One of my biggest stresses in preparing for our trip to Iceland was what to pack and how to pack it…what would my Iceland packing list look like? How could I have everything I needed, without paying an arm and a leg in fees to get it there? Because, I’ll tell you something: I am stubborn! That means that I’m not gonna let an airline lure me in with crazy cheap fares, only to end up paying more to get my stuff to the destination than it does to get myself there.
How much luggage will I need to bring?
I went back and forth at the time of booking, wondering how much luggage allowance would I need to purchase? Should I just give in and pay to check a bag? But I alway travel with just a carry on. I always pack light and plan my outfits for interchanging and multi use to minimize what I take. And furthermore, I just plain like my stuff with me. I don’t like giving my bags any chance of getting lost or delayed. I also like to step off the plane start the adventure right away without waiting for luggage.
But Iceland…in Winter? We needed to stay warm and dry, and take camera gear, and food, and personal care items, and winter jackets and boots and…and…and…So very many ands. The airline allowed a “personal item” at no charge. But what was that? A backpack size bag. I wasn’t quite ready to commit to fitting everything into one bag that size. Especailly when we’d need to use one of those for our camera bag full of photography equipment to capture the northern lights we were chasing. After much back and forth deliberation, I decided on carry ons. So the challenge was on…get to Iceland with all the layers to stay warm and gear to stay dry in one carry on per person.
What do you know…I did it! I successfully packed everything I needed (and more!) in carry-ons! So, let me share with you my actual Iceland packing list.
- Under (Base) Layers
- Outer Layers
- Head And Hand
- Footwear
- Ice Gear
- Rain Gear
- Swim Wear
- Food
- Miscellaneous
- Dressing for Travel
- Getting It All Packed
Click on the items listed under each heading for a link to the actual or similar item to what I used.
Under (Base) Layers
This is the meat and the base of everything to keep you cozy warm. A lot of the things you will see and do around Iceland will be outdoors. The average temperatures are actually not too brutal…but the wind can be. Layers are key.
I packed a daily set of clothing for each of us that consisted of:
Outer Layers
More than anything, these items helped break the wind’s chilling penetration. For these items I looked specifically for gear marketed for skiing that was high in rating for wind and waterproof.
- Ski Jacket
- Ski Pants – I seriously LOVE these pants
Head And Hand
Again, there’s much emphasis is layering and keeping warm in constructing your Iceland packing list. Don’t forget to pack multiple layers and options for head and hands. Since these items are rather small and easy to pack, go ahead and add several options and layers. To conserve space, I tightly packed these inside boots within the luggage.
- Hat (I chose a high ponytail friendly one)
- Facemask or scarf
- Dollar Store gloves (for extra layering)
- Removable finger gloves (for aid in photography)
- Wind and waterproof ski gloves (not pictured)
- Hand warmers
Tip in regards to hand warmers: these can cause notice through airport X-ray and security. So pack accordingly for easy assess to them should TSA want to inspect. Or go ahead and remove them with your liquids. Mine were packed in the bottom of my bag. Which caused my whole bag to be unpacked at the check point to find the item that showed up questionable on the X-ray. Urgh. Not fun to repack my entire suitcase at the airport.
Footwear
You will notice a common theme among the items you want to pack for Iceland…waterproof. That is especially important in choosing footwear. Snow, ice, rain…it’s all common things encountered while trecking around this country. You need footwear to keep that water from getting in. I was so excited to find these waterproof and insulated Columbia boots for myself. I was able to fold them up and pack them so tightly within my bag. And don’t skimp on quality wool socks to keep your feet warm within your dry boots.
Ice Gear
Walking on ice and other slick surfaces is a real good possibility. I therefore packed these contraptions that fit onto the bottom of your shoes/boots. I was thankful to already have them in my running gear (sometimes you have to run in snow and ice in Michigan).
Rain Gear
Again we see attention on the packing list for staying dry in Iceland. Between rain and wind blowing waterfalls, rain gear is a must have.
Swim Wear
Yes! Your read that correctly…swimwear. This is a definite must on your Iceland packing list. That’s because one thing you must do when visiting Iceland is take a dip in one of the numerous geothermal pools or lagoons. But don’t just pack your suit, be sure to take along other essentials as well to avoid rental fees for them.
- Swim Suit
- Flip flops
- Towel (I took old thin ones I wouldn’t be heartbroken to loose plus they were good for wiping off mud, snow, etc from shoes and gear)
Food
You will learn from my post about our complete Iceland trip expenses that we saved quite a lot by bringing along our own food. Listed below are some of my suggestions. Note that some, like the peanut butter, will need to be packed in your liquids bag.
- Dried fruit
- Crackers
- Pre cut sausage
- Single serve peanut butter pack
- Trail mix
- Cliff bars
- Jerky
- Cookies
- Chocolates
Miscellaneous
This is were I remind you not to forget to pack the essentials that you would pack for a trip anywhere. Don’t get so hung up on packing things from an Iceland specific list that you forget to pack the basics. Here’s just a few thought starters and reminders:
- Power adapter
- Extension cords
- Chargers
- Empty water bottle
- Headphones
- Travel snacks
- Reading material
- Entertainment for flight
- Beauty products and toiletries
- Passports
- Credit Cards
- Camera
Dressing for Travel
While many people would suggest wearing the bulkiest and heaviest gear on the flight, I just didn’t want to do that. It’s not my desire to cart around extra stuff in my arms or wear layers that make me sweat. I didn’t want to fight in trying to get comfortable in flight with big boots on. No, I wanted travel to be comfortable and convenient.
- Baselayer pullover
- Leggings
- Lightweight down jacket
- Lightweight water proof slip on boots
Getting It All Packed
Now that you know what you what I packed, you may be wondering how the heck I fit it all in. The photo above shows the clothing in place within our carry ons. What’s the most valuable key to making it work?…packing cubes!
I purchased a 6 pack of Lean Travel packing cubes specifically for this trip and have used them for every trip since. Let me just say that I love them! I chose these in particular because the material is rather think and sturdy. After you pack them and close the primary zipper, you use a secondary zipper to squash it all down into a very compact little unit.
I used a Grand Trunk Getaway compression pack cube to consolidate our bulky outerwear.
Food and most of our miscellaneous items were packed in a bag accounting for one of our “personal items”. Our camera bag specified as the other.
And that’s my winter Iceland packing list. Everything we took for 2 nights for 2 people packed in 2 carry-ons and 2 personal items.
I’m a mom with travel bug. Forever seeking new places to see and things to do whether they are close to home or across the globe. I’m always anxiously planning our next adventures and doing my best to stretch our dollars and time to their fullest in doing so.
I’m not sure when I’ll go, but when I do, this will be SO helpful. Pinning and saving – thanks for the great, pragmatic travel tips!
Great list and tips. What is your favorite carryon suitcase? We’re in the market for new ones and these look nice!
I like and dislike things about both of these: I love what I can fit and how I can fit things in the American Tourister, and like having the external pockets which I use to put my liquid bag in for easy in and out through security. But it has the old standard wheels that make it difficult to work with if I’m juggling two bags on solo trip with youngest. The Sherpani I love the hard shell, how it rolls and the wide open space, but I feel like it doesn’t fit quite as much as the other.
Kristin this list is great! We are totally thinking of an Iceland trip one day and this is going to come in handy thanks!!
Once you get back to NY, you really need to seriously consider it. They have cheap flights out of there too!
A really useful resource, than you for posting!
Awesome tips! Iceland is high on my bucket list! It looks like it’s definitely possibly to pack for the cold weather in a carry on!
That’s awesome you got to fit it all in carryons! That was a lot of gear!
So many great suggestions!! Would love to go here so I am pinning this for later!
I love this as we only travel with one hand luggage per person, such great tips and we are planning Iceland this summer!!
Cool article, Pity i didnt read it before going to Iceland 😉
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