Peter’s story

"My first hike in my Lundhags Jämtkängan boots

When I was 18 years old, I decided to invest in a pair of Jämtkängan boots from Lundhags. The year was 1977 and my newfound interest in outdoor pursuits had been given to me by my friend Hasse. He knew everything about plants, etc. and hiking with him was fascinating.

He worked full-time in the shipbuilding industry and earned quite well. I was a senior in high school but worked extra on weekends in our local grocery store.

Hasse advised me to always buy good quality equipment. I planned to walk the Kungsleden trail, but since I didn’t have the equipment I needed, the plan was to save as much as I could from what I earned and buy the equipment on an ongoing basis. The first thing I bought was a pair of boots. The reason for this was that boots needed to be broken in, and I ended up going for Jämtkängan. They cost a lot, but I liked the fact that they were a little higher and managed the wet so well that I didn’t need any rubber boots. They also dried quickly if they did accidentally get wet.

Then I bought a tent, backpack, sleeping bag, stove and so on, and in August 1980 I was ready for my first major mountain hike, the Kungsleden trail.

Unfortunately, Hasse was unable to come with me, but luckily Lars-Mikael, another friend, was able to join me. We took the train from Gothenburg to Abisko, where we started the hike. I still remember how exciting it was to try to find Kebnekaise’s mountain station with just a map and compass. Initially, there was a bit of wading across streams, etc., but that soon ended. I particularly remember our night in Tarfala, where you could see a glacier. Amazing!

After 6 days we reached our goal, Kebnekaise. We took a boat, taxi and train, and eventually arrived in Kiruna, where we stopped and Lars-Mikael showed me where his grandfather had lived, etc.

Then it was time to take the train home to Gothenburg again.

My interest in outdoor pursuits was awakened, and I joined the Swedish Outdoor Association’s TVM youth group. There have been many hikes over the years, and my Jämtkängan boots have always been with me. In 1990, I broke my ankle unfortunately in a running race. The fact that I was no longer able to exercise meant that I gained weight, and gaining weight meant that my arches dropped and suddenly my boots were too small! What to do? Buy new ones? No, instead I went to a shoe repairer and asked them to relast the boots. The first one declined to do this with such old boots, the risk of them breaking was too great. But the next one had no problem with it when he saw that they were Lundhags! A week later, they were relasted and I was able to start hiking in them again. 

Today, my boots are 45 years old! I haven’t done any maintenance other than redubbing them from time to time. The sole may be a little harder than it was originally, but no cracks yet, knock on wood. I must admit that I am impressed and my feet and I would like to take this opportunity to thank Lundhags for such quality. What a great friend they’ve been!

All the best
Peter"