WILDERNESS ACTIVITY. Members and activists from Sweden’s Nest 5 visited the southwestern forests of Dalarna on Saturday 15 April to set up camp by one of the region’s lakes.
The comrades gathered in a forest outside Ludvika on Saturday to begin the trip. Before the initial briefing, everyone prepared their equipment for the long day ahead.
Next, the Nest’s wilderness activity organiser gathered the party for a joint briefing and went over the itinerary for the weekend. The briefing outlined the weekend’s schedule of hiking, navigation and camp-building, as well as emphasising the necessity of having a good mental attitude.
The first aspect that needed to be addressed was navigation. The organiser presented the map and used a compass to explain how to reach the intended destination. Everyone then had to quickly replicate what they had been taught to ensure the coming hike would go as smoothly as possible.
The march then got underway, leading the participants through varied terrain. Forest, swamps and clearings were passed as the men took turns using the compass. After many hours of walking and numerous studies of the map, the party finally arrived at the intended campsite.
Upon arrival at the site, the heavy packs were thrown to the ground and the camp-building got underway. The comrades were divided into their respective Activist Groups in order to be delegated specific areas of responsibility. The first and second group collected firewood, the third group began work on a large fireplace and the fourth group started constructing the main shelter.
After almost a full day of work in these endeavours, it started getting dark. The work groups had long since been reassigned so the necessary time could be spent on building the shelter and attending to everything else required during an overnight stay in the forest.
More of the comrades got closer to the campfire as the sun and temperature dropped significantly. By the time the fire had sufficiently provided everyone with food and a little warmth, it wasn’t long until midnight. All the participants then began to crawl into their sleeping bags in anticipation of the following day.
When morning came, the first thing the Resistance men did was start another fire. After the dew receded and breakfast had been consumed, all the personal equipment was packed away in preparation for departure. About an hour before lunchtime, the hike back to the cars began, with everyone walking back at a fast pace via the gravel roads winding through the forest.
Before parting ways, the organiser gave a brief summary of the trip, in which he summed up the weekend and invited the participants to describe what was good and bad about the trip. Afterwards, everyone said their farewells in anticipation of upcoming adventures!
