What to wear on an icelandic trip?
Last edited on September 2, 2023
Last edited on September 2, 2023
Most of us who live near the center of the earth, relatively, can find it hard to predict what to wear when visiting a subpolar region. Most of the countries in these areas would require a similar type of clothing in order to survive the ice-cold weather there. But since Iceland has a unique type of nature, I will talk about what you need to wear during either a winter or a summer trip.
Iceland has in general cold and rainy weather most of the year. Even during the summer season, you still expect the temperature to drop and become gloomy and windy. Therefore, you need to be ready during your trip for any given situation.
I was lucky during my last summer visit to Iceland. I was blessed by sunny warm days that drove everyone to buy ice cream like crazy! 🙂 The temperature was over 20 degrees which were not so common. However, the freezing cold made me wear a very heavy winter jacket.
The Icelandic summer has this unique characteristic, like all of the regions close to the North or South Pole, where the daylight spreads all day long without seeing the dark night. It was an exciting experience for me. My mind was refusing the idea of sleeping easily due to that.
Although Iceland wears a green cover during the summer, many of the main attractions like the glaciers will still be covered with ice which is a tricky thing to walk through especially to people who are not familiar.
As mentioned, the Icelandic weather sometimes can change dramatically and you will always expect windy and rainy weather. The average temperature during the summer months from May to September would range between 10 – 13 degrees. So it is very important to make sure you wear waterproof and windproof clothes and do not go cheap on them. Make sure you have the following:
There is no fun in enjoying your time when your feet are soaking wet or freezing. Although it is summer we can expect rainy and windy days any minute! I used these Columbia hiking boots during my visit and it was absolutely worth every penny I spent on them!
Suggestion:
Columbia Women’s Redmond V2 MID Waterproof Hiking Boot, Steam Dare, 3.5 UK
Unfortunately, jeans are not your best cloth to wear on this trip! You will need something that can protect you from the wind and rain. Usually ski pants can do good. Check the below suggestion!
Suggestion:
Women’s Windproof Waterproof Sportswear Outdoor Hiking Fleece Pants,5022, Army Green 26
Suggestion:
My travel to Iceland and other Scandinavian countries taught me, the hard way, how to protect myself against the coldness in any season. As a photographer, I have to keep my fingers available to take the right shots in the freezing outdoor, so I find those fingerless gloves the best to use any time! Of course, I keep another pair of gloves that covers my full fingers in other instances when I do not have to use my equipment.
This is your ultimate buffer between the outer cold environment and your in-need-for-warmth-body! It is one of the essential things to have on your trip. You basically would not be able to survive without it. We pray for sunny days during the Icelandic summer but nights’ temperature goes below 8-celsius digress which are hard to bear.
Suggestion:
Columbia Men’s Voodoo Falls 590 Turbodown Water Resistant Winter Jacket
As the weather keeps changing, we can expect to see all four seasons in one day! Therefore, it is important to keep different layers of clothes that you can take off or put on easily during the day whenever you need them. You need to be practical.
Iceland is known for its natural hot springs in addition to the famous man-made Blue Lagoon! It is more like a ritual for anyone who visits Iceland to be in one of these amazingly relaxing springs. Therefore, do not forget to bring the swimsuit with you!
During the summer season in the areas close to the north or south pole, the day extends to almost 23 hours without dark nights which would allow us to sleep peacefully during the night. Therefore, I find it useful to bring an eye mask with you during the trip to Iceland in order to take a long and deep night’s sleep.
If you are planning to visit Iceland between October and April, you need to consider a different set of clothes, especially for Northern Lights hunters during the nights. The average expected temperature in Iceland during the winter season can be between -2 degrees to 4 degrees. Therefore, you would need:
To me, this is one of the most important pieces of cloth you should own during any winter trip! I do not think any one can survive the coldness without them!
Suggestions:
Indera Women’s Warmwear Traditional Thermal Underwear Pant, White, X-Large
Suggestions:
Wantdo Men’s Mountain Waterproof Ski Jacket Windproof Rain Jacket Winter Warm Hooded Coat, Grey, L
Suggestions:
BenBoy Women’s Outdoor Waterproof Windproof Fleece Slim Cargo Snow Ski Hiking Pants, Black, XS
Fingers are very sensitive parts of our bodies when it comes to coldness and need very good care. I bought these amazing leather gloves during my stay in Iceland and I can’t go on any winter trip without them anymore! 🙂 They are very essential to me!
The first time I have been to Iceland, I did not know about this amazing and useful tool that allow me to walk confidently without fear of slipping and falling on the ice ground during the winter.
Suggestion:
When most of the day is basically dark night, you definitely would need this on your road trip or when you are out hunting for northern lights. I tried the below flashlights and were really good!
Suggestion:
It is very nice to emerge yourself in one of the hot springs during the very cold winter days in Iceland! It is something you will definitely resist and it is good to be prepared with a swimsuit in hand.
Either it is winter or summer, there is always a way to enjoy traveling in Iceland so make sure you are comfortable and ready! You can read more here what can be done in Iceland during your visit.
I am Iman. A travel lover and a photographer with so much passion to learn new things and meet people! On this website, I will be writing about my travel and photography experience, and add what I learn here to be a useful guide to whoever needs it!
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