Kajaking in the Stockholm archipelago close to Uppsala - Tour & Packlist

Kajaking in the Stockholm archipelago close to Uppsala - Tour & Packlist

The Stockholms archipelago is a fantastic collection of small little islets (Skär in swedish) and some bigger islands. It is a fantastic weekend getaway from Uppsala or Stockholm on a sunny weekend and allows for a nice nature experience and amazing sunsets. This post contains a short packlist, instructions how to access the Roslagens skärgård (which is the northern part of the archipelago) and a route proposition for a three day trip.

Sunset in may

Packlist for a 3 day trip

  • Containers for 7-9 liters of water that you use for cooking, drinking and dental hygiene. Take more if you cook something that will use water. There is no possibility to fill them on the islands (except on Fejan) but they can be filled at the rental. No need to carry the actual water on the bus
  • A membrane, wind and waterproof jacket. Ideally this jacket should be in a bright color so that you can be easily spotted in the water.
  • At least two complete set of Clothes that dry fast and a dry bag to put them. Towel and stuff that keeps you warm in the evening. In May the baltic sea only has around 8 degrees and it will be around 7-10 degrees in the night.
  • A hat or a buff for sun protection, Sunscreen, sunglasses and lip protection (best with sun protection included). You will be in the sun all day with the water reflecting the sun directly in your face. Drinking enough and sunglasses are essential!
  • Tick remover. There are quite a lot of those little beasts on the islands. (They especially like irish people :D)
  • Eating gear (plastic bowl, fork, spoon, knife to cut stuff)
  • Sleeping gear with warmish sleeping bag (around 7-10 degrees comfort temperature) and mat. The former should ideally be in a dry bag or binbag as well to protect it from getting wet.
  • Toilet paper and shovel if available to hide your poo
  • Tent
  • Campstove (e.g a Trangia) and corresponding fuel and a pot
  • Compass (you will get a boat compass at most rentals so this is not immediately necessary)
  • Waterproof map (can print out yourself at lantmateriet.se, also possible that you get one from the rental)

What you get from the kajak rental

  • Buoancy aids
  • Seakajaks with paddles (double kajaks are nice to keep a larger group together and they are very stable even in high waves (~1.3 m))
  • Spray skirts
  • (Compass)
  • (Waterproof map)

Meals

3x lunch

  • Tunnbröd
  • Humus
  • Cucumber
  • Cheese

3x dinner

  • Fresh pasta with pesto
  • Chilli sin carne
  • Kokos- Potato curry

2 x breakfast

  • porridge from bananas, oats, water, honey and apples

Other stuff

  • extra dry food for emergency like cous cous for one portion
  • snacks around 500 kcal per day and person so around 3x 1500 kcal total.
  • 1 bin bag

Route proposition from Uppsala

Friday 7.11 am Uppsala Centralstation Bus 677 to Norrtälje. Tickets need to be bought in the UL app. The ticket is UL 1+2+SL. In Campus Roslagen change to bus 631X and exit at Gräddö torg. There is a kajak rental called Kajak och Uteliv on the right side of the harbor.

Return 6.36 pm on Sunday at Gräddö torg. Here the journey time is 2.22h and arrival 20.58 at Uppsala Centralstation.

The route we did including campspots and fika spots is found on Google Maps

General advice & rules

  • Swedish allemansrätt applies in the archipelago except for a few bird sanctuary islands. Be advised to not disturb nesting birds and do not camp on the yards of a house and not longer for 2 nights in a row
  • Check if you are allowed to light a fire. If it is allowed never light it directly on the rocks, they will crack.
  • Check the weather forecast on Yr.no or Windfinder. The wind and wavedirection should be used as a guide on how to go around islands (west or east/north or south). It is advisable to always be in the protection of an island.
  • Check yourself and your kajak buddies for ticks! There are plenty and they are hungry. Some of us had 20 ticks.