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boode



Member Since: 11 Apr 2012
Location: Devon
Posts: 430

England 2003 Defender 90 Td5 HT Rutland Red
Ianb wrote:
Looks stunning, what month did you go?


Late Jan/Feb

Very cold but clear skies - not much snow falling and very icy
Lots of Northern Lights with beautiful sun sets and rises

Most nights were too cold to camp (we used Tipis with wood burners) as the ground was too frozen to get tent pegs into


Click image to enlarge


Did not quite get to Nordkapp as they closed the roads due to a blizzard - but driving in a blizzard was exhilarating - only just being able to see the red edge marker poles with no real idea where the road was - there is a pole on the left of the picture


Click image to enlarge
Post #1050299 30th Oct 2024 9:11pm
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pjm-84



Member Since: 12 Apr 2021
Location: Hampshire
Posts: 661

United Kingdom 
Very nice... I went in Jan and camped / snowholed, but I didn't have a choice. Wink
Post #1050309 30th Oct 2024 11:15pm
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Ianb



Member Since: 25 Oct 2023
Location: Devon
Posts: 398

United Kingdom 1998 Defender 110 300 Tdi HT Alaska White
Post #1050333 31st Oct 2024 10:49am
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Andrew95



Member Since: 27 Jul 2022
Location: Midlands
Posts: 71

United Kingdom 1997 Defender 110 300 Tdi SW Corris Grey
My apologies to everyone for not replying. Thank you all for some great ideas and recommendations. We went to Alta last Christmas and the weather was really odd, one day it was I think -22 and quite windy, it was cold, fine if you were doing something, but once you stopped. The next day (actually Christmas day) I think it was hovering around 0 and snowing and felt quite pleasant!

I know we have ages to go until the trip, but I have started on some preparations all-ready, everything is expensive so easier to do it over time.

The last couple of weekends I have redone the auxiliary 12v system. Swapped out the lead acid for a 105 Fogstar (I keep wanting to call it Frog Star) and associated Renogy DCDC with MPPT. Sadly this wont all fit under the passengers seat so I have put it in the second row unit in the back. We debated between the 105 and 200 for a while, if it wasn't for Norway, 105 for us would be more than enough. I think for the power demands of Norway it might be borderline - but we can look at that throughout the year.

We have also had a diesel heater fitted for years, but the camper set up blocked the outlet and as we never really used it never bother to do anything about it. I have drilled the outlets for it now so that's all fitted and working nicely. There is a vented outlet into the second row unit, its partially there to block off a join in a pipe, but also could be used to warm temperature sensitive things / maybe use it as a bit of a drying room (although thats going to cause a whole bigger issue with venting and condensation etc. so probably a non runner).

I have a roll of insulation / thermal fleece that I am going to start insulating what I can. When we built the camper we did a pretty good job of insulating it, but there are some gaps from where we had the roof conversion done which we can improve on.

Quite nervous for the trip, but very excited at the same time!



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Post #1052867 25th Nov 2024 12:24pm
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Ianb



Member Since: 25 Oct 2023
Location: Devon
Posts: 398

United Kingdom 1998 Defender 110 300 Tdi HT Alaska White
Very very tidy!

If you're thinking camping, also consider cooking options. We were in Scotland Feb this year and it was chilly/cold (not Norway cold) and we found our gas bottles (aerosol style and jetboil style) were really rubbish, recently purchased an MSR multifuel camping stove, one of the ones you fill a bottle with liquid, pump it a bunch of times (exercise and blood flow) then pray it actually lights and you don't starve (or at least I think that's how it works....) The Yeti - 110 Camper https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic90308.html
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@YetitheDefender
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/yetithedefender/
Post #1052973 26th Nov 2024 8:35am
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TexasRover



Member Since: 24 Nov 2022
Location: Paris
Posts: 1057

France 2002 Defender 110 Td5 DCPU Chawton White
Ahh and you can use unleaded (better for your health than the leaded verity we used to use..). Agree these canisters (buthane?) are no good in the cold, does not need to be that cold for them to no longer work.

Some of these YouTubers just use an induction cooker with these portable power banks. Does make a little bit of sense
Post #1052998 26th Nov 2024 11:35am
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jst



Member Since: 14 Jan 2008
Location: Taunton
Posts: 8032

 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Stornoway Grey
Peak stove, Coleman dual fuel both work well. I use them all year round. You can get a preheat burn paste for cold environment's which is a great help and more fuel efficient.

Naphtha, unleaded, super unleaded all work well. Keep the rubber seal on the plunger lubricated Cheers

James
110 2012 XS Utility
130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper
90 2010 Hardtop
90 M57 1988 Hardtop
Post #1053015 26th Nov 2024 4:16pm
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Ianb



Member Since: 25 Oct 2023
Location: Devon
Posts: 398

United Kingdom 1998 Defender 110 300 Tdi HT Alaska White
Interesting thought with using unleaded in a cooking stove, given that the fuel has recently changed to e10 (is it?), I wonder if that would have any impact on hoses/rubbers etc. The Yeti - 110 Camper https://www.defender2.net/forum/topic90308.html
Youtube - https://www.youtube.com/@YetitheDefender
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/yetithedefender/
Post #1053024 26th Nov 2024 5:10pm
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jst



Member Since: 14 Jan 2008
Location: Taunton
Posts: 8032

 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Stornoway Grey
It doesn't burn as well are my observations. I don't use use e10 in mine. Naphtha is good fuel for them Cheers

James
110 2012 XS Utility
130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper
90 2010 Hardtop
90 M57 1988 Hardtop
Post #1053030 26th Nov 2024 5:55pm
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Ianb



Member Since: 25 Oct 2023
Location: Devon
Posts: 398

United Kingdom 1998 Defender 110 300 Tdi HT Alaska White
Post #1053121 27th Nov 2024 5:12pm
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Ianb



Member Since: 25 Oct 2023
Location: Devon
Posts: 398

United Kingdom 1998 Defender 110 300 Tdi HT Alaska White
Post #1053382 29th Nov 2024 8:49pm
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boode



Member Since: 11 Apr 2012
Location: Devon
Posts: 430

England 2003 Defender 90 Td5 HT Rutland Red
I used Aspen fuel on our Norway trip through a Coleman double stove - worked fine in extreme cold
Aspen fuels are very pure without the sulphur, benzene or solvents found in car fuel - less taint on food or in your lungs
Post #1053396 29th Nov 2024 10:38pm
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jst



Member Since: 14 Jan 2008
Location: Taunton
Posts: 8032

 2011 Defender 110 Puma 2.4 USW Stornoway Grey
Aspen fuel is good for chainsaws too. Naptha , Google will tell you, readily available. Cheers

James
110 2012 XS Utility
130 2011 M57 bespoke Camper
90 2010 Hardtop
90 M57 1988 Hardtop
Post #1053490 30th Nov 2024 6:56pm
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