For our Iceland trip, we took a Lufthansa flight with economy light, which meant we had 1 cabin luggage and a backpack. For a week long trip I felt like I had to be really picky about what I should pack and be super efficient about it. Between the time when we purchased the flight tickets and the time we actually went, we had about 6 months and during all that time I kept thinking what should I wear! I read tons of blogs and tried to talk to people on social media who has been there. In the end, I was the happiest with everything I packed and I used every single piece I brought with me - for a minimalist traveller, if this is not happiness, I don't know what is!
So, here it goes:
Hiking boots: For this trip, I purchased two items particularly and proper hiking boots is one of them. Since I don't go hiking every week, I wanted to be a little bit moderate about this purchase. I purchased it in Turkey for about 50€ from Decathlon and I was the happiest girl ever! With all the rain and waterfalls we passed into, I remained fully dry.
It was absolutely comfortable to walk around all day and honestly, it was even OK to wear them in Reykjavik, since we didn't try to fit in for the night life.
Rain Coat: The second item I have purchased intentionally for Iceland is a rain coat. Previously, I have tried some poncho type of rain coat and they were all uncomfortable to move (especially to make some photos constantly) and to keep using it repeatedly. So I decided that I needed a real coat. Furthermore, I read from other blogs that the Icelandic wind is super strong and requires some protection. Again, considering the fact that I will not probably need the most professional gear in the near future, I opted for this coat in Decathlon in Italy for 15€.
Obviously, this is not the most amazing gear for winter. But, it kept me dry and it kept me MOSTLY protected against the wind. Plus, the weather in Iceland is constantly changeable, so it was highly preferable to wear this coat instead of my leather jacket time to time. For the price, its performance was spectacular!
Leather Jacket: About the jacket, I was confused a lot and in the end, I was happy with my choice. I have a thick Zara biker leather jacket that fits me pretty good even when I wear two layers of sweaters. As a life saver, I counted on that jacket and it didn't let me down!
Keep in mind that also this jacket was pretty good against wind and rain and I could wear my rain coat on this leather jacket. Sometimes, it was even way too much to wear this leather jacket especially when we were walking around getting sweaty under the sun. So, I wouldn't recommend a winter coat at all - at least for August! If you have a seasonal parka coat, you could be even happier if it's a little bit longer than mine.
Sweaters: I have some super warm wool sweaters that I love wearing in winter and two of them fit pretty good inside this leather jacket and still big enough that I can wear something more under it. I brought them with me and it was worth! You could also bring warm hoodies if you have it. Obviously, some professional gear would have been the best, I tried to use all my clothing that I already have.
I also brought 3 other sweaters that are pretty thin to create one more layer with the warm sweaters and to wear them alone if the weather gets better. And trust me, I have used them in both modalities. If I could change a thing about my luggage, I would have included one more thin sweater - they were really life saver. Then, I packed some t-shirts as the first layer but honestly, I never wore them alone.
Yoga Pants and Jeans: I didn't want to trust on the jeans that much since once they get wet, it takes forever for them to get dry. I always preferred the yoga pants when it rains or when visiting some waterfalls is in our plan. I suggest you the same! Plus, against the wind, you can always wear two of them together.
Scarf, Hand Warmers, Hat: I have a polar scarf perfect for winter and I was the happiest girl ever covering myself up with it. A wool hat helped me get warm but also to control my crazy curly hair in the crazy windy weather.
Hand warmers are optional - I have this cutest pair that I love and I am completely comfortable with so I was happy to bring it along with me.
Warm socks: I read in other blogs that people were praying for the wool socks but honestly, wearing the hiking boots above, I never suffered from the regular socks during the day. But, I liked wearing something warm in the guesthouses during the evening.
Camera Gear: Obviously, all my photography equipments, a mini tripod, my camera, two lenses, Polaroid, extra paper for the polaroid and additional memory card. Plus, previously I bought this waterproof camera coat for the rain and I was happy having it with me.
Personalized Google Maps: This is the most important thing I have ever prepared for this trip: a personalized map I prepared for all the things we need to see in Iceland, the guesthouses we have the reservation, supermarkets on our route and gas stations. I divided each address to the planned dates and color coded them to make it super obvious. I put all the notes and necessary information and my notes after visiting them.
Thermos: I brought my good old Starbucks thermos with me just to have something warm to drink every now and then during the day. It keeps my coffee warm for almost 5-6 hours and I could have also filled it in when we stopped in N1 to fill the gas here and there. Plus, there are fountains that you can fill your water bottle for free and having a thermos not only helps to have a warm drink but also keep your chilly water cool for a longer time.
Swim wear, flip flops and towels: We only visited the blue lagoon for a bath due to our limited time and weather conditions. But even for blue lagoon, these items are essential. It is true that right now, the cheapest ticket for Blue Lagoon includes a towel, it is useful to have a second one for after shower.
Extra Notes:
Sleeping Mask: Probably for June or July you might need it but in the first week of August, we didn't actually need them since around 11PM, it was pretty dark to sleep comfortably. If you want to be sure, be my guest tough!
Daily Towel: All guesthouses we have been to provided us multiple towels to use and they were all pretty clean and useful. Unless you are picky about using your personal items, I can tell you that you will be fine with the provided items.
Coffee / Tea bags: I brought some tea bags for the breakfast and for the road, but it turns out all the guesthouses we have stayed in provided these little items available for use in the kitchen.
Enjoy!
Labels: Iceland, Travel Tips
