Recognizing the importance of furthering expertise in prehistoric heritage interpretation,

Nordic Winter Camp offers a truly immersive opportunity for advanced ancient skills practitioners, reenactors, museum staff, archeologists and anybody involved in prehistoric heritage interpretation, to take their involvement to a new level.

As a  small, dedicated group of prehistory enthusiasts, we will set up a winter base camp in traditional Sámi earth lodges, in the remote boreal forest landscapes of southern Sápmi (Lapland). 

Joining together we form a clan to celebrate and explore the age-old wonders of winter living. 

In this unique setup, we are aiming to approach a purely prehistoric life way (no modern gear, metal, plastic or sanitary products etc.) 

For eleven days, we are experiencing many aspects of prehistoric  mid-winter living within a subarctic climate zone, based on archaeological data, ethnolographic analogies and traditional nordic crafts and life skills. 

This immersive format requires, wearing period accurate clothing, working with authentic tools and eating unprocessed foods free of grains, sugar, alcohol or coffee. 

There will be no modern showers or sanitary facilities available, except a compost toilet in camp. 

We will be practicing ancient crafts, share knowledge and skills, process reindeer meat,  go ice fishing and take a multi-day trek on foot through the snowy Jämtland mountains. We will be travelling with snow shoes, wooden skis and sleds, camping and sleeping in the open under the stars. 

A documentary about Nordic Winter Camp 2026 by archaeologist Lisa Hüsken

(Archaeology Adventure Club, University of Göttingen, Germany) will soon be released.

Warum lese ich hier alles nur auf Englisch?

Das Event wird international beworben. 

daher sprechen wir im Lager Englisch. 

The Nordic Winter Camp Concept

The Nordic Winter Camp format is laid out to be a varied and rich experience, offering many opportunities to  fully immerse in a prehistoric winter situation. Attendees will experience a wide range of topics pertaining to prehistoric life, thus furthering their knowledge and understanding of this historic period.

This will hugely enriching your scope for realistic heritage interpretation. We will align current scientific consensus  in archaeology to a real life scenario, engaging with techno-functional aspects

of material culture, various facets of over land travel,

concepts of dwelling, as well as human behavioral aspects and nutrition.

Based on the hypothesis that the engagement with prehistory happens mostly on an intellectual and academic level, Nordic Winter Camp offers a a more extensive perspective.

While clearly forming the base of our endavour, a purely academic approach is lacking the dimension of direct and physical experience necessary for in-depth apprehension.

Participants of Nordic Winter Camp will be discussing as well as practically applying reconstructed stone age clothing and equippment over an extended period of time to authentic winter conditions.

The project provides a multifaceted opportunity to conduct specific experimental projects under immersive conditions. It creates opportunity for participants to formulate and test diverse hypothesis in an authentic

real life scenario and foster in deph experiences and learning.

Nordic Winter Camp is focussing on an Eurasian hunter-gatherer lifestyle with a strong emphasis on mimicing late Ice Age conditions but also aiming to incorporate aspects of the early Holocene. 

Therefore the natural setting is offering subarctic conditions,  extended boreal forest landscapes as well as access to high alpine tundra suroundings (Fjell)

We will be establishing a secludedly sheltered base camp in the middle of the boreal forest.  It comprises so called Goahti, small cone shaped structures made from logs and covered with bark and earth, as they have been used by the local Sàmi for centuries. These single room lodges are unfurnished and rustic but provided

with a wood burning stove or open fire place. 

Animal butchery and ulitarian processing with stone tools will be practiced 

using a whole reindeer, provided by the local Sàmi.

Aspects of prehistoric over land travel will be experienced during extended back country trekking into the mountains. On foot and equipped with snowshoes or wooden skis and sleds, the group will travel above the tree line and get some marvellous views of the vast and pristine wild areas of Lapland.

During this trek we are bivouacing without shelter to experience first-hand conditions of being outdoors in winter, equipped only with stone age gear.

You are thinking about joining our prehistoric living experience?

This is what you need to be aware of:

If you come from outside of Scandinavia be aware that Jämtland Län offers remote and sparsely populated areas with marvellous nature, abundant wildlife and a truly wonderful winter landscape.

Nevertheless, this experience is not for the squeamish, as the climate can be extreme. It is characterized by subarctic temperatures  reaching minus 35 Celsius. Snowstorms occur regularly, especially in the Fjäll above the tree line, but on occasion there can also be warm spells with melting temperatures and rain.

A true challenge, to the mind and body, your skills and gear.

For this exclusive event, you need to bring your own, complete and functional prehistoric winter gear! (Garments and gear representing the timeframe of the Late Palaeolithic to the early Neolithic are applicable)

No modern materials will be allowed. Also no cell phones or cameras. We will have one device available for emergency calls, orientation and photo/video documentation. The recorded material will be shared with all participants after the event.

A complete list of what gear is admitted and necessary, will be made available upon request.

Certain items like sleeping mats, snow shoes, wooden skis and burden sleds can be rented from the organizer. There will also be the opportunity to participate in a separate in-person preparational workshop on crafting winter equipment. Furthermore telephone and video support can be given to participants

while assembling their gear and preparing for the project.

Furthermore you should also provide stone age food (reindeer meat will be supplied) for our common stock of supplies. A list of what is acceptable  food stuff will sent to you upon request.

If you can not supply your own fare, there will be an additional fee.

To participate, you need to be at least 18 years of age, physically in good shape, be able to work in a tight group setting and take full responsibility for your own actions.

Apart from being a skilled ancient craft practitioner and having an ardent interest in prehistoric archaeology, it is mandatory that you have sufficient outdoor camping experience and are familiar with winter conditions. 

In camp we will have a relatively safe setting to experiment and test our gear before going on a trek.

Your full participation will depend upon your skill and gear. Conditions are subject to change on site and during trek due to the weather. Your full participation can be cancelled on site if your gear proves inadequate or your safety is at risk. in this case you will not be eligible for a refund of your fees. 

The safety of the group and each participant comes first. Some participants have opted out voluntarily, upon not being able to cope with the conditions.

The project will be documented by photo, video and text to be shared via lectures, publications, presentations

and other channels.

During your stay we are forming a tight unit, so naturally you will need to be willing to integrate

into daily clan life, participate in daily tasks, help each other

and take full responsible for your own doings.

Responsibility for injury, discomfort or sickness cannot be taken by the organizer.

Participants are required to have their own travel healthcare insurance.

Make sure it covers helicopter pickup.

You are allowed to wear glasses and bring medical drugs if you need them. If you have any allergies, have any health issues or require special attention in anyway you need to let us know in advance.

You should be able to sufficiently understand and speak English,

as the format is being promated internationaly and

therefore English is our common language in camp. 

Nordic Winter Camp is organized by primitive skills practitioner Markus Klek (57) from Germany.

“After having spent decades studying indigenous and prehistoric winter living and crafting experimental gear,

I set out for the first time in 2023 to put my equipment and skills to a first severe and prolonged test by crossing the Black Forest (Germany) in mid-winter. Three more such extended trips followed in swedish Lapland. Those were all amazing experiences. Nordic Winter Camp is an opportunity to share these experiences in a group setting."

Markus has been practicing prehistoric technology, experimental archaeology and ancient crafts for over thirty years.

Starting out in the field while living in the USA during the early 1990`s, joining the early Rabbitstick and Wintercount primitive skills gatherings.

Today, he works together with various archaeology museums and other institutions around Europe in the field of prehistoric heritage interpretation. He also is the author of books and articles on primitive skills and traditional tanning techniques.

Markus is also a certified Nature- and Heritage Guide (Interpret Europe).

How to participate and register / Dates & Fees:

If you love what you have read so far and you would like to join, please contact us.

We will then schedule a video call to clarify open questions and get to know each other to find out if we are a match for this adventure. If everything is settled you can then officially register.

Participation fee:

€1400 per person

Maximum of 6 participants

Dates:

16.- 25, February 2027

Location:

Sweden, Jämtlands Län, close to Ottsjö. 

Upon registration you will need to transfer your initial non-refundable deposit of €400.

The rest of the money needs to be transferred before 1. December 2026.

Cancelation is possible up to 1 month prior to your arrival for a refund of 50% of your fees. If you need to cancel later or leave the event prematurely, we cannot allow for a refund.

In case you are not able to bring stone age food we request an additional 150€.

Upon request an individual payment plan can be offered.

Some attendees were successful in receiving funding from their university, employer or research program. 

If you are an institution or individual interested in supporting or cooperating

in any other way than direct participation, please contact us directly mail@palaeotechnik.eu

We are looking forward to receiving your Email. 

How to get to Camp:

You can arrive with your own car, or public transportation.

The most convenient airports are Trondheim (N) or Östersund (S). From there train or bus connections will bring you to Undersåker (close to Åre). From there pick-ups can be scheduled.

 Note: conditions are still subject to change, as detailed planning for the event is still ongoing