This is a list of what we packed, what we wished we packed and what we should have left home...
CLOTHES:
June is one of the Summer months in Iceland. But don't let that fool you because it was still quite cold for us come mid-June. The average temperature in June is 9°C or 48°F – making it the third warmest month of the year after July and August.
Maybe it's the Florida girl in my blood but we were fully bundled up, especially at night! There was a day or two of really pleasant weather that called for a totally different wardrobe -- but I think this list will leave you feeling prepared!
• RAINCOAT
• RAIN PAINTS / WATERPROOF PANTS
Something easy to throw over what you're wearing because between the waterfalls + random rain showers, you will definitely be getting wet throughout your trip! Best to keep as much of your clothes dry as possible, as it isn't super convenient finding a way to dry them.
• HIKING PANTS
These are nice to have to put over leggings or thermal underwear/long johns because they allow you the stretch you need, which I found the most comfortable for the wide range of adventures we had scheduled.
• JACKETS/ COATS
A few different styles of jackets + coats are recommended as the weather is always changing throughout the day, so it's nice to be able to bundle up when the wind is rough + take a few layers off when it gets a bit warmer. Another reason for bringing a few different styled jackets is to feel comfortable during different activities.
For example: I wore a rain coat while we did a glacier hike + ice picking. Since I had to wear a harness I found this jacket choice very uncomfortable. Would definitely recommend something a bit shorter or different material - like a Columbia rain jacket.
*PRO TIP: I also brought a long, puffer jacket and at night used it as extra padding for my sleeping bag.
• HIKING BOOTS
Loved the support that hiking boots provided while walking on the uneven terrain day in and day out. Recommend boots for the ankle support. I got a super affordable pair from Amazon + love them! They are also waterproof which is A MUST!
• FLIP FLOPS / SANDALS
I watched so many Youtube videos + read so many blogs, the reviews for bringing flipflops were 50/50. We didn't end up bringing any but I definitely wish we did. Needing to put on socks + boots after a shower or needing to go to the bathroom in the middle of the night was annoying. Wish we had brought something easy to slide on.
• SNEAKERS
I brought my Adidas Ultraboosts because they are the most comfortable pair of shoes I own. If you don't find your hiking shoes to be comfortable I definitely recommend bringing something like these for walking the city. That being said, I loved my hiking shoes + wish I didn't bring these. I ended up barely wearing them because they weren't waterproof + waterproof shoes are a must for a majority of the trip.
• WOOL SOCKS
The best investment - soooo comfy + warm. I still wear them around the house.
• GLOVES
• FUZZY DOUBLE LAYERED LEGGINGS
I loved these because they provided an extra layer of warmth, were super easy to move around in + was easy to put under any pair of pants.
• LONG SLEEVES
I have nothing special to note for the long sleeves - just something you're comfortable in. I brought one turtle neck + wore most basic long sleeves under jackets most of the trip. The most comfortable long sleeves I have EVER WORN are from Aprés Actif. They are amazing quality, don't pill and are super flattering on. I can't say enough good things about this brand.
• BEANIE
As someone who would usually wear a beanie for the fashion, it was in Iceland that I realized just how warm they actually are. Definitely a key player to keeping toasty.
• BATHING SUIT
I brought one-pieces because that is what I saw in most photos of people traveling Iceland. I wish I brought a two-piece. Most of our spontaneous dips we had to change in our car and I think it would have been easier to change in and out of a two piece much easier. I recommend bringing more than one if you don't like getting into wet bathing suits - because if you don't have a dryer available the bathing suits take forever to dry.
• BUM BAG
I am a huge advocate for bum bags/fanny packs as it is but I really found it useful to have while exploring and just having little things readily available without having to go through my backpack. I brought my leather one from Status Anxiety which I LIVE FOR! But I wish I brought one that had material fit for the weather we encountered.
• PAJAMAS
If you're camping I definitely recommend layers - I wore a full loungewear set underneath a onesie because it was so cold! Wouldn't necessarily recommend this combo as it isn't the most convenient to use the restroom - but definitely bring layers for the night.
• T-SHIRT + SHORTS
There was one day in particular that I wish I had brought something lighter. Even in a long sleeve + leggings I was sweating. I don't think you'll need this attire much but it's totally worth bringing!
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TOILETRIES:
I won't go into each + every toiletry item since that is pretty standard but here are some additions points to consider when packing your toiletry bag.
• QUICK DRYING TOWELS
You'll notice the theme around packing will be finding things that dry easy or have back up. We brought super light towels that dried pretty quick, but I wish we brought two since some days we would get out of a warm spring, into cold air only to dry off with an even colder wet towel. We used towels from Sand Cloud which were great but I found the amazon ones were just as good!
• TOILETRY HANGING BAG
My sister brought one of these and I ended up putting all my stuff in hers as well because it just made the showering process much more organized. If you're camping + using public camp ground showers you'll find the spaces to be quite small. This is the best way to stay organized while camping.
• HAIR CARE (BLUE LAGOON)
If you are planning on visiting the Blue Lagoon I highly recommend you pack a hair mask + lots of conditioner! The water is intense on the hair + it left ours feeling like straw for the entire trip, nearly impossible to brush out. It needs LOTS of TLC so bring products accordingly!
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GEAR:
• BACKPACK
Depending on what you plan on doing during your trip I would recommend at least one backpack. My sister brought a very basic, light weight, small backpack that carried things like water, gloves, portable wifi, car keys, etc. Then I had another backpack specifically for my camera gear that had waterproof protection. The weather is always changing so it's best to have something waterproof on you at all times.
• REUSABLE WATER BOTTLE
It's not worth paying for water bottles because in Iceland you can drink from all the taps - no problem! Not only did we drink from taps the entire trip, we also drank straight from the waterfalls (which are of plenty). So bring at least one reusable bottle each!
• PORTABLE WIFI
We rented this from the same spot we rented our car from. This was the best investment! We took this EVERYWHERE with us! Between needing it for the GPS, Google, social media, FaceTime, etc. it was worth every penny!
• CAR CHARGER
We camped so this was especially needed, but for long drives it's always nice to keep your phone + electronics charged! We also needed this to keep our portable wifi charged which ran out of battery very quickly.
• EUROPEAN ADAPTER
This is just good to have whether you are staying in a hotel, sleeping in your car or camping. Not all hotels have the right adapter and if you are visiting campsites they usually have outlets available in the communal areas - but you will need your own adapter.
• PORTABLE CHARGER
Can't ever have enough charging ports. We used the car charger + portable charger every single day to keep our electronics juiced up at all times!
• WATERPROOF PHONE CASE
Most phones are water resistant so you won't probably need this BUT if you're like me and you have a crack in your phone I highly recommend one. As mentioned throughout this article, the weather is unpredictable. It can rain for 5 minutes at any given time so if you want to use your phone during that quick moment it's great to have this available.
• CAMERA GEAR
If your planning a trip to somewhere as gorgeous as Iceland I don't think I even need to remind you to bring your camera gear! It's just to most spectacular place to photograph!
If you are interested in what gear I traveled with you can check it out here.
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PLANNING TO CAMP IN ICELAND? Read this!
MY ENTIRE TRIP AVAILABLE TO YOU
Everything from the bucket list, to the schedule, direct activity booking links, itinerary organization, apps to download, emergency contact numbers.... just about everything!
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