A happy midsummer in the Vänerskärgården

Happie Camp describes themselves as a hot tent chain and that's a pretty good description. Imagine a tent in the middle of our untouched nature but still with all the modern comforts that you are used to. Then add to this a beautiful location and good food and you have the recipe for an absolutely fantastic experience. Happie Camp started a few years ago and has since expanded to three destinations; Arvika, Hagfors and the Vänerskärgården. However, you don't need to be afraid of crowding as there are at least 150 meters between the tents. This means in practice that from some of the campsites you can glimpse tents between the trees, but despite this it is still a very secluded experience.

The tents themselves are tastefully decorated in harmonious natural colours. They are real beds with good quality linen sheets and the floor is carpeted and comfortable sheep traps. The tents are also large enough to accommodate both a full-sized bed and a small seating area, which means that even in a downpour you can have a really cozy time. Outside the tent there is a small terrace where you can prepare your gastronomic masterpieces with advantage.

When it comes to food, you have two choices: Either you bring your own food or you choose Happie Camp's gourmet bag. We of course chose their box and it consisted of the ingredients for breakfast, lunch and dinner. It also came with a small recipe book and some snacks. Here is the menu for the different days:

• Mushroom risotto and chocolate pudding
• Forest porridge with oats, apple and rosehip
• Carrot and lentil salad
• Beetroot curry with quinoa
• Blueberry pancakes with lemon and ginger drink

We were somewhat surprised that they chose a recipe with so many parts, but at the same time you had plenty of time, which still made the cooking part of the experience. Perhaps the biggest challenge was not the recipes themselves but the simple facilities available in the wilderness kitchen. As for the food itself, there were many exciting flavor combinations and even though we are not used to plant based, everything was well composed and tasty.

So what did we think of the experience as a whole? It was hard not to be captivated by the beautiful environment and we could have published twenty views as beautiful as the one above. It was also interesting how quickly we slowed down and got into a sort of slow flow. It felt obvious to turn off the phone and no other tech geeks competed for one's attention. We were lucky with the weather, but in the distance we could still see a severe thunderstorm. Normally, you might have just noticed it before rushing on to the next activity, but in this environment, we instead stopped and followed the spectacle for several hours.

In conclusion, you can only say one thing and that is that this is a completely unique experience that cannot be compared to anything else. When we booked, we may have thought it was well priced for a tent in the forest, but believe us when we say it's worth every penny. It's hard to describe in words but we can only state that this is so much more than a normal glamping experience. The beautiful location, the seclusion and all the little details made the whole thing something you have to experience at least once in your life. Happy Midsummer wishes to the new happy people!