Maija Pukkila

Born in Southeast Finland, Maija grew up surrounded by forest set on Puruvesi Lake. She currently lives with her husband Oscar in their remote cabin “off the grid” in the deep woods of Finland. In addition to being a Civil Engineer, Maija is the manager of NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School) Scandinavia branch, as well as a field instructor. Her favorite outdoor activities to engage in are sea kayaking, backpacking, packrafting, climbing, skiing, many other snow sports, and hammocking. She has extensively traversed the waters and lands of Scandinavia including Finland, Sweden and Norway, and has also broadly explored Patagonia, Alaska, Wyoming, and Baja Mexico. She estimates to have spent at least five years cumulatively in the field completing wilderness expeditions. While Maija loves the challenge of summiting mountains and paddling ocean waters, she also likes simply camping, enjoying the outdoors without further goal of achievement. 

“I love sleeping in my hammock and seeing the sky when I first open my eyes. I enjoy seeing the different ecosystems and beauty of nature, appreciating the simplicity of camping life, being in places where the background noise is caused by wind or water instead of highways. I love looking at the details nestled in nature.”