This Arctic Island Haunts Me! I Shouldn’t Be Here. (Grim Realities of Off-Grid Van Living)
There’s a place in the Arctic I keep coming back to.
I don’t fully understand why.
It disappoints me.
It frustrates me.
At times, I even feel like I shouldn’t be here at all.
And yet… I return.
Maybe it’s the beauty.
Maybe it’s the hope that this time will be different.
Or maybe it’s something harder to explain.
This video is not about finding the perfect place.
It’s about the strange pull some places can have on you — even when you know better.
This is Slow TV and Made for TV specifically!
—
Late summer days spent moving through wind, rain, and long, restless nights.
Trying to find a place to stop… and questioning why I came back in the first place.
—
Filmed in the Arctic during late summer.
This happened before the 2026 Arctic Winter Life series:
Surviving my 4th Arctic Winter of Extreme Van Life. Solo in Hurricanes, Blizzards, Snow Storms & Camping in Extreme Cold Freezing Temperatures.
My van is a Fiat Ducato, FWD with Nokian Hakkapalitta studless Winter Tires. This is the same as a Ram Promaster in America – USA and Canada.
MAPS:
-If you want access to maps of my routes and campsite, and support my video creation you can sign up at Patreon.com/NorwegianXplorer
Enjoy camping and van life friends from around the world! Personally I enjoy watching Alaska van life, Canadian wilderness Winter off-grid survival & Remote cabins USA / winter bushcraft videos
This video is about Arctic blizzard, winter van life, extreme winter camping, Arctic storm, van life in a
About me: I am a Norwegian adventurer and wilderness explorer. My youtube channel focus on outdoor wilderness adventures and exploration, backpacking, hiking, canyoneering, skiing, climbing and mountaineering. Nights spent in a tent, alone or with friends. From the snow covered mountains and misty fjords of Norway and Scandinavia to the remote plateaus of Yellowstone and the debts of the red canyons of Utah to the summit of Mt Whitney and the heart of Sequoia Kings Canyon National Park. I love the Wilderness! Email is under “For business inquiries”, for general questions please comment on a video, I try to answer everyone.
#arcticlife #arctic #VanLife #SlowLiving #rain #heavyrain #rainsounds #rainstorm
31 Comments
This is my new 3-4 episode MINI series from Arctic Norway. I hope you enjoy the contrast from the Arctic Winter! What is the weather like where you are? How you got something in your cup?
NB! Please LIKE and SUBSCRIBE! If you want to support my channel and get access to my maps exclusive content etc, go to https://patreon.com/norwegianxplorer or hit "join" to become a member here.
I really appreciate all your kind comments and I am really grateful to all of you for being part of the family! ❤
Thank you, Jarl, you are wonderful, but there is no escape from tourists, my friend, the world has become a small village
My own story about over tourism. Some 40 years plus ago, Zion NP was one of the least visited parks in the system, surprisingly. At one time you could make reservations for a cabin at the lodge, do hikes, including Angel's landing, and have a relaxing vacation in late summer. Now, at any time of the year, Zion is so over visited, traffic is worse than on the 405.
It's a shame, because you now need to make reservations for most of the trails.
This is why I like the North Rim of the Grand Cyn, but last summer they let that lodge burn down.
This is why I favor Capitol Reef NP, now. It's not as heavily visited.
Ελπιζω να ψηφισες αντιευρωπαικο Κομμα ! 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂❤❤❤
I miss the snow!
I have a question: how many kilometers have you done with the camper? it looks awesome btw
Ярл, там иногда появляются касатки?
Nice seeing you in a short
sleeve, and yellow 💛
Happy weekend dear.
Good to see you again.
Thanks for sharing this trip and video. We'll see if we move into a camper van this summer with my dog. I've been dreaming about it for years and have done some radical things to make this dream come true.
I lived in the New forest in Hampshire uk, where I found my peace, but now it's overrun with tousists too, I no longer live there! Peace I now get from your channel and all your videos, thankyou so much. ❤I unfortunately I now have only a flat that I live in, and I'm surrounded by ppl. :-/. Until i find somewhere better 😀 thanks again.!🫥
Thunder over Louisville today. Black Rifle Beyond Black coffee. All day air show and huge fireworks tonight, Kentucky Derby festival kickoff, 78 today. 50 plus baseball practice later. Nice to see Arctic out of snow, but really enjoyed this winters videos
Great video thank's !
Love your scenery of the splashing ocean.😊
Jarl, I completely understand that people can have that effect. For us solitude people there’s nothing worse than crowds. The magnificent scenery and clean fresh air is the focus! Just try to ignore the people. Truly, your ability to capture these amazing places and graciously share them with us is beyond amazing. Keep doing what you love and don’t ever let crowds sway you from following your passion. ❤
Lofoten has become a shithole because of tourism, coming from someone who has lived here all my life.
ArT
34:05 & 39:10 & 1:23:48 Thia ia all so very beautiful!!
"Ha ha; look at this shit-show here." -Jarl (classic!)
I’m sorry about the ex 😅
That’s one of the largest grocery stores I’ve seen u go to. Better prices I hope!
I love how you end w the ex GF, you tie it altogether like a good story 😊
All the beautiful places around Europe have been destroyed by tourism and migrants☹️ twice a year I would holiday in Europe and over the past 10+ years I’ve watched it it’s decline partly because of TikTok, YouTube, Instagram, partly because you get to see the beauty of some places from having access to international TV show . Definitely cruise ships.. so the worlds become smaller, and unfortunately children who have not been raised and taught respect of property and appreciation of beauty. Land architecture have grown up into adults who do not respect everything that they’re seeing in front of them. When you see 500 year-old buildings with graffiti all over them, you understand that society has been a decline.
Hi Jarl, I was in Lofoten last september with less people. It's amazing place! I slept at the same place in the begin of the video one month later u lol take care of yourself
Can u please do more shopping food shopping anything..would love to see the stores there and prices with u putting your purchases away
How is your fuel price where you are? we are in NZ and its 1/3 more expensive than it was before war
its most definitley not the place that disgusts you, its the people. Remove the people and heaven aye?
irresistible and unparalleled.
sensational and I live in New Zealand
I have fallen in love. The people definitely an issue but the price to pay for that spectacular experience.
How many kms is it from the lorforton bridge entrance to where you went and back again? Great to have a dump station and tap and facilities.