Canoe tour in southern Sweden with children and dog

Kanutour in Südschweden mit Kindern und Hund

We tell you how we enjoyed our beautiful multi-day tour
planned and found in southern Sweden

We are Franzi and Marius with our two sons (not yet ready for school) and our Labrador dog Lotta. We are currently travelling through Sweden and Norway for 3 months (June to August) in pursuit of the midnight sun and have already had many adventures here. We love hiking in nature, are always looking for a trail for mountain biking and cool bike parks for the kids. In our Mercedes Sprinter we not only have vanlife accessories, but also camping equipment such as a tent, air mattress and multi-day backpack.

Oh yes, we also work on the road, because with our label Roadtyping we produce pretty, practical and sustainable accessories for outdoor and camping. Take a look here, our practical camping blanket, for example, should not be missing from your camper :-)

Now we're taking you on our canoe trip in southern Sweden, because we thought, if not here, then where! With over 90,000 lakes, Sweden is a water lover's dream and you can find lakes of all sizes, which you can often paddle together. So there is the perfect lake here for every beginner or advanced paddler. But there aren't just lakes, there's also the sea...

Canoe trip on a lake or in the sea?

There are plenty of opportunities for water sports enthusiasts in Sweden. Not only do lakes offer the opportunity to swim, SUP, kayak or canoe, but it is also very attractive to get out on the water at the sea. The archipelago is beautiful and has the great advantage that there are far fewer mosquitoes at the sea than inland and in the sometimes swampy lakes.

However, we decided on a lake because it is warmer and there are fewer currents and winds. This means that we felt safer at the lake with children and a dog than at the sea.

What is a good lake in southern Sweden for a canoe trip with the family?

So the first decision was made, but what is a suitable and exciting lake for a canoe trip? After all, there are soooo many lakes in southern Sweden. The answer is actually obvious: every larger lake is ideal for a short or long canoe adventure, so you can flexibly incorporate the choice of the right starting point into your travel route.

Canoe trip in Värmlands

As the weather was very mixed for the first two weeks, we have already landed quite a bit further north and are planning our canoe trip after a city trip to Stockholm. From here it is about 300km to Värmland, back inland towards Gothenburg. This is where Sweden's largest lakes are. The time window for our canoe trip seems to be good, the weather is supposed to improve, because we really don't want any real rain!

Where can I rent a canoe in Sweden?

Once we've decided on the location, half of the planning is done. Now we just need to find a place to rent our canoe, where we can safely leave our camper for a few days. After a bit of research, we find out that you can actually rent a canoe and equipment at every campsite. We even find canoe self-service! We finally get a tip from a friend and head for the Värmlands Garden campsite. The gravel road through the beautiful forests alone is promising.

Preparations for a canoe trip in southern Sweden

We have been out in a canoe several times, but never with luggage for several days. In our case, we have a tent, sleeping mats, sleeping bag, camping stove and some dry bags with us, but there is also the option of renting everything, including the canoe and life jackets. So you don't have to bring all of that from home. The Värmlands Garden campsite is really beautiful and the owner is very helpful and open-minded. She gives us tips, maps with the route and marked campsites and other highlights. It also shows shelters, i.e. wooden huts for accommodation, fire pits with wood, etc. There are even extra seats for children, so they can sit next to each other in the middle and the two of them also get children's paddles. So nothing stands in the way of the canoe adventure.

What should be on the packing list for a canoe trip with children?

It takes half a day for us to pack everything up, but we have most of the things we need for our multi-day canoe trip in the motorhome anyway. The only thing we're still a little worried about is the weather, because we can't rely on the weather forecast at the moment.

This is our packing list for a multi-day canoe trip:

Clothes:

Rain pants and jacket for everyone
Long and short pants (preferably activewear)
2x T-shirt, long sleeve, another pair of pants (change of clothes)
Warm fleece
Tevas or similar shoes that can get wet
Socks for later, we didn't wear socks during the canoe trip
Sun cap and hat/buff
Sunscreen, sunglasses
Mosquito repellent

Equipment (you can rent everything on site):

Tent (we have a Fjällräven Abisko Life 3-man tent with awning for Lotta)
Sleeping mats (3 sleeping mats for this tent are great, then we have a large area)
2-3 sleeping bags are enough
Drybags for everything that shouldn’t get wet
Gas cooker

Camping kitchen:

Pots
Crockery, bowls and cups ( click here for our beautiful camping crockery made of enamel )
Cutlery is best stored in our spice bag , then you also have a fixed place for everything and you can add some spices)
Coffee, grinder and mocha

Further information:

Carving knives for the children
Dog bowl
Lighter
Possibly barbecue lighter
camera
Binoculars

Eat:

Pasta
Tomato sugo, corn, kidney beans, lentils are available in Sweden in practical, small Tetra Paks
Apples
Bananas
Crispbread
Peanut butter and jam
Alternative milk that keeps for two days even when not refrigerated
Nuts and snacks from Seeberger
Cookies
Tuk Crackers
Marshmallow
Dog food

How much does it cost to rent a canoe in Sweden?

The costs for a canoe trip are really manageable. For us, the canoe with life jackets cost €30 for 24 hours. In addition, there is individual equipment. The camper could stay at the campsite.