A sophisticated tent set up in the middle of nowhere, furnished with comfortable beds, merino wool bedding, a stove, and lounge chairs. With the forest, silence, and Lake Vänern as its closest neighbors. Some would describe it as glamping, but Staffan Svantesson doesn’t think that’s a fair description of his newly founded company, Happie Camp.
– To me, glamping is strongly associated with camping and cramming as many people as possible into a small area. We take a completely different approach by instead giving people their own space in nature. And that is what differentiates us the most, says Staffan.
The Seed of Happie Camp
As early as 2008, when Staffan worked extra at his father’s campsite by the shore of Lake Hjälmaren to finance his studies at the Berghs School of Communication in Stockholm, the idea was born. But 20 weeks at a campsite gave him something to think about. It quickly became clear that it wasn’t exciting at all. No one talked to each other, and people just stayed at the campsite without exploring the beautiful surroundings and nature. Staffan wondered what would happen if you turned the entire camping industry upside down. The basic idea of renting a place in nature is great, but if people don’t talk to each other, what’s the point of living packed like sardines? The idea of a new form of camping began to take root. But it took 12 years before he made it happen.
– My dad’s campsite wasn’t for me. I wanted to present a different option for people like me – those who love getting out into nature but don’t necessarily want to do much more than just be there.
In May 2019, Staffan Started Happie Camp
By the end of June, the first tent was already in place. The concept is that guests receive coordinates to a parking spot near the camp. Once there, they get new coordinates to the actual tent, which is located 10–15 minutes’ walk from the parking lot in a secluded spot. The tents are fully equipped with furniture and kitchenware; the only thing guests need to bring is their own food and drinks. The core idea is to lower the threshold for people to experience untouched nature.
Today, it can be challenging for many to get out into nature. It requires knowledge and experience, as well as equipment that can be quite costly—at least if you want a quality experience. As someone who hikes a lot, I know how it feels to set up a tent in the middle of nowhere – that feeling is absolutely incredible. You can never experience that at a regular campsite. This is the nature experience I want to recreate, package, and offer.
Staffan Svantesson
Happie Camp’s primary target audience is not the outdoor enthusiast, the fitness fanatic, or the survivalist, but rather city dwellers longing to escape the noise and stress.