Frequently asked questions
What makes the Malingsbo - Kloten Nature Reserve unique?
The forest has been protected from development since 1950, when the wilderness become a nature reserve which is the reason why the forest has been left in peace and why the wilderness still is a popular retreat for many wild animals. A common sight in the rest of mid Sweden is the presents of vacation houses. The absence of vacation houses and a very rich wildlife makes the nature reserve unique from the rest of central Sweden.
What about drinking water ?
The water along the canoe trails in the nature reserve is good for cooking with. Drinking water is recommended to be filled up in water bottles or containers from the faucet back home or at the Canoe Center (no charge). The tap water in Sweden is excellent drinking water and always controlled by the local health department. A fresh water spring is located along the canoe trail north of Kloten. There are water containers for rent at the Canoe Center. The containers holds 10 liters and the price is 80 SEK/container.
Are there restrictions or can we camp wherever we want in the Nature Reserve ?
Camping with caravans and motor homes is forbidden in The Malingsbo - Kloten Nature Reserve except on organized camping grounds.
Read about Wilderness Camping Sweden >>
Along the canoe and hiking trails tent camping is allowed in The Malingsbo - Kloten Nature Reserve. The Nature Reserve is very well taken care of. Along the canoe , bicycle and hiking trails are a great number of rest areas with sturdy rain and wind shelters. At the rest areas there are good, strong fireplaces in front of each rain and wind shelter. There is no charge for tent camping at the rest areas or at other places in the reserve (Except for camping at Wilderness Camping Sweden where the charge is 175 SEK/tent, caravans and motor homes).
How do we keep our food cold ?
Most people bring a cooler box to keep their food cool at the beginning of their trip. As the cooler box just will help you from the beginning of your trip you have to plan on consuming dry food, vegetables, fruit and cans for the following time of the trip. At the Adventure Center you can hire and change cooling blocks (the ice cubes you put in the cooler box).
What is the average paddling distance ?
The average holiday paddler usually covers a distance of 10 km/day on water without currents. This distance allows time for doing other things, such as: experiencing camping life, fishing, swimming, reading, relaxing and socialising around the campfire.
We have an uneven number of paddlers - what to do ?
The most common question at a Canoe Center is: "How can everyone participate when we have an uneven number of people? Is it necessary to drop somebody back home?" The answer is no. The salvation is the sea kayak and all hesitations and queries concerning kayaking are explained in the kayak section. Paddling in canoes as planned and simply adding one kayak is an excellent option, and provides a golden opportunity for all in the group to try kayaking. Read about kayaking >>
How to pack a kayak?
The packing space in a kayak is limited compared to the packing space in a canoe. Packing a kayak is a little bit like putting a puzzle together: it is best to pack one thing at a time. The kayaks have waterproof hatches in the front and in the back. It is recommended that you pack in plastic bags, as other bags will limit the packing space. On overnight excursions, the space between your legs in the cockpit should also be used. It is recommended that you have a water-proof sack of 40 liter capacity between your legs. Water-proof sacks of the recommended size are available for rent. More about additional equipment >>
How steady is a sea kayak?
Some people are unwarrantedly skeptic about kayak paddling. The bad reputation comes from a time before sea kayaks turned up on the market. Before, only competition kayaks existed, and these kayaks which are constructed in a completely different way to the sea kayaks. A competition kayak is constructed to be as fast as possible, with as little resistance as possible: therefore, the waist is extremely narrow and it has very poor stability. The sea kayak offers the opposite qualities: a kayak with a broad waist that offers as much stability as possible. A sea kayak is a kayak that everyone can paddle without previous experience, and the kayak is at least as stable as the traditional canoe (the Canadian canoe). Nordic Discovery's personal service includes assistance with getting into the kayaks and basic instructions upon request.
Which is more fun to paddle: canoe or sea kayak?
Doubtless: The sea kayak. The sea kayaks have added a new, exciting dimension to outdoor life.
Our teenagers are beginning to lose interest in the yearly holiday paddling - What to do ?
"We parents have a strong desire to do the holiday paddling together with our teenagers, but they' re starting to lose the interest. Is there any good trick to use?"
The answer and the advise is easy. The introduction of sea kayaks to the market came as something fresh and created a trend. It is both cool and trendy to kayak. This is something which is very important to teens who are very conscious of what other people think. Besides, kayaking is very fun.
With this simple advise, many parents keep their children on paddling vacations throughout the teenage year. Read about kayaking >>
Is there cell phone connection in the nature reserve ?
The connection is very good with the state-owned company, Telia. The connection is very bad or non-existent with other companies. Foreign phones automatically get switched over to Telia's network. The other option (for unlocked phones) is to buy a Swedish Telia SIM card for the trip.
When is the canoeing and kayaking season ?
The canoeing and kayaking season normally starts in April. The first rivers possible to canoe and kayak are Bergslagen’s rivers on lower-altitude. This includes all rivers except the higher-altitude rivers of the Malingsbo - Kloten Nature Reserve. In Kloten, the canoeing and kayaking starts after the break-up of the ice in late April (usually around the 23rd of April). The water usually freezes up again in mid-November. Read about the canoe trails >>
What are the opening hours ?
1 May - 30 September: Open daily 09:00 AM - 19:00 PM
1 October- 30 April: Open daily (bookings are required).
Free Wi-Fi
Wi-Fi connection is free and available in the Wilderness Lodge, Wilderness Cottage, River Lodge and at the reception at Nordic Discovery's Adventure Center.
I don’t speak Swedish and would like to participate on a wildlife safari
As long as there is a participant who doesn’t speak Swedish, the tour will be guided in fluent English. Tours guided in English is common on most tours.
Is it necessary to book the canoes in advance or can we book the canoes when we arrive ?
When you know the dates we recommend you to make a reservation. Then you know for sure that your equipment will be there when you arrive
How to get to Nordic Discovery’s Adventure Center ?
With a rented car: There are several car rental companies at the airports and a safe and free parking lot on the meadow at the back of the Adventure Center. Road descriptions from the airports >>
Transfers to Kloten from Stockholm's international airports >>
Which is the closest airport to Nordic Discovery’s Adventure Center ?
The closest airport among the 3 international airports in Stockholm is the Stockholm-Västerås airport. All the 3 international airports are located in different directions outside of Stockholm. The Stockholm-Västerås airport is located half way between Stockholm and Nordic Discovery’s Adventure Center. The Stockholm-Västerås airport is the smallest airport among Stockholm’s 3 international airports, and only a few airlines fly to Stockholm-Västerås. One of the airlines flying to Stockholm-Västerås is Ryan air, which offers the best economical deals for visitors flying to Sweden.
Read about getting from the airports with local transportation >>
Do we have to use any precautions and hide food for bears ?
The Swedish brown bear is very shy, peaceful and low in number and should not be mixed up with the bears in North America. Bears locking for camper’s food have never been heard of and any precautions are not needed.
What does The Malingsbo - Kloten Nature Reserve look like ?
The movie "Canoeing and wildlife in the Malingsbo - Kloten Nature Reserve", on the face book site bellow give a good explanation about the canoeing and the wildlife in the Malingsbo - Kloten Nature Reserve.