u/ryanolson23

Hey everyone,

I’m heading to Lofoten in early June and planning to do a 5-6 day crossing through the islands. The plan right now is to start somewhere near Svolvær and work south to Reine.

I know this isn’t really an official trail and more of a route you kind of piece together, so I’m trying to get a better sense of how people actually approach it.

A few things I’m trying to figure out:

First, direction. We’re planning to go north to south mostly because finishing in Reine seems like a better ending and the ferry logistics back to Bodø look easier. Is that generally the move or is there any reason people go the other way?

Second, GPX. I’ve seen a few tracks floating around but nothing that seems like “the” route. Did you guys follow a specific GPX or just stitch your own together as you went? If there’s a solid one out there I’d love to use it as a baseline.

Main goal for us is just to hit the best terrain. We want the big ridges, good mountain views, and also some of the beaches. Right now we’re planning to include the area near Svolvær to start, then try to hit Gimsøya, Haukland/Uttakleiv, and finish around Reine with Reinebringen. If there’s anything along the way that you think is a must hit (or anything not worth the detour) I’d love to know.

We’re bringing 6 days of food but thinking we might be able to do it in 5 with the midnight sun and long days. For anyone who’s done it, does that seem realistic or does the terrain slow you down more than expected?

Also planning to hang in Reine after and do a fishing trip. Has anyone done that out there? Wondering if we should book ahead or just figure it out when we get there.

Any other tips would be awesome too. Stuff like navigation, sections that are slower than they look on the map, water spacing, anything like that.

I’ll throw my lighterpack in here too if anyone wants to take a look.

Appreciate any help, this has been a dream trip for a while so just trying to get it right.

Been going back and forth on a shelter upgrade and can’t decide between the Zpacks Plex Solo lite and the Durston X-Mid Pro 1. I’ve been using an X-Mid 2 for about 3 years (~40 nights) and honestly love it, but I’m trying to cut weight and footprint for some upcoming trips (Lofoten long crossing in June, Three Sisters loop in September, and hopefully the PCT next year). The Plex looks insanely light, but I’m wondering how noticeable the tradeoffs are vs the Pro 1 in real use. Also curious about footprint, is the x mid actually that much harder to pitch in tighter spots? Is the Plex footprint actually a lot smaller or just slightly? This is the last major upgrade for my kit, either tent would put me at 8lbs for a base. Would love to hear from anyone who’s used both.