Sweden has a lending library for tents, skis and skates, and visitors can use it. Here is how borrowing works, what the terms say if something breaks, and the catches that decide whether it fits your trip.
When you need this
- You want to try camping, skating, skiing or paddling once without buying the gear.
- You are staying a few weeks in a Swedish town and want kit for weekend trips.
- Your children have outgrown last season’s skates or skis.
- Your luggage allowance won’t stretch to a tent, sleeping mat and stove.
- A cold snap has frozen the lakes and you have no skates.
What Fritidsbanken is
Fritidsbanken (“the leisure bank”) works like a public library, but with sports and outdoor equipment instead of books. Everything on the shelves was donated second-hand. The network buys nothing new, and its three founding principles are that everyone may borrow, everything is free, and gear gets reused.
The first branch opened in 2013 in Deje, north of Karlstad in Värmland. The network now says it is present in over 40 percent of Sweden’s municipalities. When we counted its branch finder in October 2026, it listed about 136 open branches and two small satellite points, with about a dozen more marked “opening soon”.
Most branches are run and funded by the local municipality, a few by civil-society organisations, under the brand of a national non-profit association. That is why it feels more like a council service than a shop. Expect a counter, short opening hours and staff who know the stock by heart.
Can visitors borrow?
Yes. The lending terms say everyone may borrow. There is no age limit and nothing about residency. You give two things at the counter: your name and a mobile number.
The detail most descriptions miss is the one that matters to a visitor. If you have no Swedish mobile number, you give an email address instead. It is in Fritidsbanken’s own easy-read terms. You then get a confirmation message with a link showing what you borrowed and the latest return date.
The real limits for a visitor are practical, not legal. You must collect in person during opening hours. You must bring the gear back to the branch within 14 days. So it works best when you are based somewhere for a while, or when your route passes the same town twice.
How to borrow, step by step
- Find a branch on your route. The national branch finder (Hitta din Fritidsbank) lists every branch with address, opening hours and contact details.
- Search the stock online. The stock search (Lagersaldo) shows what each branch has registered. Treat the result as preliminary (see the catches below).
- Phone or email the branch if your trip depends on one item, such as a tent or skis in your size. Some branches can help outside their opening hours by arrangement.
- Go in person during opening hours and give your name and a mobile number, or an email address.
- Check the gear at the counter. Count tent poles and pegs, check the stove parts, and make sure ski bindings suit your boots. You are responsible for the setup, even if staff adjusted it.
- Keep the confirmation message. It has your list of items and your return date.
- Return within 14 days to the same branch, including anything that broke. Some branches have a drop-off box for returns when they are closed; check before you rely on one.
What you can borrow
What is on the shelf depends on what local people donated, so every branch differs. Fritidsbanken’s own list of typical items reads like a Swedish outdoor year:
| Activity | Typical gear | Worth knowing |
|---|---|---|
| Camping and hiking | Tents, stormkök (storm cooker stove sets) | A three-person tent is the network’s own example |
| Paddling and fishing | Flytvästar (life jackets), fishing rods | Check the size range for children |
| Skiing | Skis, poles, boots, helmets | Ski edges are sharpened in servicing |
| Skating | Ice skates, inline skates | Skates are sharpened; the first items to go in a cold snap |
| Ball sports | Balls, sticks, football boots | Mostly the everyday range |
| Adapted sport | Sit-skis, bi-skis, para ice hockey sledges | Some branches only; search under Parasport/Fritidshjälpmedel |
Borrowed gear is serviced regularly: skates and ski edges are sharpened and bearings lubricated. That makes borrowed skates the easiest win on the list. A frozen lake plus free skates is about as Swedish as a winter day gets. Read our ice safety guide before you step onto natural ice.
For a summer weekend, a borrowed tent and stove pair naturally with allemansrätten, the right of public access. It lets you pitch a tent for a night or two on most land for free, so a weekend in nature can cost almost nothing. Wild camping in Sweden explains where you may legally pitch.
The catches
Fritidsbanken is built for people who live nearby. Four things decide whether it works for a trip.
Stock is never guaranteed. The network says plainly that it cannot promise any specific item. The online search is marked preliminary. Not every branch has registered all items and sizes. Returned gear is inspected before it goes back out, which can take a couple of days. Some branches keep part of their stock in seasonal storage elsewhere, so the search can show gear you can’t actually borrow that day. If the trip depends on one item, phone first.
Hours are short and mostly on weekdays. Most branches list weekday hours only, and some open just a few hours on two days a week. Many close on röda dagar (public holidays) and klämdagar (bridge days between a holiday and a weekend). A few city branches, such as Malmö’s, open daily including weekends. Check the hours for the exact week you travel, because they change around school holidays.
Branches are in towns, not resorts. In October 2026 the finder listed no branch in the Åre or Malung-Sälen municipalities, home to the big ski resorts. The city branches sit in suburbs: Stockholm’s in Skärholmen and Enskede-Årsta-Vantör, and Gothenburg’s in Angered and Frölunda Torg. On a northern or island trip, useful towns on the list include Kiruna, Jokkmokk, Östersund, Mora, Storuman, Visby on Gotland and Borgholm on Öland. In small towns, phone ahead: Kiruna’s branch says it cannot guarantee its opening hours.
Self-service needs Swedish BankID. At least one rural branch, Sysslebäck in Värmland, is open around the clock. You log in with a QR code and mobile BankID, the Swedish e-ID that most visitors don’t have. Elsewhere, staffed satellite points called Lilla Fritidsbanken (“little Fritidsbanken”) carry a smaller range in places like schools. The network names tourist offices and mountain stations as possible hosts too.
Demand is rising, too. The Västerås branch lent 32,818 items in 2025, about four times its 2024 figure. Expect the seasonal favourites (skates in a cold snap, tents in July) to go first.
If something breaks or comes back late
The terms are generous, and they are a contract with the network, not Swedish law. These are the points that matter:
| Situation | What the terms say |
|---|---|
| Something breaks through normal use or an accident | No compensation is asked. Return it anyway so it can be repaired or used for parts |
| Gear is lost, sold or deliberately damaged | You must pay compensation; no amount is published |
| Return is late | No late fee, but stolen or unreturned gear may be reported to the police |
| You need it longer | Not normally possible; a branch may agree to an extension if you ask first |
| You get injured | All use is at your own risk; Fritidsbanken is not liable for injury |
| Skis or a snowboard | You are responsible for correct binding settings, even if staff set them |
Under-18s need a guardian’s permission for some riskier gear, such as downhill skis. A branch can refuse a loan for safety reasons or if the borrower breaks the terms. Gear may never be rented out or used to earn money.
If you are leaving Sweden after a long stay, it also works the other way round. Branches welcome donations of outdoor gear you can’t take home.
Practical information
| Item | Detail |
|---|---|
| Cost to borrow | Free, always; no deposit |
| Loan period | Up to 14 days; extensions only by agreement |
| What you give | Name and mobile number, or email without a Swedish number |
| Late return | No fee; unreturned gear may be reported to the police |
| Breakage (normal use or accident) | Free |
| Lost, sold or deliberately damaged | Compensation required |
| Branches | About 136 open, plus 2 satellite points (finder, October 2026) |
| Find a branch and stock | Fritidsbanken’s branch finder and Lagersaldo stock search |
FAQ
Can tourists borrow from Fritidsbanken?
Yes. The terms say everyone may borrow, with no age limit and no residency requirement. You give your name and a mobile number when you collect the gear, and if you have no Swedish mobile number you can give an email address instead. You must collect in person during the branch’s opening hours and return the gear within 14 days.
Is Fritidsbanken really free?
Yes. Borrowing is always free, with no deposit and no late fees, and you pay nothing if something breaks through normal use or an accident. The network is non-profit, funded mainly by municipalities and grants. You only owe compensation if gear is lost, sold or deliberately damaged, and unreturned gear can be reported to the police.
How long can I borrow equipment from Fritidsbanken?
Up to 14 days. Extensions are not normally given, but a local branch can agree to one, so ask before the return date rather than after it. The confirmation message you receive links to a list of what you borrowed and the latest return date. Return everything to the branch you borrowed from, including anything that broke.
Can I borrow a tent and camping gear from Fritidsbanken?
Often, but not guaranteed. Tents, camping stoves and life jackets are part of the typical range, yet each branch only has what people have donated. Check the online stock search, then phone the branch, because search results are preliminary and some gear sits in seasonal storage. Count the poles and pegs before you leave the counter.
Where is the nearest Fritidsbanken?
Use the branch finder on Fritidsbanken’s website, which lists about 136 open branches with addresses, hours and phone numbers. Branches sit in ordinary towns and suburbs rather than resorts; Stockholm’s are in Skärholmen and Enskede-Årsta-Vantör, Gothenburg’s in Angered and Frölunda Torg. In October 2026 none were listed in Åre or Malung-Sälen.
Can I borrow skis or skates for a winter holiday?
Yes, if the branch has your size. Skis, boots, poles, helmets and skates are common, and skates and ski edges are sharpened as part of regular servicing. They are also the most wanted items in a cold snap. You are responsible for checking that bindings are set correctly, and under-18s need a guardian’s permission for downhill skis.
Related guides
- Wild camping in Sweden — where a borrowed tent may legally go, and for how long.
- Nordic ice skating — the long-distance lake skating that borrowed skates open up.
- Cross-country skiing in Sweden — tracks, passes and when renting beats borrowing.
- Camping with kids in Sweden — the family trip this service suits best.
- Sweden on a budget — the other ways to cut a Swedish trip’s costs.
Facts verified 2026-10-14. Sources: Fritidsbanken Sverige (lending terms, branch finder, stock search), Västerås stad — full register in this topic’s source file. Found something outdated? Tell us and we’ll fix it.