Haglöfs has set up the weather-fi link in the remote North of Sweden
An outdoors brand has set up a wi-fi link for walkers in a remote part of Arctic Sweden.
But the link, provided by on Haglöfs on Kungsleden trail, will only operate when it’s raining.
The Swedish brand said: “The weather in northern Sweden can get pretty rough, and Haglöfs has helped people endure the weather since 1914.
“But today people seem to believe that being online is just as important as staying dry when the rain is pouring down. According to a survey from 2014, a good wi-fi connection is one of the things we value the most when we are travelling.”
The wi-fi connection is driven by solar panels, and is linked to a local weather station acting as an on-off switch. The worse the downpour, the better the signal.
The location, 250km north of the Arctic Circle, normally has no connection, but Haglöfs have provided the rainy-day service for trekkers on the trail, which runs for 440km from Hemavan in the South to Abisko in the North.
The company’s chief executive Peter Fabrin said: “We want to encourage everyone to get out there, no matter the weather. But even if our products are made to beat the elements, you sometimes need a break.
“With this initiative, we hope to make people’s outdoor experiences even more enjoyable, even when it’s pouring down.”
During October, anyone planning on heading out for Kungsleden can check a dedicated website to get the latest forecast for the region and to see whether the weather-fi will be up and running.
Kungsleden translates as the King’s Trail and typically takes walkers up to four weeks to complete.
Brian M
06 October 2016Well Great no you cant even escape wifi radiation in the wild ...morons
Matt
18 October 2016If you at Haglofs aim to make the "outdoors" more enjoyable then please, please for the love of - ditch this marketing crap.
The Kungsleden is one of the few places left where hikers can "treat" themselves by: enjoying nature, winding down, relaxing, contemplating, whatever. NOT "catching up on a favourite [tv] series" or taking damned selfies to post immediately - God forbid you can't wait 6 days to update all the people on your profile that don't actually care anyway.
Haglofs marketing department clearly doesn't understand this.
This trail is great because it is remote. That's why people travel there. You take a book or just listen to the rain, talk to your fellow hikers or appreciate the stillness.
"Weather-fi" will simply mean that the emotionally challenged who infest every other corner of the connected Earth and have the attention span of a goldfish will now be at liberty to subject the rational 10% of us left to Pharrell's "Happy" - which is just what you want when you're in a candle lit cabin for the evening isn't it?
If you want to sell more outdoor wears then there are gapingly obvious gaps in the market - just know your customers and have a little imagination. Leave something sacred, the Arctic Cirle used to be - can people really not stand 6 days without Wi-fi?
Take your dollar accumulation elsewhere please.