CHARLES KARJALAINEN.

Charles is 30 years old and comes from Dalarna. Father to William and master to a Jack Russel terrier named Kajsa. He is a former professional musician, but currently working with IT while studying to become a mountain guide.

The outdoors can mean going to different places both physically or mentally, and I ask Charles what he thinks about the meaning of being outdoors.
“It is what it is not” he says. “It’s about balance and getting in touch with who we really are as humans” he continues.

“I enjoy all the 4 seasons and explore the wild with a child's eyes every time, I try to ”get lost” just to let go. Being outdoors in the wild makes me think of how we treat the world with our modern living. In the nature I am forced to think different and at the same time not think at all. Everything I buy and bring with me outdoors is carefully chosen to be good for the environment. If I catch a fish I let it back if I’m not going to eat it.”

“The only time I’m relying on technology is when I take pictures, it’s about being one with nature and being one with myself. There’s no religious aspect to it - but the nature and the mountains is my church.”

“I got a son about one year ago, and that made me start to think of what knowledge I wanted to pass on. I want my son to be aware of the environment and the wildlife. I want him to feel the deepest respect for everything that is living.” He ends.

Talking about memories, he smiles and tells me that he has many.
“But just recently, late summer this year, I was in the mountains in Jämtland on a fishing trip. After two days the weather got really bad so I decided to stay inside the tent."

“My dog, Kajsa, got up and she needed to go out. I opened the tent and got out. All around me was a thick fog and total darkness. We just stood there and the only thing you could hear was the wind. Strange enough I just felt at ease, I felt safe and when I went back into the sleeping bag I slept for 7 consecutive hours. Following morning I was drinking coffee as reindeers passed the tent. A memory I will never forget” he ends.

Product tested: Ljung pants.

You can follow Charles on instagram @ fjallhoganord