The right tent for Scandinavia
What to look out for with wind, rain, hard ground and nights that never get dark
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The right tent for Scandinavia
A tent that stands perfectly well on a Dutch campsite has a real fight on its hands with the wind and rain in Norway or Iceland. Make a few choices beforehand and you’ll sleep a lot better. Here we calmly walk you through them.
Researched by Arjan from Zuidlaren, so you don’t have to · Sources: Miljødirektoratet, Miljødirektoratet, Naturvårdsverket · updated 24 October 2026 · About this page
- Choose a tent that stands firm in the wind
- Bring extra, longer tent pegs
- A dark inner tent helps in June and July
Standing firm
💨 Choose a tent that can handle wind
On the coast, up on the fjell and certainly in Iceland, it often blows hard. A tent with short, low poles and plenty of guy lines catches less wind than a tall family tent. Point the narrow end into the wind and tension every line, even when it seems calm.
On rocky or sandy ground, standard pegs sometimes hold poorly. Bring a set of longer pegs and a few sand pegs, and perhaps a rubber mallet.
| Situation | What helps |
|---|---|
| Coast and fjell | Low tent, all guy lines tensioned, narrow end into the wind |
| Rocky ground | Shorter, sturdy pegs or stones on the lines |
| Sand and dunes | Wide sand pegs |
| Lots of rain | A flysheet that reaches the ground and a groundsheet that does not stick out |
Staying dry
🌧️ Rain and condensation
In the north it can rain for days on end, even in summer. When choosing, look for a tent whose flysheet goes up first or together with the inner tent, so the inner stays dry.
Condensation is almost impossible to avoid on cool, damp nights. Vents at the top and bottom help. A small towel to wipe the inside of the flysheet works wonders.
Midnight sun
🌞 A tent for light nights
Above the Arctic Circle the sun doesn’t set in summer: at the North Cape from 14 May to 29 July, in Abisko from 25 May to 18 July. (source: Visit Norway, Visit Sweden)
An inner tent in a dark colour, or a tent with a so-called “dark room” inner, makes it a lot dimmer inside. Eye masks for the whole family are the cheapest alternative. They’re on our packing list too.
Rules
📜 Where can you pitch your tent?
A sturdy tent gives you freedom, but the right to roam differs from country to country. In short:
| Norway | A tent in open country (utmark): no more than 2 nights in the same spot, at least 150 metres from inhabited houses or cabins. Open fires in or near woods and countryside are banned from 15 April to 15 September. (source: Miljødirektoratet, Miljødirektoratet) |
|---|---|
| Sweden | A tent may stay up “ett eller några dygn” (a day or a few), not too close to houses. Whether you may light a fire is decided by the länsstyrelse or the municipality; watch out for an eldningsförbud (fire ban). (source: Naturvårdsverket, Naturvårdsverket) |
| Finland | Camping is allowed temporarily at a reasonable distance from houses. Lighting a fire on someone else’s land is not allowed without permission, and nor is off-road driving. (source: Luontoon.fi (Metsähallitus)) |
| Denmark | There’s no right to roam like in Norway and Sweden. In state forests marked “fri teltning” you may pitch a tent for one night in the same spot, with at most two tents of up to three people. Otherwise: campsites, shelters and basic overnight spots. (source: Naturstyrelsen, Naturstyrelsen) |
| Iceland | Spending the night in a motorhome, campervan or car outside campsites is not allowed. (source: Umhverfisstofnun (Environment Agency of Iceland)) |
You can read it all in detail in our right-to-roam guide and in the wild camping guide.
Quick to sort
✅ Sorted before you leave
Handy to sort out or look at straight away:
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Do I need a special tent for Scandinavia?
Not necessarily, but choose a tent that stands firm in the wind and whose flysheet reaches the ground. Bring extra, sturdy pegs.
Does it get dark in the tent at night?
Not above the Arctic Circle in summer: at the North Cape there’s midnight sun from 14 May to 29 July (Visit Norway). A dark inner tent or eye masks help.
Accountability
📚 Sources
Every number and every rule on this page comes from a source. Here they all are in one place, checked on 24 October 2026. We only mention prices if the provider publishes them itself; otherwise we refer you to the official website.
View 10 sources
- miljodirektoratet.no: Miljødirektoratet: tents and hammocks
- miljodirektoratet.no: Miljødirektoratet: lighting fires
- naturvardsverket.se: Naturvårdsverket: right of public access (allemansrätten)
- naturvardsverket.se: Naturvårdsverket: fires (eldning)
- luontoon.fi: Luontoon.fi (Metsähallitus): everyman’s rights
- ust.is: Umhverfisstofnun (Environment Agency of Iceland)
- visitnorway.com: Visit Norway: midnight sun
- visitsweden.com: Visit Sweden: midnight sun
- naturstyrelsen.dk: Naturstyrelsen: fri teltning (free tent camping)
- naturstyrelsen.dk: Naturstyrelsen: basic overnight spots and shelters
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