In every trip, I tend to think in advance “What am I gonna wear?” “What should I pack for the trip?”.  As a girl, these are my first thoughts whenever I hear “Let’s go to….”

Our trip to Iceland last August was more like a Photography Vacation. We planned the whole trip carefully, took us about 3 months to plan out where to go, places to see, whether to hire a car or a campervan, rent a hotel, etc.

And finally, we decided to go for a campervan. Campervan offers us more mobility, flexibility and convenience. We decided to take on the Ring Road first, and the Golden Circle on the last day. We wanted to see a lot of places. There’s just a lot of things and beautiful places to see in Iceland that we had a hard time trying to prioritize and choose!

With photography, you want to capture the place at its best – great lighting, less crowd, etc. We had to schedule which place to go for sunset and where for sunrise. Hence, we really had to plan our route to maximize our time, and with efficiency.

In photography, patience is a virtue. To get the best out of your scenery, you have to spend some time. Check out different angles, wait for the right moment and feel your surroundings. You also get to appreciate nature, in a way. At most times, we stay in one area/spot for hours! We first check the whole area, find a good spot, and wait for a good lighting or wait for when there is no one blocking the view!

On this trip, we had to carefully plan out what to wear too! Not just for the purpose of photos but for the purpose of not getting yourself wet, cold or uncomfortable. Since we expect to do a lot of walking and being outside for awhile, we have to wear clothes and accessories that best suits the activity while providing us the comfort we need.

After a lot of Googling, we understood that, in Iceland, weather can be very unpredictable. So you have to be ready in almost everything! They said that “if you don’t like the weather now, just wait for 5 minutes”! That much! So, we mindfully listed the things that we need to keep us comfortable during the whole trip.

Here are the basic things you need to know about what to wear in Iceland. Layering is a must! As I’ve said, weather is pretty much unpredictable. It might be raining now, and suddenly sun may come up!

  1. Base Layer (Underwear layer) – Normal Underwear and short sleeve t-shirts are ok.  Consider this as your second skin. You’ll need something fit but comfortable here. As much as possible, stay away from 100% cotton. Cotton absorbs sweat. With all the layers you will be having, for sure, your body with excrete sweat. Polyester-based layers are quick drying, lightweight and will wick away moisture from the skin to keep you dry. Merino wool will also work as your base layer.
  2. Middle Layer (Insulating Layer) – Retain heat and trap air close to your body. A merino wool works best as your Mid Layer. Lightweight and breathable fabric  ensures maximum warmth and comfort.
  3. Outer Layer (Shell Layer) – Weather protection. Consider windproof, waterproof, weather proof jackets. Pick an outer layer that works best with your inner base and mid layers, to maximize and enhance its properties.

      

From the basics, here are some other stuff you have to consider for your trip to Iceland:

  1. Waterproof shoes/boots – a sturdy waterproof walking shoes is the most important, for me. Since I expect to do a lot of walking and an unpredictable weather, I have to think of comfort for all weather conditions. Look for slip-resistant. You’ll never know how slippery the area can get after a rain, or you might be heading to glacier area.
  2. Socks – think of thermal / wool. When your feet gets cold, immediately your whole body reacts to it. Make sure your extremities are “well-clothed” too!
  3. Pants – I also layered my lower clothing during the whole trip. I keep 2-3 layers depending on where we’re going. Base layer usually I just wear thermal or normal (cotton) leggings, since I didn’t expect my legs to sweat as much as my upper body does. Then, depending on where our location would be, if its glaciers or raining, I would either wear a hiking/cargo pants on top of my leggings, or if it’s raining, i wear another layer of waterproof pants.
  4. Gloves, mittens, hat, caps, scarves, balaklava – I brought 3-4 pairs of gloves with me during the trip or any of my trips that involved cold weather. A thermal gloves, a knitted gloves, leather gloves. Choose gloves that will provide you warmth. Don’t forget, you’re not in Iceland just to see the place. You would want to take a picture for your  Instagram and Facebook! In any kind of camera, clicking that shutter is easy with your bare finger! Aside from comfort and warmth, think of convenience too! There are gloves available that you can open the  finger tips. These are usually used by photographers since most of the time they are on their camera. Temperatures can get as low as -5 or worse and it’s hard to keep your hand uncovered even for a minute!
  5. Waterproof, windproof, weather proof jackets 
  6. Layers of clothing as mentioned above
  7. Shorts, slippers and swim wear – For sure you would want to try the hot pots, nature baths, lagoons in Iceland. Be sure to pack a few pairs of swim wear with you.
  8. Sunglasses and Sun screen – sun protection! think of your skin. Remember, you will be walking/hiking/taking photos, hence spending some time under the sun.
  9. Camera (and tripod), and other photography essentials – Maximize your trip to Iceland by taking gorgeous, Instagrammable photos! Since the weather in Iceland is unpredictable, it’s best to come always prepared. You woudn’t want to get your expensive camera soaked when it rains! I have added some camera essentials below which I purchased from Amazon. They really did come in handy most of the time during the trip!
  10. European/International Adaptor 
  11. Charger and powerbank 
  12. Reusable water bottle – avoid buying bottled water, it’s expensive. Most of the time, we just refilled our water bottles from the river of from available faucets that’s present almost every where in Iceland. Unless otherwise specified, you can use the water for drinking.
  13. Small backpack – with rain cover or waterproof
  14. A nice/cool pair of jeans, sneakers and a nice top (think of city-look)- Icelanders are fashionable. When in Reykjavik, you wouldn’t want to look like you just crawled out from your tent! Everyone tends to dress fashionably. Top it all with a nice jacket that compliments your look at the same time provides you warmth, as even if you’re in the city, it can still get cold.

 

 

 

 

Here are some of the items I brought during the trip. Not every item on Amazon can be shipped to my location (Dubai, UAE). Hence, I went to their Amazon Global Program. Here, they will show you items that are available for shipment globally. Some items may or may not be available for shipment to your country due to some customs restrictions or supplier availability. Click on the photo to take you to the direct link of the item.

  

 

 

The one most important thing to always have with you wherever in the world you may decide to go to is your travel insurance! Check out World Nomads for your travel insurance needs! Travel insurance from WorldNomads.com is available to people from 140 countries. It’s designed for adventurous travellers with cover for overseas medical, evacuation, baggage and a range of adventure sports and activities.