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Packing for Iceland can be…challenging. Depending on the time of year that you go, at any given moment it can be below freezing, pouring rain, or the sun may be shining bright as can be. There is also the matter of how insanely expensive Iceland can be…but it doesn’t have to be! There are plenty of ways to save money, like bringing filling and nutritious snacks with you and a water filter. This Iceland packing list has everything you could possibly need (other than the basic essentials like your normal toiletries you would bring and underwear).
Looking for a full itinerary for 24 hours in Iceland? Read that post here!
Clothing Essentials:
- Packable but warm coat
- I personally have the Patagonia Nano Puff that I purchased used from their incredible Worn Wear program. But, if that’s not in your budget (or Worn Wear doesn’t have it in your size) this Amazon Essentials option is great!!!
- Rain jacket – I know that it may seem a little redundant to have two different jackets on this list, but trust me, you need them both. Even if it isn’t raining, you’re going to want to get up close and personal with those stunning Icelandic waterfalls and they will get you completely drenched!
- Layers of wicking clothing – I cannot stress the importance of this enough. Going from your warm car, to the freezing outdoors, to doing a strenuous hike will leave you sweating. Do yourself a favor and dress in layers of wicking clothing. I have been wearing Under Armour Cold Gear clothing since high school and cannot recommend it enough. I especially love their long sleeve shirts, like this one.
- Waterproof pants
- Fleece lined leggings:
- I bought these water resistant fleece-lined leggings and they were surprisingly AMAZING! They’re not super thick (and Iceland in the middle of the night is freezing) so I bought a size up and wore another pair of cheap fleece-lined leggings from Primark underneath
- I also own these leggings from Amazon for daily New England winter-wear and they have been great!
- Hiking boots (preferably insulated ones)
- Hiking socks
- Gloves
- Hat
- Scarf
Tech:
- Camera – I have been using the Sony A600 for over a year now and truly cannot imagine my life without it. I bought this bundle from Amazon and while some of the pieces I still have never used, I use the spider tripod more than anything else, and of course the memory card was a great added bonus. The bundle normally costs about the same as the camera base itself, so I would definitely consider looking into it.
- Extra memory card (trust me, you’ll need it)
- Extra camera batteries, because the cold drains batteries like crazy
- GoPro
- MicroSD Memory Card
- Tripod – Amazon offers some awesome, basic tripods. I went to Iceland with their lightweight one, and it was fine, but have since upgraded to the regular one. People fail to mention how windy it can be in Iceland, and the only way to make the lightweight tripod secure for those perfect northern lights shots is to hang a backpack off of it.
- Powerbank
- Adapter
For the Flight and/or Sleeping in Your Car
- Neck pillow
- My Current One (It is super compact, and rolls up in its own little bag which I love)
- Trtl (the neck pillow that is all the rage)
- Blanket
- Reusable water bottle: I filled my S’Well bottle up with hot coffee before I left the airport. It kept it hot throughout my entire trip and also helped keep me warm in the car.
- Passport cover
- Travel journal
- Pen
Other Necessities
- Water filter – The glacial water in Iceland is relatively safe to drink straight from a running stream (never drink still water!), but I always think it’s better to be safe than sorry. Lifestraw is super compact and works great!
- Flashlight
- Snacks – Next to lodging, the thing you will spend the most amount of money on in Iceland is probably food. Save yourself some money (and time) and pack your bag with protein bars before you go. After all, Iceland is known more for their beautiful lands than their food so you probably want to spend the majority of your time hiking a glacier rather than hunting down and sitting in a restaurant. I personally love Clifbars and Larabars.
- Daypack – If you are going to Iceland I am guessing that you will be doing plenty of hiking, so don’t forget a great daypack! I personally love the Osprey Daylite Plus and would recommend it to just about anyone.
- Reef safe sunscreen – Yes, it is cold in Iceland, but that doesn’t mean you should stop protecting your skin from the sun. You can read my entire post about why you should make the switch to reef safe sunscreen here.
For more tips on driving around Iceland and saving money, check out this post.
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