A HOME AWAY FROM HOME
Prolific hiker, skier, kayaker and double Swedish Adventurer of the Year winner Lina Hallebratt has spent over 1500 nights in Hilleberg tents. Here’s why she trusts them on the toughest of expeditions...
TWICE NAMED Swedish Adventurer of the Year, Lina Hallebratt (linahallebratt.se
/ @linahallebratt) is no stranger to tough expeditions in extreme conditions. She has skied the White Ribbon – a 1500km route across Sweden from Grövelsjön in the south to Treriksröset in the north – eight times.
She has also paddled the Blue Ribbon, the entire 2300km Swedish coastline from the Norwegian border to the Finnish border, and hiked the so-called Green Ribbon, which follows the same route as the White Ribbon, but done in the warmer months. In 2015, she even completed the trio of expeditions back-to-back – the first person to ever do so.
Despite her passion for her homeland, Lina’s adventure exploits haven’t been limited to Scandinavia. She has crossed the Alps on foot, hiking 2800km through all eight Alpine countries – Austria, France, Germany, Italy, Liechtenstein, Monaco, Slovenia and Switzerland – after which she took a ferry to Corsica and hiked the GR20, one of Europe’s toughest trails. And, as if that wasn’t enough, she then cycled back home to Sweden. Lina has also hiked the 4270km Pacific Crest Trail (PCT) in the USA and walked 3000km across the Carpathian mountain range, travelling from the Czech Republic through Slovakia, Ukraine and Romania to the Serbian border. But what is it that draws her to such expeditions?
“There is something special with nature and the force of it,” says Lina, who grew up on a small farm in Trångsviken, Jämtland, in northern Sweden. “You can’t put your finger on it, but it is healing. In the outdoors, for every challenge, you manage to do it, because you have to, and you feel better, and you grow. The best thing about being outdoors is that even if challenges are hard, you can always succeed. I’m the best version of myself when I’m outdoors. I find harmony, I’m so happy, everything is good.”
For over a decade, Lina has relied on Hilleberg tents for her adventures – and has spent an estimated 1500 nights sleeping in the Swedish brand’s shelters. She has used several models, including the Keron, Nammatj GT, Staika, Enan, Anjan and Niak, depending on the weather conditions and type of activity she is undertaking. What is it she loves about Hilleberg shelters?
“I’ve used HIlleberg tents since 2012,” says Lina, who tends to spend at least six months of each year out on adventures with her tent. “They are my home away from home, and their reliability enables me to be out for so long and feel safe. Hilleberg tents are functional in all weathers and they are known for outstanding quality, which always makes me feel secure. I’ve used Hilleberg tents in all conditions, from calm summer weather to the depths of winter, and they have coped well in everything from plus 40C to minus 40C.”
On many of her adventures – including trips involving driving a sledge pulled by sledding dogs – Lina has experienced truly harsh winter conditions. In extreme storms, she dug her tents down into the snow for extra weather protection, but her Hilleberg shelters have never let her down. Lina says that weather is not a problem in the sense that she doesn’t think of good and bad weather – instead she just copes with the weather there is, knowing she has no control over it. She combines the Hilleberg equipment with her outdoors experience and expertise, such as how and where to pitch the tent, and consequently this makes her camps perfectly “safe and sound”.
Lina concludes: “It has been a great honour to have been a Hilleberg ambassador for more than 10 years.
I’ve spent over 1500 safe and comfy nights in Hilleberg tents – and I look forward to enjoying many more in the future.”