The goal of this blog is to create a list of super facts. Important facts that are true with very high certainty and yet surprising, misunderstood, or disputed by many. This blog aims to be challenging, educational, and fun, without it being clickbait. I determine veracity using evidence, data from reputable sources and longstanding scientific consensus. Prepare to be challenged (I am). Intentionally seek the truth not confirmation of your belief.
Today is the second time I participate in Linda Hill’s streams of consciousness. To read about the rules and participate click here, or here. To read my previous entry (prompt was pre) click here. Today’s prompt for Stream of Consciousness Saturday April 4 is “hide”. Use it way you’d like. The first rule is: there should be minimal planning and no editing except typos. First thing that came to my mind was reindeer hide. Notice that this is not a super fact post, but just a general informational / factual post. In addition, to writing about my experiences with reindeer hides I also downloaded a few pictures from Wikipedia.
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Reindeer Hide Memories
I grew up northern Sweden where there are a lot of reindeer and reindeer hides. When we drove around on the north Swedish countryside, we often saw reindeer at the side of the road. Sometimes there were flocks of reindeer blocking the road. Unlike many other animals reindeer tends to be a little bit stupid about traffic and quite often they walked right in front of the cars. The risk for collision was quite high.
Distribution of Rangifer tarandus (Caribou/Reindeer) Red – Reindeer (orange: introduced populations) Green – Caribou. TBjornstad 11:46, 31 October 2006 (UTC), Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons. Image is from this Wikipedia page.
A related interesting fact is that the in northern Sweden, Norway, Finland and parts of Russia there is an Aboriginal people referred to as Sami. They are / were traditionally a nomadic people who followed and herded the reindeer. Reindeer hide is a very important item for the Samis, and used for clothing, footwear, tents, drums and musical instruments, rugs and bedding. Reindeer hide is also an important cultural item for us “regular” north Swedes. When I was a kid, we used reindeer hide for bedding, decoration, wall ornaments, and for cover when sitting outside on the snow or the ice.
My kids here in Texas also have some experience with reindeer hides. When they were little, we visited the ice hotel in Jukkasjärvi in northern Sweden. The ice hotel in Jukkasjärvi is the original and largest ice hotel in the world. The beds in the ice hotel are made of ice and covered by reindeer hide to make it warm and soft. We also took a dog sled tour, and the sled was covered by reindeer hide for comfort. Below are some photos of us on a dogsled with reindeer hide and photos of ice beds with reindeer hide, including our room. I got these photos from my personal and very old family website.
We are going on a dogsled tour. The ice theater is in the background, and you can see part of the ice hotel on the right. Notice the reindeer hide on the sled.On the left is a kåta, a movable Sami structure (indigenous arctic Scandinavian people). Kåtas were traditionally made with reindeer hide.My dad Stig and his girlfriend Ulla came with us on the trip. Notice the reindeer hide on the ice bed.We are going to bed in our room. I think it was my wife Claudia who took the photo. Notice the reindeer hide on the ice bed.Another room with a snowy wall decoration. Notice the reindeer hide on the ice bed.Some of the rooms were really beautiful. Notice the reindeer hide on the bed.Some of the rooms had beautiful ice art. Notice the reindeer hide on the bed.You had to pay more for a big room. You paid the price of Hilton and got the comfort of camping in winter. Notice the reindeer hide on the bed.More ice art. Notice the reindeer hide on the bed.
My name is Thomas Wikman. I am a software/robotics engineer with a background in physics. I am currently retired. I took early retirement. I am a dog lover, and especially a Leonberger lover, a home brewer, craft beer enthusiast, I’m learning French, and I am an avid reader. I live in Dallas, Texas, but I am originally from Sweden. I am married to Claudia, and we have three children. I have two blogs. The first feature the crazy adventures of our Leonberger Le Bronco von der Löwenhöhle as well as information on Leonbergers. The second blog, superfactful, feature information and facts I think are very interesting. With this blog I would like to create a list of facts that are accepted as true among the experts of the field and yet disputed amongst the public or highly surprising. These facts are special and in lieu of a better word I call them super-facts.
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61 thoughts on “Reindeer Hide Memories”
Reindeer (caribou) are also very important to the indigenous peoples of our north as well as moose. I agree that reindeer are not too smart (moose either). Our national parks now have “animal overpasses” above the highways passing through the parks originally because the caribou and moose were being hit by vehicles in such large numbers.
Yes I can definitely see the similarity between north Scandinavia and the northern North America. Northern North America, Alaska and northern Canada is much bigger though. Reindeer/Caribou, Moose, indigenous people’s, brown bears, wolves, the arctic cold, etc., it is similar. Animal overpasses is a great idea.
Yes, the price for a room is like Hilton and the comfort is like camping in winter. However, you pay for the adventure. The kids loved it. My wife not so much. However, between the reindeer hide underneath you and the warm sleeping bags I did not think it was uncomfortable. Thank you so much Chris.
That ice hotel is amazing, Thomas! Using reindeer hides as bedding makes sense. I seem to recall that the individual hairs are hollow, which adds to the insulating quallity, but I’m not sure if that’s true.
Thank you so much Audrey. Yes, I remember the same thing about individual hairs being hollow, adding to the insulating quality. So I looked it up right now. These hairs are air-filled tubes with a honeycomb-like structure inside, which provide exceptional insulation against Arctic temperatures by trapping body heat. Check out this short youTube video confirming what you said.
We see caribou/reindeer a few times when hiking, but it’s always exciting because they’re not as common. We hike in that narrow green strip in your map. Maggie
Being such a cold climate I can sure see the need for fur and hides to manage to live. It was interesting to learn more and also to see all the photos of the dog sled and hotel. The ice sculpture of the moose is so pretty 🙂
Thank you so much Barbara. Yes, the reindeer hide was very important in northern Sweden. It still is but now there’s more modern coats and bedding. I agree the moose is pretty. It was one the most interesting ice sculpures when we were there. I should say they change the ice art every year. I counted about 200 ice sculptures.
Thank you Robbie. Yes reindeer hide is very effective in keeping the warmth. You can put it directly on ice and snow and then lie or sit on it and it is warm. However, the ice block beds had one more layer in between the reindeer hide and the ice and that is a sheet of cardboard. However, I don’t think that is for warmth, just to keep it flat.
That is a good idea. It might be it. However, I should say that the reindeer hide isolate against humidity and ice very well on its own. Wetness does leak through.
Thank you Violet. You are right, Alaska is the perfect place for an ice hotel, and there is sort of. Near Fairbanks there is an ice museum that offers overnight stays. There used to be a “real” ice hotel like the one in Jukkasjärvi. However, it was mismanaged and closed down.
I live in Fairbanks and have never heard of any rooms advertised as a part of the ice museum that offer accommodations like the ones you posted. Now at Chena Hot Springs there are ice beds but they are strictly for viewing purposes. I’m gonna ask around because I would have thought I’d have heard about them if they existed in my town. Oooo Fairbanks adventure! hehehe 😂
Oh yeah, this is what it says : The Ice Hotel Suites: Yes, you can technically stay in an ice hotel suite! While actual overnight stays are not permitted for an entire night (guests get a warm room nearby), you can book a “photo opportunity” or a brief experience. These suites, complete with ice beds and intricate headboards, offer a glimpse into a truly unique form of hospitality. The bed itself is layered with reindeer pelts and insulated sleeping bags, making it surprisingly cozy for a short while.
You were right though. You can’t stay the whole night at the Ice Museum. My memory was confused. However, it seems like you could in the past. That feature was closed in 2003-2004 season according to chatGPT. You can, however, stay overnight in your own room at the ice hotel in Jukkasjärvi. The same is true for the ice hotel nearby Quebec City in Canada.
Given that reindeer are known for flying at superluminal velocities, you’d think they’d be better at evading cars! (Sorry, I was just reminded of our discussions of American Santa Claus traditions.) Seriously, I enjoyed the post and especially the photos from the Swedish ice hotel. It looks truly magical.
Ha ha that is funny. Yes imagine what kind of energies would be involved if reindeers and cars crashed into each other at the speed of light (I have no idea how superluminal velocities would turn out). Yes the kids thought it was magical and very exciting. My wife was less amused. She had complaints about the temperature. Thank you so much David.
What a fun post Thomas. I can’t help but wonder, sleeping on an ice bed with ice walls in an ice room – are you saying you can’t feel the cold of the bed through the hide? Looks awfully cold. Brrrr! 😁
Thank you so much Debby. The raindeer hide is extremely effective and cold from the ice will not penetrate. In addition you have highly rated sleeping bags. However, you are supposed to put your head inside the sleeping bag, otherwise your head get cold. My wife did want to put her head inside the sleeping bag and she got cold. She left in the middle of the night, walked out of the ice hotel and into the wooden building next to the entrance. This building was warm and good for these kind of occasions. She was not the only one doing that. However, me and the kids stayed all night in the ice room. We thought it was cool, meaning we had a good time.
Ha ha yes, the heated building was great for people who chickened out and it was placed right in front of the entrance. It also had warm showers, bathrooms, heated rooms, and other things that the ice hotel did not have. Another thing, if you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, there are no bathrooms, and you weren’t allowed to pee on the wall or the floors, so you had to walk out and into the wooden building.
Yes it was fun, especially for the kids. I should say there are several ice hotels in Europe, in addition to Sweden, there is one in Norway, Finland, Romania and I believe one more place.
Ha ha Java Bean, you just made me realize that the title can be read in more than one way. Maybe I should have read the title out loud. However, a post about reindeer having repressed memories would be cool. I am thinking along the lines of what Santa could have done traumatizing the reindeer. Maybe it could be a children’s book.
Interesting post! There are a lot of deer collisions where I live in the NC foothills and west of us in the mountains. Today, I was driving in Boone where my son lives, and two deer appeared suddenly crossing the road as I rounded a curve. The second stood still in the middle of the road for what felt like several seconds as I yelled at it to keep moving which it finally did.
That is scary. Deer collisions happen so easily and it is sad to see the animal suffer and the car gets banged up. My brother crashed into Moose twice. One problem with reindeer is that they just stand in the middle of the road not being able to figure out what is going on. At least you can get regular deer to move like you did (with some effort).
It is scary. I won’t drive at night or even dusk. In his blog, Derrick Knight shares photos of ponies, cows, and donkeys who routinely take over the roads of his English village.
Sometimes you don’t have a choice, but driving in dusk or at night can be scary. In Sweden (my native country) they have taken actions to reduce wildlife collisions including reflectors along the road that make you see wildlife in darkness, nightvision cameras warning drivers, fences and bridges for wildlife to cross, and more.
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Reindeer (caribou) are also very important to the indigenous peoples of our north as well as moose. I agree that reindeer are not too smart (moose either). Our national parks now have “animal overpasses” above the highways passing through the parks originally because the caribou and moose were being hit by vehicles in such large numbers.
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Yes I can definitely see the similarity between north Scandinavia and the northern North America. Northern North America, Alaska and northern Canada is much bigger though. Reindeer/Caribou, Moose, indigenous people’s, brown bears, wolves, the arctic cold, etc., it is similar. Animal overpasses is a great idea.
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Really cool to hear about your own reindeer experiences, Thomas. I had to idea you grew up in northern Sweden! That ice art is amazing!
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Thank you so much Ada. I agree the ice art is amazing at the Ice Hotel. You have to pay extra to get a room with nice Ice Art.
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Beautiful!
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Thank you Luisa
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My pleasure 🪻
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Wow… icicles inside! Very pretty though.
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Yes, the price for a room is like Hilton and the comfort is like camping in winter. However, you pay for the adventure. The kids loved it. My wife not so much. However, between the reindeer hide underneath you and the warm sleeping bags I did not think it was uncomfortable. Thank you so much Chris.
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A rich history. Thanks for sharing it, Thomas.
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Thank you so much Anneli.
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That ice hotel is amazing, Thomas! Using reindeer hides as bedding makes sense. I seem to recall that the individual hairs are hollow, which adds to the insulating quallity, but I’m not sure if that’s true.
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Thank you so much Audrey. Yes, I remember the same thing about individual hairs being hollow, adding to the insulating quality. So I looked it up right now. These hairs are air-filled tubes with a honeycomb-like structure inside, which provide exceptional insulation against Arctic temperatures by trapping body heat. Check out this short youTube video confirming what you said.
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That’s good to know, Thomas. Thanks for the link!
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Thank you Audrey for telling me the interesting information
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We see caribou/reindeer a few times when hiking, but it’s always exciting because they’re not as common. We hike in that narrow green strip in your map. Maggie
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The narrow green stripe. That is interesting. Thank you so much Maggie.
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Being such a cold climate I can sure see the need for fur and hides to manage to live. It was interesting to learn more and also to see all the photos of the dog sled and hotel. The ice sculpture of the moose is so pretty 🙂
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Thank you so much Barbara. Yes, the reindeer hide was very important in northern Sweden. It still is but now there’s more modern coats and bedding. I agree the moose is pretty. It was one the most interesting ice sculpures when we were there. I should say they change the ice art every year. I counted about 200 ice sculptures.
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wow there must be some talented artists to create these detailed sculptures. 🙂
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Yes you are right. Lots of ice sculpture artists. I should say that they have a big freezer house where they keep some things over summer.
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I really enjoyed this post, Thomas. The ice hotel is fascinating and the reindeer skins must be very good if they keep you warm on a bed made of ice.
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Thank you Robbie. Yes reindeer hide is very effective in keeping the warmth. You can put it directly on ice and snow and then lie or sit on it and it is warm. However, the ice block beds had one more layer in between the reindeer hide and the ice and that is a sheet of cardboard. However, I don’t think that is for warmth, just to keep it flat.
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Perhaps to keep it dry?
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That is a good idea. It might be it. However, I should say that the reindeer hide isolate against humidity and ice very well on its own. Wetness does leak through.
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💜
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How absolutely gorgeous! We have nothing to rival this Ice Hotel here in Alaska and I cannot imagine why not!
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Thank you Violet. You are right, Alaska is the perfect place for an ice hotel, and there is sort of. Near Fairbanks there is an ice museum that offers overnight stays. There used to be a “real” ice hotel like the one in Jukkasjärvi. However, it was mismanaged and closed down.
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I live in Fairbanks and have never heard of any rooms advertised as a part of the ice museum that offer accommodations like the ones you posted. Now at Chena Hot Springs there are ice beds but they are strictly for viewing purposes. I’m gonna ask around because I would have thought I’d have heard about them if they existed in my town. Oooo Fairbanks adventure! hehehe 😂
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Oh I see. I’ve only read about this online. I’ve never been to Alaska. Reading it a bit more carefully, I guess it is not for the entire night.
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Oh yeah, this is what it says : The Ice Hotel Suites: Yes, you can technically stay in an ice hotel suite! While actual overnight stays are not permitted for an entire night (guests get a warm room nearby), you can book a “photo opportunity” or a brief experience. These suites, complete with ice beds and intricate headboards, offer a glimpse into a truly unique form of hospitality. The bed itself is layered with reindeer pelts and insulated sleeping bags, making it surprisingly cozy for a short while.
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I mean from the link above.
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How interesting! I had no idea. Of course I live here so I’ve never shopped for a hotel but still. Thank you Thomas 😊
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You were right though. You can’t stay the whole night at the Ice Museum. My memory was confused. However, it seems like you could in the past. That feature was closed in 2003-2004 season according to chatGPT. You can, however, stay overnight in your own room at the ice hotel in Jukkasjärvi. The same is true for the ice hotel nearby Quebec City in Canada.
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Oh my, I love your post, Thomas. Some cool facts, some great photos, and a journey to for all to envy. Bravo and Thank You!
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Thank you so much for your very kind words Gwen.
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Given that reindeer are known for flying at superluminal velocities, you’d think they’d be better at evading cars! (Sorry, I was just reminded of our discussions of American Santa Claus traditions.) Seriously, I enjoyed the post and especially the photos from the Swedish ice hotel. It looks truly magical.
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Ha ha that is funny. Yes imagine what kind of energies would be involved if reindeers and cars crashed into each other at the speed of light (I have no idea how superluminal velocities would turn out). Yes the kids thought it was magical and very exciting. My wife was less amused. She had complaints about the temperature. Thank you so much David.
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What a fun post Thomas. I can’t help but wonder, sleeping on an ice bed with ice walls in an ice room – are you saying you can’t feel the cold of the bed through the hide? Looks awfully cold. Brrrr! 😁
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Thank you so much Debby. The raindeer hide is extremely effective and cold from the ice will not penetrate. In addition you have highly rated sleeping bags. However, you are supposed to put your head inside the sleeping bag, otherwise your head get cold. My wife did want to put her head inside the sleeping bag and she got cold. She left in the middle of the night, walked out of the ice hotel and into the wooden building next to the entrance. This building was warm and good for these kind of occasions. She was not the only one doing that. However, me and the kids stayed all night in the ice room. We thought it was cool, meaning we had a good time.
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I may have joined your wife. Lol. And nice play on the word – cool. 🤣
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Ha ha yes, the heated building was great for people who chickened out and it was placed right in front of the entrance. It also had warm showers, bathrooms, heated rooms, and other things that the ice hotel did not have. Another thing, if you have to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night, there are no bathrooms, and you weren’t allowed to pee on the wall or the floors, so you had to walk out and into the wooden building.
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Ya. No. I’m quite sure I’d be sleeping with your wife. 🤣😁😁
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I guess staying in the Ice Hotel has the same comfort as camping outside in the arctic winter. However, you’d miss out on the adventure.
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I could live with the photos. 🤣😁
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My wife thought we got interesting photos but she had concerns about the actucal experience.
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A fabulous trip – have always wanted to go to the Ice Hotel!
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Yes it was fun, especially for the kids. I should say there are several ice hotels in Europe, in addition to Sweden, there is one in Norway, Finland, Romania and I believe one more place.
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Ours would be Finland or Sweden.
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Java Bean: “Ayyy, our Dada thought maybe this was going to be about repressed memories among reindeer populations! He is so silly sometimes.”
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Ha ha Java Bean, you just made me realize that the title can be read in more than one way. Maybe I should have read the title out loud. However, a post about reindeer having repressed memories would be cool. I am thinking along the lines of what Santa could have done traumatizing the reindeer. Maybe it could be a children’s book.
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Yes, I feel like their repressed memories would definitely involve Santa, and possibly elves …
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Yes you are right, especially the elves.
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Interesting post! There are a lot of deer collisions where I live in the NC foothills and west of us in the mountains. Today, I was driving in Boone where my son lives, and two deer appeared suddenly crossing the road as I rounded a curve. The second stood still in the middle of the road for what felt like several seconds as I yelled at it to keep moving which it finally did.
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That is scary. Deer collisions happen so easily and it is sad to see the animal suffer and the car gets banged up. My brother crashed into Moose twice. One problem with reindeer is that they just stand in the middle of the road not being able to figure out what is going on. At least you can get regular deer to move like you did (with some effort).
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It is scary. I won’t drive at night or even dusk. In his blog, Derrick Knight shares photos of ponies, cows, and donkeys who routinely take over the roads of his English village.
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Sometimes you don’t have a choice, but driving in dusk or at night can be scary. In Sweden (my native country) they have taken actions to reduce wildlife collisions including reflectors along the road that make you see wildlife in darkness, nightvision cameras warning drivers, fences and bridges for wildlife to cross, and more.
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Kudos to Sweden for these excellent actions to reduce wildlife collisions and setting a good example for all of us in many ways.
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Thank you so much JoAnna
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You are welcome!
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