What We Learned From Truck Camping In The EPIC Lofoten Islands

After a beautiful sleep here by the right beside the ocean we're heading up to Bo Buddha and you have to book a day in advance. They reserve about 25 percent or 30 percent of the boat for reservations. The rest is drive-on so depending on how busy it is we may have a chance to get on one of the boats today. So let's go see. we've just completed that drive which is basically... In one kilometer at the roundabout take the second exit. Basically a drive through a beautiful painting or a postcard you know it's just epic the whole way and we found some awesome camp spots and just had an amazing time. Very relaxing and the ocean and the mountains it just grows on you and we know we have lots more ahead so today we're going to get down to the ferry terminal. We're about 20 minutes away from there and see if we can get on a boat. So we have a couple hours before the ship gets in here. We're right near the front of the line. We probably have a good shot of getting on but in the meantime the weather's perfect and we're just sitting here on the dock of the bay. We're just waiting here. It's one thing I learned from my brother years ago but yeah beautiful spot to wait. So they had to move some cars apart. I guess they're putting the bigger RVs and campers in first and then cars behind so we're getting on board. We're squeezing them in pretty tight and you can see why they did what they did. All the taller vehicles go here and then the shorter vehicles go underneath and then they have an upper platform. We leave the mainland behind. Watching as Buda, the gateway to the Lofoten Islands, fades into the distance. The crossing to Mosquenez takes about three and a half hours. We're about in a three-hour sailing so we're halfway across. On one side of the boat you've got to hold on for dear life. It's blowing so hard on this side of the boat. There's sun and a gentle breeze and a little splash of seawater everywhere. So this is the place to be. Out here the Norwegian Sea is restless. Its waves carrying centuries of stories from Viking longships to modern-day fishermen. Jagged peaks rise straight out of the ocean. Seabirds wheel overhead and every gust of wind carries the scent of salt and seaweed. Ahead the Lofoten wall grows taller with each passing minute. A chain of rugged islands promising wild beauty, fishing villages, and the kind of adventure you can't find anywhere else. We're just arriving at the Lofoten Islands and as soon as we came past the rocks here, the waves stopped, the wind stopped, and we're in a protected harbor. So we're probably 10 minutes before we're going to be on land. By the time we reach the docks in Mosquenez it feels less like we've taken a ferry and more like we've crossed into another world. We've just rolled off the ferry and onto the narrow winding roads of the Lofoten Islands. And wow, it's like stepping right into a painting. Fishing boats are docked quietly, gulls circle overhead, and the salty sea air instantly wakes you up. A few minutes later the village of rain appears. These iconic red and white cabins tucked along the water, backed by jagged mountain peaks that seem to shoot straight from the sea. It's honestly breathtaking. I can't believe we're actually here. This place is pure magic. I don't know how those buses squeeze through these little places but they do. So we're just giving you our first impressions of Lofoten and the little town of rain here. It's absolutely on another level even compared to everything we just saw but we're going to come back. We're going to go about 20 minutes out of town, try to find a place to park because everything in town is full and then we'll come back and walk around and really get to know this place. So we found a place. We were just driving by. We saw two campers in here and a little spot so it's only 10 minutes outside of town instead of 20. And it's got a beautiful view of the ocean so we're going to set up here. Look at that rig. It's a little longer than us. So we made it into camp and got our chair set up and enjoyed the sun for a little bit. But since we had such a windy time I'm gonna make a pulled pork chili. Really simple and just kind of using up some of our vegetables that need to be eaten tonight. So Pete's outside enjoying the nice sun and just texting back and forth with the boys and Caroline and Matt. So that's really nice to catch up with them a little bit but I'm just blown away by my first impressions driving through. Like I couldn't film. Like I was frustrated because I wanted to try and capture everything but it's just too beautiful. It's really hard. Probably the most beautiful town that I've ever gone to. So chili. Let's make it. Not a bad view looking out the kitchen window and then out of the sink window I have the whole bay and all the rugged mountains. It's just breathtaking. So we've parked the truck in the little town of Rain here and just walked the two kilometers to the start of an amazing hike that Pete and the XO team did. Pete said make sure you do it. I think it has some really spectacular overviews of the town here. You can see people up there they look like ants. The Reinabringen hike is a true Lofoten classic. Steep, challenging and unforgettable. Nearly 2,000 stone steps placed by the skilled Nepalese Sherpas climb the mountainside making the ascent safer but no less demanding. In under two kilometers you gain about 448 meters of elevation and at the top an endless panorama. Rein's colorful cabins, deep fjords and the jagged spine of the islands stretching to the horizon. Of course we picked one of the hottest days. No breeze. This afternoon is supposed to be breezy again which will be nice. I think after this we're going to enjoy the top, hike down and then we walk into the town and Pete Jr. said we have to eat at some fish restaurant. He said it was the best he ever had. So gotta earn that fish sandwich. Check out this view. There's a sailboat out there. From the trailhead to the summit hikers gain about 448 meters in under two kilometers. Rewarded with breathtaking panoramic views of Reina's colorful fishing cabins, dramatic fjords and the jagged peaks of the Lofoten archipelago stretching to the horizon. Almost there. Look at that. Well we did it. That's all I have to say until I catch my breath. It's filming okay then I'll try my best. Where are you from? Canada. Canada. Wow that's a long way. So we're here. We made it to the top. Amazing what an experience. You would truly experience Norway when you do something like this with so many languages and everyone rooting for each other going up. Checked it off. Did it. I didn't think I could. It's possible. So if you come here do check out this trail. It's amazing. Look at this view. that gave us some tips on a burger giant and held the camera for us which was nice. So we did it. We got up there, way up there. You can see the people up there and back down and now a two kilometer walk to the truck. So we did it. We did it to the top and back. We're in the little town of Reyn at a bistro just grabbing some water. We ran out of water halfway down the hill so it's nice to have fresh cold water and just let our legs rest but that was a pretty good hike. That was fun. It was really fun. The view is spectacular. Second in the world. Yeah and now there's a light breeze in the town and we're just gonna just stroll around and enjoy this summer day but we might eat something or... I think so. Yeah. So we both got fish and chips. It sounded so good right here by the ocean after that big hike and then after this we're gonna walk around the town and show you show you the beautiful beautiful village of Reyn on the Lofoten Islands. This fish is so light and fluffy and it has a perfect crunch to it. So delicious. After a delicious fish meal we take a leisurely stroll around the beautiful town of Reyn. Soaking in its peaceful charm, rich history and stunning scenery. The fish rack behind me when Pete was here in June with the XO team it was full of drying fish that were all hanging hung upside down there. They were actually dry at the time so they usually put them up in February and March and then they're dry by June and he was here early June. Here in Lofoten the Sverdrup family has dried fish the traditional way since 1874. Using sea air and time-honored methods they turned arctic cod into stockfish shared from Norway to the world. Five generations, one proud legacy. It's Caroline's birthday this week so just looking for little things we can send her. That one's pretty. It's like catching a glimpse of the past through a small window. In Norway history feels alive. They've preserved their heritage and culture with care and it's inspiring to see how proudly they honor those who came before. Leaving town we head further north in search of a quiet inland fjord for the night. Onyx Offroad is a good friend of our channel helping us bring these videos to you every week. Here in Europe we're using the app to record waypoints along our route. Waypoints that we can share with friends and family like Pete and Dan when they set off on their next adventure bike trip. We also download gpx files like the coastal road and the trans-european trail. We plot them on the map so we can easily follow along. Back home Onyx Offroad has even more features like the new dispersed camping layer. Make sure to turn it on in your settings to see exactly where you can camp and stay informed before you head out. To learn more scan the QR code on your screen tighten. The bridges narrow to a single lane and the smooth pavement fades into the crunch of gravel beneath our tires. So it's really hard to find the camp spots especially in this popular like hiking area and we found one like the second to the last one on iOverlander and we both like kind of hesitated and we're like we should really just take it and I should have just jumped out and stood there while Peter found a spot to turn around and we were turning around but we took too long to turn around and this van passed us as we were turning around and we're like oh no sure enough she's like yeah i'm taking this spot so and it was gorgeous it had the sailboat it has this beautiful aqua blue fjord and it's just stunning and you're all by yourself because there is just it's a line of people um camped along this road it's crazy so um let's get further further out of them but this is like so popular it must be a great place to backpack because everyone I mean we've probably seen how many 30 backpackers on the road already so it's beautiful though so man we missed that opportunity that was like a gem so fate is on our side update the we were just trying to like level on this other spot that was like meh not the best but we were just gonna go with it and then all of a sudden the white van comes up again and she um said hey do you want to switch spots because I need internet there's no internet over there we have the starlink so we turned around and we're heading back yeah so she was happy we're happy and everything's great so that was nice unless someone else grabs it yeah who knows but I don't think anyone passed us we'll see it's almost level just maybe put one inch tire in the back and back on stunning landscapes warm and welcoming people we plan to spend a few days right here this is the kind of place you just want to slow down in breathe deeply and take it all in be sure to join us next week as we visit the quaint surf town of Unstad then dive even deeper into the amazing local culture and rich history of these incredible islands thanks so much for watching if you enjoyed this video please give it a thumbs up subscribe and hit the bell so you don't miss any of the adventure we've been pushing pretty hard to get here and there's still a long journey ahead all the way to the northernmost point you can drive to on the European continent the mighty cliffs at the edge of the world in Nordkapp drop a comment below and let us know what you think of the trip so far and in the meantime we'll see you down the road