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🇮🇸 Iceland /Culture & Society

Camping: Taking the great outdoors to the next level

From Morgunblaðið · () Icelandic

Translated from Icelandic, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

In-depth Sources not specified Context piece
  • An Icelandic man is sharing his passion for camping and how it has become a cherished family tradition.
  • He emphasizes that camping can be simpler and more enjoyable than many people assume.
  • He advises investing in a good mattress as a key step to enhancing the camping experience.

Sigurður Darri Rafnsson, a well-known coach in Olympic weightlifting in Iceland, finds joy in taking his family on camping trips. He aims to experience the country in a different way and encourages others to try camping, suggesting they avoid overcomplicating it.

We as a family went camping very regularly.

— Sigurður Darri RafnssonDescribing his family's camping habits.

Rafnsson realized camping was a significant part of his upbringing after meeting his wife, Svanhildur Gréta. "We as a family went camping very regularly," he said, clarifying that these were "perfect family camping trips." He wanted to recreate this tradition with his own family.

His renewed interest in camping began when he and his wife were invited on a road trip around Iceland with her friends. "The idea was to bring a tent." He found a special camping box with all the necessary equipment in his father's garage. During the trip, while his friends booked hotel stays, the couple thoroughly enjoyed their time in the tent. "It didn't even occur to us to stay in a hotel," he recalled, having fallen completely in love with tent camping.

We are talking about these perfect family camping trips.

— Sigurður Darri RafnssonClarifying the nature of their family camping.

Rafnsson finds camping a welcome change from daily life. "It's just a completely different way to live the day." He explains that as an adult, he fell in love with Iceland anew through these trips. "It's the nature, of course, and all that, but mainly the atmosphere of visiting these small towns and trying out all the swimming pools and different playgrounds." He finds immense peace in these experiences, especially with his children.

It didn't even occur to us to stay in a hotel.

— Sigurður Darri RafnssonRecalling his experience during a road trip where he and his wife preferred camping over hotels.

Many people are deterred by the thought of packing a large amount of gear and heading out of town, assuming camping is a hassle. Rafnsson insists it's much simpler and easier than perceived. "The first step is to convince the wife that this is a good idea," he joked. "But seriously, the first thing I did was invest in a very good mattress. You can't be on some inflatable mattress." He believes the quality of the mattress is crucial for a good camping experience.

It's just a completely different way to live the day.

— Sigurður Darri RafnssonExplaining the appeal of camping as a break from routine.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Morgunblaðið in Icelandic. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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