It’s no secret that Stanley is made to last—and it’s not unheard of to see a Stanley flask still keeping coffee warm 50 years after it rolled out the factory. With that in mind, our series ‘Stanleys in the Wild’ tells the stories of your near-indestructible Stanleys—the places they’ve been and the things they’ve seen.
This time around, we’re pitching a tent in the Danish wilderness with all-round man of the outdoors Henrik Lindgaard and his enviable collection of Stanley
You’ve got some amazing Stanley camping kit. Can you run us through your collection?
I’ve got an old travel mug, the old version of the Stanley Classic Easy Wide Mouth Flask and my Stanley Adventure Stainless Steel cook set. I got my camp cook set as a Christmas present about six or seven years ago. I use it for cooking when I'm out camping alone, or to make sauce in it when there are more people out. I also use it for boiling water for hot cocoa in winter time or to make some cowboy coffee.
What do you mean by cowboy coffee?
That’s where you make coffee without a filter.
Tasty. What else do you usually pack for a camping trip?
It’s very different. It all depends on which kind of trip I am going on—whether that’s a canoe trip, hot tent camping, a hiking trip, a pack raft trip, big tent camping with outdoor cooking or a road trip. When I travel with a backpack I always try to keep the weight down—I’ve been doing this for a long time so I don’t pack things down which I don’t use.
What kind of things do you take on a canoe trip? I imagine there’s not much space for carrying things.
For canoe trips I’ll take a tent or a hammock, things for outdoor cooking, my sleeping gear and a cold beer.
When did you get into camping?
I was a boy scout for over ten years when I was younger, and then when my son was five, he was allowed to become a boy scout (even though you have to be six years old to start). In summer time there was a big scout camp where scouts from other countries came—I borrowed a tent from a friend and we slept in it for five days. And that’s when my adult outdoor life started.
What’s the score with camping in Denmark—can you camp anywhere?
No—not anywhere but we have something called free tenting—where you can camp in 275 forests without asking.
Where do you like to go?
I use the free tenting forests and I know people who own forests so I got permission to camp there.
You cook some pretty elaborate meals outdoors—have you got any tips for cooking away from the kitchen?
Start with what you got in your refrigerator at home—some of the things I always have in mine are onions, carrots, spring onions, leeks, green peppers, sausages and a bit of butter—throw it on a pan over the fire and it will taste fantastic… or grab a can of cod roe and throw that on a pan.
I love cooking one pot pasta or a simmer pot—just something with some meat in it—if I have two or three hours in the morning then I love making slow campfire bacon. Food tastes better out in the nature.
What else do you like to do whilst out camping?
When I am camping with others, we always have small projects and we’ll spend a lot of time collecting firewood. And then when I am out alone I love to do a bit of carving. I’ve used an axe my whole life, and never had an accident with it yet.
Even with luxurious homes, people still love camping—what is it about sleeping out in the wilderness that’s so special?
It’s the fresh air…I think it has something to do with living a little more simply, at least for a while when camping. In these times we always have something to do or something we have to achieve or things we need to remember to do. My kind of camping is about slowing down and remembering to enjoy the small things.
Do you have a favourite memory from your camping trips?
I have so many… summer tent camping with the family in Sweden or solo hot tent camping in a snowstorm.
Sounds good. Wrapping this up, what’s your favourite hot drink to sip from your Stanley when you’re camping?
Coffee.
Find out more about Henrik’s camping adventures here.
Have you also got a Stanley with a story to tell? We’d love to hear from you. Share your story here and bag yourself £100 to spend on our website.
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