Live Alternative Blogi
Miltä tuntuu jättää arki ja muuttaa reissupakuun? VAI-KØn yrittäjäpariskunta tietää vapauden hinnan
Urbaani arki ja elämän hektisyys ajoivat VAI-KØn yrittäjäpariskunnan, Henrin ja Marian, etsimään vapaampaa elämää vanlife:sta. Vapaus ei kuitenkaan ole ilmaista, tässä artikkelissa he kertovat omia kokemuksiaan elämäntyylin haasteista ja mahdollisuuksista.
Lue lisää
Partio opettaa: 5 vinkkiä pukeutumiseen vaelluksella
Vaellus on upea kokemus ja harrastus, joka on helppo aloittaa! Tässä on aloittelijan opas vaelluspukeutumiseen aluskerrastosta vaelluskenkiin. Ja partiolaiset tietää parhaiten, joten annetaan heidän kertoa...Me partiolaiset rakastamme luontoa, siellä liikkumista ja raikasta ilmaa. Mutta, jos olosi on kylmä ja märkä voi luontokokemus jäädä helposti mieleen enemmän traumaattisena kuin upeana kokemuksena. Jos suunnittelet päiväretkeä luontoon, ei varustuksella ja pukeutumisella ole yhtä suurta merkitystä, mutta useamman päivän vaelluksilla lämpimänä ja kuivana pysyminen vaatii hieman suunnittelua. Rinkassa on kuitenkin vähän tilaa, eikä turhaan pakkauksiin ole varaa. Siksi olemme hioneet kokoon tärkeimmät pukeutumisvinkit vaellukselle, tässä tulee: 1. Merino-aluskerrastoSuomen ilmasto on sen verran kolea (tämä ei varmaan tule yllätyksenä) , että suosittelemme hyvään merinovillaiseen aluskerrastoon satsaamista. Merinovilla eristää kehon lähmpöä erinomaisesti, se hengittää ja edistää hien haihtumista, jotta ihotuntuma pysyy kuivana. Kaiken lisäksi merinovilla on luontaisesti likaa- ja hajujahylkivää. Merinoaluskerrastoa voi vaelluksilla käyttää pyjamana kesäkuukausina, kun lämpötilat tippuvat yöllä reilusti. Hengittävää merinokerrastoa voi käyttää liikuttaessa jopa kesällä, toinen vaihtoehto on esimerkiks kierrätetystä polyesterista tehdyt tekniset alusasut. 2. Vaellus-housutAluskerraston päälle puetaan vaellushousut, jotka on mielellään kestävää ja joustavaa materiaalia. Hengittävät ja vettähylkivät materiaalit ovat parhaita ja ovat yleensä polyesterin ja puuvilla sekoitetta. Onneksi nykyään on tarjolla myös vaihtoehtoisia tuotteita, jotka on tehty kierrätetyistä materiaaleista (lisää kierrätysmateriaaleista täällä). Joten valitse vihreämmin!Seuraavaksi asia, joka voi koitua vaelluksen kohtaloksi...3. Vaellus-kengätJalkasi ovat tärkein ruuminosasi vaelluksella (no, jos päätä ei lasketa). Vain pieni rakko tai tehdä koko reissusta kivuliaan ja jopa pysäyttää matkanteon. Joten, hyviin vaelluskenkiin sijoittaminen on järkiteko, joka maksaa itsensä heti takaisin! Kenkiä on hyvä käyttää jonkin verran ennen vaellusta, jotta ne ehtivät muotoutua omaan jalkaan ennen pidempää koetusta. Lisäksi kannattaa pukea jalkaa kunnon vaellussukat, jotka imevät hikeä ja pitävät jalan lämpötilan vakaana. 4. Vaellus-takkiUloin vaatekerros vaelluksella on vaellus- tai kuoritakki. Suosittelemme hengittävää ja vedenkestävää takkia, koska vaelluksella tulee helposti hiki, lisäksi olosuhteet vaihtelevat usein sateesta ja tuulesta aringonpaahteeseen kun matkaa tehdään pitkiä aikoja. Jos et halua sijoittaa kunnon vaellustakkiin, käy tavallinen kuoritakki hyvin tähän tarkoitukseen ja suojaa sinua tuulelta ja sateelta.5. Lämmin merinovillapaitaVaelluksella pidetään paljon taukoja: matka on pitkä ja vettä sekä ruokaa on pakko nauttia säännöllisesti, päätähuimaavat maisemat houkuttelevat myös jäämään hetkeksi jos toiseksi. Kun olet liikkunut koko päivän, tulee levätessä helposti kylmä. Kehon jaksamista ajatellen onkin tärkeää olla antamatta sen kylmettyä levon aikana, silloin vatustuskyky on alhaalla ja flunssa vaanii vaeltajaa. Siksi on esimerkiksi merinovillainen villapaita tai kevytuntuvatakki ovat oivia vaatteita lepohetkiin: ne ovat kevyitä kantaa ja pitävät kehon lämpöä tehokkaasti materiaalin väliin jäävän ilmakerroksen avulla. Iloista vaellusta!Parhain terveisin,Spanarna Scouts
Lue lisää
Valokuvaus: Ammattilaisen 5 vinkkiä viikonloppu-kuvauksiin
1. Tunne ympäristösi ja käytä sitä. Tämä saattaa viedä aikaa, mutta kannattaa todella tutustua ympäristöönsä tarkasti. Ota seikkailu-asenne ja tee pitkiä kävelyitä ympäri lähialueitasi. Etsi mielenkiintoisia kuvauskohteita: tarkista joka katu, puisto, metsä, ranta tai mikä tahansa kohde, joka kiinnittää huomiosi. Olen löytänyt jotkut suosikkikohteistani vahingossa, juuri kuljeskellessani naapurustossani ilman päämäärää. Säästät myös valtavasti aikaa viikonlopulla, kun tiedät parhaat kohteet etukäteen. Kuva: Teppo Tirkkonen2. Odota erityisiä olosuhteita. Kun olet löytänyt suosikki kuvauskohteesi, käytä niitä uudestaan ja uudestaan. Kuten luonnossa yleensä, kohteet muuttuvat vuodenaikojen ja sääolosuhteiden mukana ääripäästä toiseen, kohta edessäsi onkin aivan uusi kohde. Näin sinun ei tarvitse etsiä joka kerta uutta kuvauslokaatiota ja -kohdetta, vaan voit luoda jotain uutta jostakin tutusta. Tee muistiinpanoja vaellellessasi: tarkkaile valoa juuri sinä vuodenaikana - tai ehkä huomiosi kiinnittääkin jään muodostuminen kiven pintaan. Pidä kirjaa pienistäkin muutoksista ympäristössä. Kuva: Teppo Tirkkonen3. Jahtaa valoa.Juokse mielummin valon kuin lokaatioiden perässä. Kouluta silmäsi näkemään valot ja varjot. Etsi abstrakteja otoksia ja käytä muotoja. Valoa on kaikkialla ja sitä voi hyödyntää paikasta riippumatta. Anna mielikuvituksellesi vapaat kädet ja leikittele epätavallisilla yhdistelmillä. Tapasin usein harjoitella valokuvausta kotona leikkien valolla ja varjoilla kahvikupissani. Myöhemmin olen huomannut, että opin noina hetkinä paljon valonkäytöstä. Kuva: Teppo Tirkkonen4. Rakenna omat kuvasi.Jos sinusta tuntuu, ettei ole mitään kuvattavaa, rakenna kuva, jonka olet aina halunnut nähdä, käytä rekvisiittaa kertomaan tarinasi. Tämä on mahtava harjoitus viikonlopuille! Keskity pieniin yksityiskohtiin (kuten kipinät tässä kuvassa), asetelmiin ja tunnelmiin. Tuntuuko kuva aidolta? Jos ei, miksi? Kysy näitä kysymyksiä itseltäsi kunnes selvität vastaukset ja saavutat visioimasi asiat kuvassa. Kuva: Teppo Tirkkonen5. Mene ja pidä hauskaa!Älä aseta liian korkeita odotuksia viikonloppukuvauksissa siihen, mitä tulee lopullisiin otoksiin. Sen sijaan pidä hauskaa ystävien kanssa, tee nuotio rannalle tai pyöräile kaupungin ympäri, mutta pidä kamera mukanasi arkisissa seikkailuissasi. Kerro tarinasi. Vaikket saavuttanut upeita otoksia, sinulla on silti lukuisia kokemuksia ja hauskoja tarinoita takataskussa päivän päätteeksi. Kuva: Teppo TirkkonenToivottavasti näistä vinkeistä on sinulle apua!Parhain terveisin, Teppo Tirkkonen
Lue lisää
Mountaineering with Class: 5 Tips to Get You to the Top & Back Home Safely
Either you’re trekking the moderate fjellds in the Finnish Lapland or climbing the highest peaks of the Himalaya, there are a few mountain gear essentials you need to get to the top of a mountain. And more importantly – to back down. 1. Preparing the Gear Every success is built in beforehand, so do your homework. A good preparation is what usually makes the difference between reaching your summit or not. Plan the route. Get to know the logistics. Study maps, blogs, pics and vids to get an idea. Find the cruxes on your route. Work out, make sure you’re ready for the physical push. Eat your proteins. You can not prepare too well for a trip. Bear in mind that things usually go wrong so be prepared for surprises as well. 2. The Mountain Gear Good gear won’t guarantee you success but bad mountain gear will make sure you won’t have any. So gear up! Make sure you have all you need and everything works, always go through your gear a few times before take-off. Don’t compromise, bad or broken mountain gear can make the difference in getting to the top. Always bring a wool beanie, your head is your most vulnerable place in terms of heat loss. 3. Pace Ok, so now you’re prepared, you've got the mountain gear, you’re at your destination and you’re moving. You’ve planned this for a long time and you finally have the summit in sight. Don’t rush! Rushing will make you miss the sights. You want to breathe in the landscape, taste the views and enjoy your steps. This is what it’s eventually all about, not just the summit. Remember that distance has never killed anyone, only speed has. Take it easy and save your energy, you’ll need it on your way down. 4. The Will to Climb Climbing any mountain is about 30% physical and 70% of mental strength. You’ll want to turn around like a dozen times on your way up so it’s eventually a matter of will that will get you on top. The further you push it, the more your body wants to quit, but it’s amazing what the human body is capable of when you set your mind to it. But always keep in mind that in mountaineering the summit is only the halfway point. You have reached nothing until you are safely back down. 5. Respect the Nature You can have all the fitness, mountain gear and willpower in the world but you can never beat the conditions. If nature turns on you, don’t fight it. Bailing and going down in face of a storm is way more heroic than trying to fight one through for nothing more than a summit pic. Respect the fact that you are but a grain of sand and let nature decide if you make it or break it. Climb safe! Best, Teemu Suominen
Lue lisää
Adventure Gear Must-Haves: 10 Items Every Scout Packs for a Hike
From the base layer to snacks and entertainment, in this article we'll tell you about the ins and outs of adventure gear you need while hiking and camping in nature. Let's go! All hikers know how heavy that backpack feels on the second day of the hike. Especially after you have been exploring the woods for hours, somehow managing to get lost and end up walking 10 kilometers more than planned. If you don’t recognise this scenario, I envy you. In order to survive that part of the hike, where your legs seem to be disconnected from the rest of your body and your shoulders are screaming for a massage, we scouts live by the simple rule of 10 must-haves for adventure gear. With 10 must haves we eliminate the unnecessary gadgets and clothing that we can live without and leave our backpacks as light as possible. Throughout the years the list has gotten smaller and smaller and now it is as close to complete as it will get. 1. The Base layer Hiking anywhere can often be a cold or wet experience so wearing a warming, sweat absorbent thermal base layer is extremely important. We suggest a base layer of wool for the colder periods and a lighter base layer of polyester or netted merino wool (up to 15 degrees celcius) during the warmer days. Merino wool accessories can be worn basically all year round, because if its breathing, warming, stain-resistant and odour-resistant properties. Also, if you are one of those people who find wool particularly itchy, merino wool is a good alternative for you as it is softer and less irritating for the skin than other types of wool. 2. Water Bottles: How many a day? There is no use in even getting out there if you haven’t planned your source of water. Many national parks now have water stations where you can refill your bottle. But if you, like us, would rather hike where no one else has hiked before you, then you can simply boil up some lake or spring water to get rid of the bacteria and let it cool. Humans need at least 2 liters of water per day to remain hydrated, so that means 4 regular water bottles in one day. Ofcourse it all depends on the person and the intesivity of the hike, but two liters is the minimum quantity of water you need in a day. 3. Hammock Tents are long forgotten, the only proper way of sleeping in style and with maximal comfort is in a hammock tent. Also, if the weather is good, there is no need for a tarp over your head and you will get the most wonderful morning view. 4. Hiking Shoes Your feet are your most valuable possession (okay, well maybe not a possession but body part) during a nature hike, so you must take care of them by wearing proper hiking shoes. If your shoes are the wrong fit, or not properly worn in none of your other adventure gear will save you from the suffer - and the whole experience will be more painful than pleasant. 5. Extra Pair of Socks Again, if your feet are wet or cold you will be miserable - no matter how beautiful the nature is, it cannot make up for the fact that you would give anything for a hot bath and warm toes. Through years of experience and numerous ice-cold toes, we are careful to always bring at least one extra pair of socks. 6. Warm Sweater Hiking is a sweaty business, especially with a heavy backpack on your shoulders. To avoid getting too cold and subsequently ill it is important to have at least one warmer sweater that you can wear at night time or during breaks. Wool is the preferred material as it is very compact and light but at the same time extremely warming. 7. Dehydrated / Dried Food Okay, so dehydrated food might not be the most delicious meal you will eat in your life, but it will give you all the energy and nutrients you need without taking up half of your packing. Dehydrating vegetables and especially meat before heading to the woods is something that you can easily do yourself, it also makes it easier to portion out your food into ready meals that you simply mix with water and heat up when you are ready to eat. Most importantly your food will be about a hundred times lighter to carry plus it preseves for years, depending on the food, so it can be eaten on hikes to come for a long time (also a great saving tip). 8. Quality Sleeping Bag If you plan on sleeping outside in the nature, which is an amazing experience, you will definitely need a warm quality sleeping bag. There are not many experiences worse than getting a bad night's sleep during a hike because you are too cold. Thus, getting a thick sleeping bag and a sleeping bag liner is recommended. With a sleeping bag liner (which functions much like sheets) you can use your sleeping bag as a blanket if it gets too hot, or just keep the zipper open throughout the night. Plus the it's easy to wash and the bag stays in good condition longer. 9. Snacks If you are anything like us and get moody with low blood sugar levels, then snacks are a must. Trekking all day in challenging conditions and with meals carefully planned out and rationed, snacks quickly become your best friend - it will elevate your mood and give you bursts of energy when you most need it. Our favourite is a trail mix made of dark chocolate, a variety of nuts and some dried fruits. Cliff bars or flapjacks are also a good alternative - just make sure not to leave the wrappers lying around in the woods! 10. Hiker entertainment: Playing Cards Hiking for several days is fun! But it is also tiring and you'll need to take breaks - especially because it's too easy to stay up all night with hiking buddies. So bringing at least one set of playing cards with you on a hike is essential for a good time! It is not only cozy to sit around a fire with a hot cup of tea and play cards, it can also be a competitive and fun bonding experience - why not play a game over who gets to carry the trash-bag the following day, or over who gets to do the morning dishes? Love, the Spanarna Scouts
Lue lisää
Luonto hoitaa: 3 ongelmaa, jotka ratkeavat, kun vietät aikaa luonnossa
Luonnon kokeminen alentaa tunnetusti stressitasoja välittömästi. Millaisia vaikutuksia tai "luonto-oireita" sinä olet huomannut erämaassa tai kotimetsässä liikkuessasi? Jaa ajatuksesi ja parhaat vinkit kommenteissa!
Lue lisää
4 Must-See Winter Holiday Destinations In Finland
The glorious time of walking on powdery (I mean wet) snow, drinking beverages that all taste like cinnamon and wondering what kind of teacups your mother-in-law would like for Christmas, has come upon us. To celebrate the upcoming holidays we have listed our Must-see Top 4 Winter Vacation Destinations in Finland. So you can blame us instead of your significant other when it's raining ice and the best attraction in town is closed. “Dang that ecological and ethical VAI-KØ the Beanie Maker!!”, you’ll yell. So let’s get to it! First up is… 1. Repovesi The Repovesi national park is one the most popular camping destinations in Southern Finland, and no wonder. The hills and valleys, small lakes and deep forests are quite magical but easy to access. The park can be accessed by car from three locations: Lapinsalmi, Saarijärvi and Tervajärvi. The Mäntyharju and Repovesi area has a lot of little cabins, simple huts and also beautiful villas and B&B places, such as Villa Aurora. You can also rent a sauna in the wilderness for a night or just a couple hours and enjoy the stillness of Repovesi with no hurry. Mäntyharju town has that small town charm with its own little movie theatre Kino that is run by the youth in town. Mäntyharju’s kids have in turn designed a forest playground that is located near the city centre. It has a cross track, sledding hill, jungle gyms and balance boards. How cool is that! Mäntyharju cross-country skiing tracks run along lakes, hills and campsites where you can warm up and grill some sausages with the locals. The tracks start at Vola Golf course. Next we’ll go north, way north. 2. Pyhä Tunturi (Sacred Fell) This place is especially significant to our Communications Lady Riina, who spent her childhood Easters in Pyhä and grew to love the Lappish scenery and skiing. The elected ski-resort of the year has 8 lifts, 14 slopes and the longest slope is 1,8 kilometers long. The lift ticket is also valid at Ruka, that is another great ski-resort two hours south-east of Pyhä. To VAI-KØ Pyhä hold a special place our heart because of their green values. They are a partner of Protect Our Winters (check out VAI-KØ X POW Beanies here!) and hosted the People’s Climate March of Finland in April. Pyhä operates on green electricity and is a carbon-neutral ski-resort. They also use ‘snow fences’ that are designed to collect the natural snow flying in the wind that is then used in slopes. This practice increases energy-efficiency and is the reason for the great condition of Pyhä slopes. For madcaps Pyhä offers seven backcountry (or off-piste) skiing areas and innumerable places around the national park. No previous experience is needed, the ski-school instructors will teach you everything you need to know to begin adventuring off-slope. Even kids can participate! The area around the national park is known for its history of being a sacred place for the Sami people and the rich geology that can be marvelled in the rocky canyons and treeless fell tops. The deepest fell canyon in Finland is between the two highest tops of Pyhä and is called Isokuru (the Big canyon), it is a great hiking destination for both families and more hard-core hikers that can easily continue to Noitatunturi (the highest peak in Pyhä) from Isokuru. In winter time the path is not maintained professionally but is still popular. Snowshoes and cross-country skis can also be rented for easier access. If hiking and skiing is not enough, adventure company Bliss Adventure will take you fatbiking, ice-climbing and will walk you through winter survival tips and tricks all in a fun and safe way. On the other side of the maiden of Finland’s waist is... 3. Ylläs The Ylläs-Pallas national park in Kolari has two separate ski-resorts that are connected and with one ski pass you get access to both, which means 29 lifts and 61 slopes all yours. The area entails 330 kilometers of cross-country skiing track of which 38 kilometers are lit. The fell range of Ylläs-Pallas is almost a hundred kilometers long and the scenery has been chosen as one of Finland’s national landscapes. Three nature centers (Hetta, Äkäslompolo and Pallas) will help you with any questions and navigate you through trails, wilderness huts and resting places. I guarantee you won’t get bored! If Aurora Borealis or as we Finns call them, revontulet, is on your bucket list Ylläs is a great place to cross that off. The street lights are turned off in Ylläs every night at 10 p.m. from November to mid February, which makes Northern Lights spotting easier, now all you can hope for is clear skies. To help you spot the phenomenon the Ylläs Aurora app will notify you when other users report seeing Northern Lights. Admiring and photographing the Aurora is great but so is snowshoeing, reindeer sledding, ice-swimming and floating in drysuits under the flickering night sky. For last by certainly not least, Ylläs farm animal yard in Koninjänkä is home to the only camel in Lapland among 40 other species. That’s a must-see right there! Kolari, next to the ski-resort, is an active little town that has all kinds of activity days for kids and adults from cross-country skiing competitions to Santa meetings and local nature photography exhibitions. Go say hi to the warm inhabitants of Kolari and tell them we sent you! On your way back south (that is if Lapland didn’t charm you and you haven’t already ended up moving to Kolari), you should definitely spend a night or two in… 4. Porvoo Picture: Visit Porvoo The historical town of Porvoo is located east of Helsinki and is known for its 18th and 19th century woodhouses and cute little shops and cafes. The old stone church is from the 15th century and the city plan originates to the Middle Ages. Coffee and beer brewing is trending in Porvoo and the town Christmas lights gather both Finns and tourists on weekends. Their wide selection on boutique hotels and B&Bs make spending a weekend in Porvoo an enjoyment and art exhibitions, museums and artist home shows will keep you entertained. Two things to do in Porvoo in December is to visit the Bosgård Christmas food market (from 18th till 22nd) and to join the Vanha Joulu (Old Christmas) tour that takes you from Vanha Raatihuoneentori around the ambient alleys to the old times and the roots of Christmas traditions in Porvoo. Pro Tip: Public parking spaces in Porvoo are free of charge every weekend before Christmas starting at the end on November! Now, don't hold up, share your fav domestic winter holiday destination! Hurry!
Lue lisää
What Does "Live Alternative" Mean to Us
This summer we spent few weeks on the road on our self converted campervan doing simple things: hiking, talking, making dinner, listening to music and just listening...
Lue lisää
Selfish freedom?
Every generation is hungry for something. Ours might be hungry for, not cars nor houses, but for adventures and once in a lifetime experiences...
Lue lisää
