from the photos for certain. Even the great polar expeditions had the same dilemma at the pole – north, or south? **We decided to head south**. So we set out for the little town, or rather settlement, of Abisko, which lies at the very north of Sweden not far from the Norwegian border. From Abisko we then had **a route roughly 440 kilometers long** ahead of us, at the end of which sat the ski resort of Hemavan. **TIP:** You can get to Abisko by train from Stockholm with one change, and the train stops right at the start of the trail. The journey takes about 17 hours, though, so ideally plan it overnight. The way back from Hemavan is no treat either – luckily it's again just one change, this time about 5 hours by bus and the rest by train. We bought our tickets through [www.sj.se](https://www.sj.se/en/home.html). Another option is to fly all the way north to Kiruna, but that variant is a few hundred euros more expensive. We chose the route "downwards" without much thought. In the end it turned out to be the ideal choice, for one simple reason. **The Kungsleden is also known for its** **lake crossings**. There are seven of them in total and they're all located rather in the northern part. So if the weather doesn't work out for you and you get stuck somewhere a day longer than you counted on because of wind, you can still make it up in the second half of the trek. Can't paddle? You're in luck! **Apart from one lake**, where you only cross a bay about 300 meters long, you **can pay for a ride across every lake** **in a motorboat**. More precisely, three lakes can be paddled across using the classic rowing boats on the shore (free of charge) and four lakes you have to pay for one way or another and get your backside ferried. The price ranges between 200–300 SEK (approx. 18–27 euros) per crossing. - [Sea To Summit Ultra-Sil™ Nano™ Poncho](/p/sea-to-summit-ultra-sil-nano-poncho.md) - [Sea To Summit eVac Compression Dry Bag UL](/p/sea-to-summit-evac-compression-dry-bag-ul.md) - [Sea To Summit Head Net](/p/sea-to-summit-head-net.md) - [TheTentLab DirtSaw Deuce #2 UL Trowel](/p/thetentlab-dirtsaw-deuce-2-ul-trowel.md) - [Fizan Compact](/p/fizan-compact.md) - [Liteway UL Wallet DCF](/p/liteway-ul-wallet-dcf.md) - [TOAKS LIGHT Titanium 650 ml Pot](/p/toaks-light-pot-650-ml.md) - [Nitecore NB10000 Power Bank GEN4](/p/nitecore-nb10000-power-bank-gen4.md) - [CNOC Hydriam 500 ml 28 mm](/p/cnoc-hydriam-500-ml-28-mm.md) **You've also got one bus transfer ahead of you**. It's a section about 30 kilometers long where the trek is interrupted and no official waymarking runs along it. I recommend not passing up this comfort. By and large I don't know of anyone who'd walk that dull stretch of asphalt on foot. What's more, on the bus you get about an hour to charge your electronics. I don't remember the price exactly any more, but it was also somewhere around 200 SEK (approx. 18 euros). ## **The last wilderness in Europe – seriously?** Well, this line just about jumped out at me first on Google when I typed in the name of this legendary European trek. But how is it really? I don't quite know myself. I picture wilderness as x days without signal, without any sign of civilization – and not just in terms of huts and settlements, but also built bridges over rivers, wooden boardwalks across bogs and a brilliant system of outhouses (thank god for that one!). Even the reindeer often have bells. It's a sort of fake wilderness. Because there is one thing you can't take away from the Kungsleden: **the nature here is still pristine**, you won't come across litter, and even though on paper the elevation gain on such a long trek is rather laughable, physically it may well kick your backside. Despite the relatively maintained trail you're constantly **hopping across rocks, occasionally sinking into a bog or having to grit your teeth when the wind is shaking you like a rag**. Those are suddenly the moments where even a hut a few kilometers away is nowhere in sight and you feel completely alone. ## Shut up and take my money! "Don't buy anything, you'll get everything at the huts, and above all don't take much cash, hardly anywhere takes it anyway." – That's what friends told me before the trip. Sweden is a well-known pioneer of cashless payment and you can tell even up at the mountain huts. Even though there's often no signal or electricity, everyone has a terminal. The fact that **you can pay by card, phone, watch**… well, by practically anything, is great, but often you can't pay with the main thing, and that's coins and notes. At some huts and boats they really don't take cash. **The hut system is really well thought out, you'll find over 20 of them along the route. The longest stretch "without civilization" is a little over 60 kilometers**. If you decide to sleep in the huts, smash the piggy bank in advance and steal grandma's money from the bedside table. A bunk in a hut with no electricity and no hot water costs the same as a city Hilton. We made use of the luxury of the huts three times and at one of them we even paid around 700 SEK per person. In some places you're required to pay even for a tent in their surroundings (common in Norway too) and the price is often nonsensical (300 SEK / roughly 27 euros, easily). Because the Kungsleden is also walked in winter, when the huts are closed, there's a **decent system of bivouac shelters** built here. Usually a small cabin with a stove. Here too you should normally pay in the nearest civilization, or use the shelter only in an emergency. Well, we won't moralize and we'll leave it to each person's judgment. If you want to sleep in the huts, I recommend booking in advance at [www.svenskaturistforeningen.se](https://www.swedishtouristassociation.com/). Even outside the main season it's fairly packed here. **You don't have to haul much food with you**, however the rule that you can restock provisions at every hut no longer holds. A number of shops closed a few years ago. **Now the chance to buy works out at roughly every second hut**. **Count on the mountain markup being extreme, though**. On the whole route there are more or less only two normal shops, not counting the start and the finish, where you can shop at normal prices. I definitely recommend the supermarket in Jäkkvik, where the prices are almost the same as at a regular supermarket back home. Just to give you an idea, a six-pack of beers costs the same here as a single pint up at a hut. Another great stop for restocking supplies is Ammarnäs. ## It's worth it! And that's everything you need to know to be able to set out without any unpleasant surprises. The rest is up to you. **You can blast the Kungsleden in two weeks, but you can also spend a month on it**. At the same time it's a trek that suits "beginners" as well as experienced thru-hikers. You can hut-hop and treat yourself to "luxury", or go low-cost and haul a large part of your supplies from home. But an unbelievable landscape awaits everyone. Deep valleys in the north, then long plains full of lakes and bogs. The reindeer say goodnight here and the mornings tend to be seriously frosty. So, are you in? If you're still hesitating, I'll let the photos speak for me instead of words. ## Martin's gear - [Patizon G 400](/p/patizon-g400.md) - [Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT](/p/therm-a-rest-neoair-xlite-nxt.md) - [Sea To Summit eVac Compression Dry Bag](/p/sea-to-summit-evac-compression-dry-bag.md) - [MSR PocketRocket 2](/p/msr-pocketrocket-2.md) - [Petzl Tikka Core 2025](/p/petzl-tikka-core.md) - [Cumulus Incredilite Endurance Men's](/p/cumulus-incredilite-endurance.md) - [TOAKS Titanium 900 ml D130 mm Pot](/p/toaks-pot-900-ml-d130-mm.md) - [CNOC Vecto 2 L 28 mm](/p/cnoc-vecto-2-l-28-mm.md) - [Sawyer Squeeze SP129](/p/sawyer-squeeze-sp129.md) - [Sea To Summit Lightweight Dry Bag](/p/sea-to-summit-lightweight-dry-bag.md) - [Tyvek 150x250 cm (for 2 people)](/p/tyvek-groundsheet-250-x-150-cm.md) - [Sea To Summit Ground Control Light Tent Pegs (6 pcs)](/p/sea-to-summit-ground-control-light-tent-pegs-6pcs.md) - [TheTentLab DirtSaw Deuce #2 UL Trowel](/p/thetentlab-dirtsaw-deuce-2-ul-trowel.md) ## Gear list Like a proper pack rat I'll throw in a list of the things I had with me for the road. That'll give you an idea of what comes in handy. This **gear list was built specifically for the Kungsleden** with the expected weather, the length and the difficulty of the trail in mind. **The gear weight ranged between 6 – 7 kilos** depending on what I happened to be wearing at the time. **With four days of food and a liter of water the backpack weighed about 11 kilos**. ### Sleeping - **Tent**: Zpacks Altaplex (Spruce Green) - **Stakes**: 3x [Sea To Summit Ground Control Tent Peg](/p/sea-to-summit-ground-control-tent-peg), 1x Jurek Tri Peg, 8x 3F Ultralite Gear Titanium Peg + stuff sack - **Footprint**: [Tyvek 150 x 250 cm](/p/tyvek-groundsheet-250-x-150-cm) - **Trekking poles**: Leki Makalu Ultralite Carbon - **Sleeping bag**: [Patizon G400](/p/patizon-g400) - **Waterproof sleeping bag cover**: [Sea To Summit eVac Compression Dry Back (M)](/p/sea-to-summit-evac-compression-dry-bag) - **Sleeping pad + cove**r: [Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite NXT (Regular)](/p/therm-a-rest-neoair-xlite-nxt) ### Backpack - **Backpack**: Rebelt Lake 35 (custom) - **Camera pouch**: Rebelt Stone ### Electronics - **Camera:** Canon G7X Mark II - **Memory card:** SanDisk SDXC 128GB Ultra Class 10 UHS-I - **Tripod:** JOBY GorillaPod 500 - **Power bank:** Xiaomi Mi PowerBank 2C 20000mAh QuickCharge 3.0 2018 - **Phone:** Apple iPhone 7 Plus (+case) - **Charger:** Apple USB 5W, Baseus Mirror Digital Display 4xUSB Travel Charger 30W - **Cables:** 2x Apple Lightning to USB Cable, 1x Xiaomi USB - **Headphones:** Apple EarPods - **Electronics dry bag:** [Sea To Summit Lightweight Dry Back (8l)](/p/sea-to-summit-lightweight-dry-bag) ### Cooking, hygiene and the rest - **Stove:** [MSR PocketRocket 2](/p/msr-pocketrocket-2) - **Pot:** [TOAKS Titanium 900 ml D130 mm Pot](/p/toaks-pot-900-ml-d130-mm) - **Spoon:** Sea To Summit Alphalight Spoon - **Water bottles:** [CNOC Vecto 2l](/p/cnoc-vecto-2-l-28-mm), 1l noname - **Water filter:** [Sawyer Squeeze](/p/sawyer-squeeze-sp129) - **Knife:** Victorinox Waiter - **Headlamp:** [Petzl Tikka](/p/petzl-tikka) - **Trowel:** [TheTentLab Deuce #2 UL Trowel](/p/thetentlab-dirtsaw-deuce-2-ul-trowel) - **Wallet:** Rebelt Wall - **Towel:** McKinley cut in 1/2 + [small Sea To Summit carabiner](/p/sea-to-summit-accessory-carabiner-set-3pcs) - **Toothbrush:** Curaprox ultra soft 5460 - **Head mosquito net**: [Sea To Summit Nano Mosquito Headnet](/p/sea-to-summit-nano-mosquito-headnet) - **Sleeping pad repair kit**: [Therm-a-Rest Permanent Instant Field Repair Kit](/p/therm-a-rest-permanent-instant-field-repair-kit) - **Food bag**: [Sea To Summit Lightweight Dry Back (20l)](/p/sea-to-summit-lightweight-dry-bag) - **First aid kit**: mini scissors, dressing, bandage, plasters, disinfectant, ibuprofen, antibiotics, petroleum jelly, needle, thread, nail clippers - **Packaging**: 8x ziplock, 3x trash bag - **Other**: documents, apartment keys, respirator ## You might find this useful - [Sea To Summit Nano Mosquito Headnet](/p/sea-to-summit-nano-mosquito-headnet.md) - [Katadyn BeFree AC 1 L](/p/katadyn-befree-ac-1-l.md) - [Darn Tough Women's Bear Town Micro Crew Lightweight](/p/darn-tough-bear-town-micro-crew-lightweight-womens.md) - [DexShell Ultra Thin Crew](/p/dexshell-ultra-thin-crew.md) - [Liteway Mosquito Nethead](/p/liteway-mosquito-nethead.md) - [Liteway Pokkie Pack](/p/liteway-pokkie-pack.md) - [Kula Cloth](/p/kula-cloth-pee-cloth.md) - [Gramino SagiFlow](/p/gramino-sagiflow-ultralight-bidet.md) - [Gramino AURA Pouch](/p/gramino-aura-pouch.md) - [Gramino Ultralight Waterproof Backpack Liner](/p/gramino-ultralight-waterproof-backpack-liner.md) - [CNOC Vecto 2 L 42 mm](/p/cnoc-vecto-2-l-42-mm.md) - [Platypus Softbottle 1.0 L Platy Logo Closure Cap](/p/platypus-softbottle-1-l-platy-logo-closure-cap.md) - [HydroBlu Versa Flow Water Filter](/p/hydroblu-versa-flow-water-filter.md) - [Darn Tough Men's PCT Micro Crew Lightweight](/p/darn-tough-pct-micro-crew-lightweight-mens.md) - [Gramino Trail Slang Men's](/p/gramino-tshirt-trailslang-mens.md) - [Sea To Summit Lightweight Dry Bag](/p/sea-to-summit-lightweight-dry-bag.md) This post is also available as [HTML](/blog/kungsleden-planning-tips-and-gear-list). ## Sitemap See the full [sitemap](/sitemap.md) for all pages.