It is important that you get as much information as possible about your hiking destination in advance and prepare for your trip thoroughly. Knowing your route and sticking to it and knowing what the weather and warnings in effect (ilmatieteenlaitos.fi) has in store, will help make your trip a success.

Hiking in wilderness areas is much more demanding than on marked trails. For this reason it is good to be an experienced hiker before attempting a wilderness trek.

**Equipment**

When travelling in the wilderness of Käsivarsi, you should at minimum bring a map, compass and appropriate hiking gear as required by the length of your trip. Remember that the weather conditions can change very quickly in open fell areas, and it can also snow in the summer. Getting lost in a snowstorm is very dangerous.
Dress for hiking in colorful clothes and according to the weather.
Toilet paper and water are good to have along.
Flowing water in this area is usually safe to drink. Natural water sources are not tested, however, and you use them at your own risk. In warm weather the water should be boiled. When near huts, you should take water from the location indicated in the hut book, usually upstream and far enough away from the buildings.
Make sure you pack a first-aid kit. If you face an emergency on your hike, e.g. get lost, get injured or observe wildfire, call 112 and report an emergency.

**Mobile phone coverage**

While mobile networks have a wide coverage in Finland, there are blind spots in Käsivarsi Wilderness Area. Check the coverage of your network with your mobile phone operator. If the signal is weak, it may help to climb to a higher point and a more open area. Phones usually find the network at a height of 850 to 900 m.
Close to the Norwegian border in Käsivarsi, connecting to the Norwegian network is quite easy if the phone has automatic network selection enabled. In this case, you must use the country code of the person you wish to call and leave out the first digit of the telephone number; for example, to call Finland you add the country code +358 and leave out the initial zero of the phone number.
When calling from areas with poor signal, you can try sending a text message to the person you wish to talk to, asking them to call you. You should then hold the phone as high up as possible, and it may receive calls. Removing your phone's SIM card when making an emergency call will also help you get through. You should note that there may be differences between different mobile phones regarding the signal strength.
We recommend that you keep your mobile phone warm at all times. Certain phone models do not work when the temperature falls below zero. To keep your mobile phone charged, bring along a spare power source, a spare battery or an old phone with a working battery.

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Conditions

Weather and conditions

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Avalanche risk remains high in the Käsivarsi Wilderness Reserve and in the Kilpisjärvi area