The adventurer and outdoor profile Linda Åkerberg has camped through all of Sweden and the nature and wilderness of the USA. This summer she went on a family holiday in a roof top tent and discovered that even ordinary campsites can have their charm.
Linda Åkerberg is a professional camping and tent professional. Having had a small one-man tent as a home along the 428-mile Pacific Crest Trail through the United States, the lightweight mindset is in the back of my mind. And last summer she made it from Smygehug to Treriksröset on foot and by bicycle with a hammock as the main place to sleep.
Ahead of the 2020 holiday, she was keen to try a completely different type of camping – roof tents.
- I thought it seemed like such an easy way to vacation, where you don't have to plan so much. In addition, it felt like a good way to get the children to look forward to the car holiday, says Linda Åkerberg.
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The whole family got a place up in the roof tent
The children are the bonus daughters Klara and Elvira, 4 years old, and Kajsa, who is 8. Together with their father Tony, they packed up in their Volvo and set off this summer on a roof tent trip through several of Sweden's landscapes. The first stop was Linda's mother's house outside Karlstad and in her garden they also slept the first night in their new roof tent from Taktältarna.
- The children thought it was great fun. I remember when we first told them that we were going to sleep on the roof of the car, they thought it sounded so crazy and funny. The roof tent became like a hut for the children in which they had a great time, says Linda.
Sleep both outside in nature and at campsites
The family did not have a directly planned route when they then steered the cow south from Karlstad with the tent on the roof of the car. Where they would stay for the night they decided as they went along. Among other things, they slept one night at Kinnekulle, one night near a waterfall at Fjärås Bräcka and one night at a campsite on the west coast.
- I have been quite skeptical about sleeping in campsites before. But when you're out with the kids, it's pure heaven! There are fun things for them to do and new playmates to get to know, says Linda Åkerberg.
Other nights they camped and lived alone in nature with the roof tent. Linda thought that particular combination was very good. - On the one hand, we had cozy moments when we were just the family, like when we went to see the waterfall and had a barbecue at the rooftop tent afterwards. For one thing, the children could play with others and have fun at the campsites.
Now that you've tested, what do you think is the best thing about roof tents?
- It is precisely the opportunity to be spontaneous with where to go and not have to think about booking a hotel. You can sleep wherever you want and at the same time get a nice nature experience. I also like that it is possible to reach more places than with, for example, a mobile home.
Will there be more roof tent holidays in the future?
- Absolutely! A car holiday with a roof tent really feels like the best option for a family holiday. Then I would like to go away together with just Tony sometime. Preferably to Vildmarksvägen. I went one and a half a while ago and it was incredibly beautiful and there were many nice pockets you could stand on with a roof tent, says Linda.
This is Linda Åkerberg:
Age: 34.
Lives: Stockholm.
Do: Full-time adventurer. Runs Wilderness Stories, a page (and Instagram account) for anyone who is curious and interested in nature and adventure. Has, among other things, climbed Kilimanjaro, hiked throughout the USA, sled dogs across the Arctic tundra and climbed alone to Mount Evererst's base camp.
Best roof top tent site: At Kinnekulle we found a super nice spot where, unlike all the RVs there, we could drive up to get a great view out over a limestone quarry. Kinnekulle is part of the Platåberget geopark where there are many excursion destinations. We started with a visit to the Väner Museum in Lidköping before going there to learn more about nature and the area.
>>>>>> Are you keen to try taking the tent on the car roof with you? here you can buy and rent roof tent from Roof Tents! <<<<<<
