-What are STF huts?
The STF or (Svenska Turistföreningen) huts are dotted along the entire Kungsleden trail. There are a total of 16 STF mountain huts along the trail. These are places where you can stay the night in a shared cabin, dry your clothes, cook on a hob, even play some board games! (depending on which hut you’re in).
They also sell food and camping supplies. If you are on a lower budget, these should not be counted on for food, as the prices are very expensive. For example, I spent 65 KR (6.5 euros) on a tube of cheese and 150 KR on a small bottle of mosquito repellent. It is however nice to know that one is always near to food, supplies, shelter, a bed and help should one ever need it.
The STF huts are usually open from the 23rd of June till the 20th of September. There are always emergency wind shelters which are open for use along the trail.
It is advisable to purchase the STF membership, before embarking on the Kunglseden trail if one isn’t planning on camping all the time. Membership costs around 25 euros for a year, which saves you SEK 100/ 10 euros per person per night. Children aged 5 -15 receive a SEK 50 discount per night.
There are a few STF huts along the trail which have fully fledged restaurants where you can order breakfast, lunch and dinner. An incredible change for the taste buds after weeks of eating camping food. These can be found at Hemavan Kvikkjokk, Staltaluoakta, Abisko.
There are even some huts with access to a Sauna… Unfortunately, when I went in 2021 they were closed due to Corona measures.
The price to stay in an STF hut varies. In the smaller, more isolated huts, expect to pay between 360 – 410 SEK per night. However, I recall in Kvikkjokk this went up to 800 SEK per night.
Overall, If you don’t like camping and want to stay in a shared lodge, STF huts are a convenient way to do this in reasonable comfort. They can mostly all be reached within a day’s hiking. In theory, you could hike the trial staying only in STF huts, they are mostly interspersed between each other by 10 – 20 km. The food at the huts is pricey, but good for emergencies. Overall, a very convenient thing to have in the middle of nowhere in the arctic circle. Always good to know you have shelter nearby. I will however continue to camp the REAL WAY, in my tent. Happy Hiking!
