Adventure awaits! Hope to see you in Hepohiekka!
Maininki is a summer camp organized by Guides and Scouts of South Karelia. Maininki will be held in 28.7.–4.8.2026 in Hepohiekka campsite in Kyläniemi, Taipalsaari, Finland.
Key facts about the camp
- The camp will be held in summer 2026, from 28th July to 4th August (Tuesday – Tuesday)
- The organiser is Etelä-Karjalan Partiolaiset, the regional scout organisation in Sout-East Finland.
- The campsite Hepohiekka is owned by the organiser and built for scoutcamps. It is located by the lake Saimaa.
- The expected number of participants is 500.
Everyone at least 10 years of age are welcome. Minors (under 18 year-olds) must be escorted by adult scout leaders.
In the Finnish program adventurers are 10-12 year-olds, trackers 12-15 year-olds, explorers 15-17 year-olds, rovers 18-25 year-olds and adults 25+.
Experince Maininki the Finnish way
Maininki is a traditional Finnish scout camp. There will be varied daily program organised in the forest, on lake Saimaa or in the surrounding areas. Our international quests will be integrated to a troop together with 1 or more local units. Even though the main language of the camp is Finnish, it is relatively easy to come along, as practically everyone speaks reasonable English. Maininki is also reasonably small camp, so making friends will be easy.
In Finnish scout camps everyone pitches in! All scouts aged above 15 will take part in organising the event, yet having time for program for their age group as well. Explorers (15-17 year olds) will split their time between programmed activities and a volunteer position. Scouts and guides aged 18 and above will have a ”full time” task as part of the organising team – like an IST in World Scout Jamborees.
The campsite is a typical Finnish forest by the lake Saimaa. Everyone will live in a tent with other scouts. You will be eating out of a camp kitchen with your own plates etc. Camp kitchen can cater for most dietary restrictions if properly informed beforehand. For cleaning, there will be saunas available. Sauna stove heats also water, so you can wash yourself with a warm water from a bucket. There will be compostable outdoor toilets that are emptied and cleaned regularly.
How to get there?
The campsite Hepohiekka is located in Kyläniemi, Taipalsaari in South-East Finland. Exact location is Heponiementie, 56350 Kyläniemi (Taipalsaari). It is located ca. 330 km / 4h 15 min from Helsinki and 100 km / 1h 45 min from Lappeenranta, the closest bigger city with airport, railway station, university etc. Kyläniemi is technically an island, so there will be a short, free-of-charge ferry on the way.
You will need to take care fo your own travel arrangements atleast to Lappeenranta or Imatra. If you arrive specifically on the opening day of the camp 28.7.2026, you are welcome to use the busses from Lappeenranta and Imatra arranged for the Finnish troops as well. Should you arrive in advance, you would need to make arrangement all the way to Hepohiekka. However, we are happy to support you as best we can to find alternatives.
There will not be a home hospitality program, but we are happy to help you get in touch with Finnish scouts and guides so that you can maybe plan shared activities before or after the camp.
The page will be updated later with more information in English.
Participation fee and registration
The pricing of the camp will be published later, during fall 2025. The estimated camp fee is approximately 200 €. For the IST and leaders, the fee will be a bit lower.
Groups are recommended to arrive the campsite by busses organised by the camp, starting points in Lappeenranta and Imatra on 28.7.2026 and return back to Imatra and Lappeenranta on 4.8.2026. Bus transportation fees will be determined later, approximately 20 €.
The groups can register during fall 2025. Registration to the camp can be done by email to the address maininki2026@partio.fi. In the registration, please include:
- Name of the group
- Estimated number of participants and leaders / IST
- Contact details for 2 contact persons: name, email, phone number
We collect the participants’ details in January 2026. More information about this will be provided to the registered groups.
Groups will be invoiced in March 2026.