The Finnish winter landscape invites us to move outdoors. A quiet snow-covered forest, crisp air, and untouched snow create an unique outdoor experience where the mind calms down and the body awakens through movement.

For many visitors to Finland, winter hiking, snowshoeing, and backcountry skiing are among the most memorable ways to experience the Nordic wilderness. 

Choosing the right equipment can greatly influence your experience. The three most common ways to move through deep, untouched snow are:

• Snowshoes

• Sliding snowshoes (or skishoes)

• Backcountry skis

All of them allow you to travel off-trail in deep snow, but they differ in their design, technique, and ideal terrain.

This guide will help you understand the differences and choose the right gear for your winter adventure in Finland.

Snowshoes – An Easy Way to Start Winter Hiking

Snowshoes are often the most beginner-friendly option for winter hiking. The movement resembles normal walking, so the technique is quick to learn.

Snowshoes distribute the user's weight over a larger surface area, which significantly reduces sinking into deep snow.

Especially in varied terrain and dense forest snowshoes offer safe and stable movement. Their compact size allows you to turn even in tight spaces, although walking backwards can be difficult, particularly in deep snow.

The metal cleats under the snowshoes provide traction on steeper slopes and icy surfaces. Using poles together with snowshoes is recommended for better balance and stability.

Snowshoes are excellent for slow-paced nature travel, observation, and frequent stops along the way.

Snowshoes are primarily chosen according to the user's weight, which should include winter clothing and any backpack or other carried equipment. A long hike with a heavy backpack requires more flotation than a short day trip with minimal gear, an ice fishing sled or "ahkio".

Snowshoes are attached to your own winter boots, so the footwear should be sturdy enough to allow the bindings to be tightened securely.

The pace with snowshoes is typically calm, making them a good option for enjoying the scenery of Finnish winer, guided nature walks, and beginners.

Best conditions for snowshoes

• Dense forest and varied terrain

• Gentle winter hikes and nature observation

• Beginners exploring winter landscapes in Finland

Sliding Snowshoes – A Hybrid of Snowshoes and Skis

Sliding snowshoes (sometimes called skishoes) are a hybrid between snowshoes and backcountry skis.

They are shorter and wider than traditional skis, but longer than snopwshoes, and usually have an integrated climbing skin or traction surface on the base, which allows forward glide while still providing grip on uphill sections.

Travel with sliding snowshoes is smoother and slightly faster than with traditional snowshoes. Their length improves flotation in soft snow while still allowing a gliding movement between steps.

They work well in varied terrain where you want to travel off-trail but still benefit from glide. In forest routes and gently rolling terrain they are a versatile choice. However, on hard-packed or icy snow, sliding snowshoes may feel less stable than snowshoes because the gliding surface can slip sideways more easily.

Sliding snowshoes are often easier to transport and control than longer backcountry skis, which makes them a popular option for active winter hikers in Finland.

Like snowshoes, they are typically attached to your own winter boots, attached with adjustable bindings. Supportive footwear is important.

Best conditions

• Soft or variable snow conditions

• Forest routes and off-trail exploration

• Winter hikes where you want a bit more speed

Backcountry Skis – Efficient Travel Across Open Snowfields

Backcountry skis (often called forest skis in Finland) are a traditional Nordic tool for winter travel, historically used by hunters, forest workers, and wilderness travellers.

They are long with a bit of width, designed to carry the skier over deep snow by distributing weight across a longer surface and providing a long gliding motion.

In dense forest terrain long skis may catch on hidden branches or uneven ground beneath the snow. They also require more space to turn than snowshoes or sliding snowshoes and therefore demand slightly more skill to control. For this reason, they are not always the most agile option in tight forest terrain or steeply varied landscapes.

However, in open bogs, frozen lakes, and wide forest areas, backcountry skis offer an efficient way to travel. Their long glide helps conserve energy and makes covering longer distances easier. They are particularly suitable for trips where longer distances are planned and the terrain is more open, but are also suitable for shorter day trips to enjoy the beautiful Finnish winter.

Backcountry skis are also typically used with sturdy winter boots that fit securely into the ski bindings.

Best conditions

• Open bogs and frozen lakes

• Long day trips or longer journeys

• Deep, soft snow

Choosing the Right Equipment for the Conditions

Each piece of winter travel equipment performs best in the right environment.

When planning a nature excursion in Finland and choosing your gear, consider:

In dense forest and varied terrain, snowshoes and sliding snowshoes often work better than long skis, especially for beginners, because they are easier to control. In very deep, soft snow, backcountry skis usually provide the best flotation. On icy surfaces and climbing up hills, the metal crampons on snowshoes provide valuable traction.

When choosing your equipment, also remember to include the weight of your gear and backpack when calculating flotation, to ensure movement remains as effortless as possible.

From the Stilte equipment rental in Kokkola Keski-Pohjanmaa (Central Ostrobothnia), you can easily reserve the right gear for your winter adventure at a time that suits you best.

If you join a guided snowshoe hike, you will also receive personal instruction on how to use the equipment safely and comfortably.

Snowshoe trips can also be arranged as custom experiences for private groups visiting Finland.

Welcome to experience the calm, beauty, and vitality of Nordic winter nature.