How Friluftsliv can help you Reconnect with Nature sponsored by Millican (Ad)
This is a paid partnership with Millican. All words, thoughts and images are my own.
I love spending time outdoors - it’s one of the reasons that I relocated to the countryside two years ago, leaving behind my city life in favour of being surrounded by hills and woodlands. I relish looking out of my windows and seeing the hills beckoning, whether they’re illuminated by sunshine or shrouded in an eerie mist. Whenever I can, I heed their call and head out for a long walk.
As the Norwegians say, there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing. So long as you’re wrapped up warm with waterproof outer layers, there’s no reason why you can’t enjoy hiking all year round. During winter, I always wear a warm wool jumper underneath my waterproof jacket and carry my Millican Smith backpack, filled with essentials such as a thermos of hot chai, hat and gloves, and my camera. The waxed coating of the bag ensures that all my belongings stay dry even when there’s a downpour.
When it comes to spending time outdoors, Norwegian advice and philosophies are always on my mind. Ever since I first visited Norway in the depths of winter I’ve been enamored by friluftsliv, the Norwegian concept that translates as ‘free air life’. It’s one of those Scandinavian words like fika and hygge that have much deeper meanings than their simple translations. Friluftsliv is a way of life in Norway, depicting the close relationship that its citizens have with nature, spending as much time as possible outdoors all year round. People tend to live closer to nature, echoing my current position between the forest and the hills. Even those living in Norwegians cities can easily reach the wilderness, leaving the luxuries of cosmopolitan living behind in preference of embracing the joys of nature. Norwegians prioritise the time they spend among nature, being taught from a young age to enjoy camping, swimming, hiking and skiing outdoors. Being outdoors among nature is part of daily life for most people, rather than being an oddity that marks you as an ‘outdoorsy’ person. Everyone is outdoorsy.
This isn’t a concept that is exclusive to Norway. For many years now, I’ve applied the concept of friluftsliv to my everyday life. I make an effort to spend time outdoors every single day, whether that’s a dog walk through the woods in the rain or a hike up in the hills on a blustery day. Being among nature, taking deep breathes of fresh air is my favourite way to spend time. I look to the Norwegian way of spending time outdoors as much as possible as motivation to do the same in my own life. If it’s cold and wet outside, I simply ensure that I’m prepared for the weather and remind myself that frilufstliv isn’t reserved for sunny days.
Discovering friluftsliv and learning more about it definitely helped me to reconnect with nature. I was an active child, frequently enjoying walks in the countryside with my parents but when I moved away for university I quickly became sucked into city life. There were many, many years when I barely saw the countryside, giving priority to shopping trips and drinking cocktails in bars. I lost touch with nature for a while, forgetting how it feels to walk up a hill or wander through the woods. Embracing frilufstliv helped me to reconnect with nature, reigniting my love of the outdoors and showing me that spending time outside is just as wonderful when its wet and wild as on a beautiful summer’s day.
You can’t connect with nature if you’re cooped up indoors. There’s plenty of beauty to see, even on cold, wet and windy days - but you’ll only appreciate this beauty if you head outside. A lot of the reasons why we don’t spend as much time outside as the Norwegians is our priorities seem to be different. We’d rather curl up in front of Netflix or head to the pub than go on a good long walk. Obviously walking isn’t for everyone, but you’d be surprised how much you enjoy a good long hike. I’ve dragged many friends along with me on walks who have previously claimed that they don’t like hiking - once they’re in the middle of a woods or stood admiring the view from the top of a hill, they always change their mind.
Going back to being prepared, you’re going to get much more enjoyment out of a hike if you’re feeling warm, dry and comfortable. Hiking gear isn’t all about jackets and boots however - the perfect day pack can make a huge difference. I’ve been using Millican bags for years and always recommend them to friends. Not only do their bags keep your belongings safe and dry, but their lightweight design and ergonomic straps help to keep you comfortable during your walks. The Smith roll pack is made from 65% recycled canvas and contains no plastic parts, making it a sustainable bag that I’m proud to wear. They also wear well with time - I received my first Smith bag three years ago and it’s still as good as new (I gave it to my mum when I received this new green version).
It’s currently 6pm, pitch black and raining outside. After an afternoon curled up with my laptop on the sofa, my feet are itching and I’m about to get ready for a walk through the woods with my head torch and my dog. My backpack, waterproof jacket and boots are all waiting at the front door, ready for a little evening friluftsliv.