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Packing for Iceland’s potentially very cold, wet and windy weather has challenges, especially when traveling on Iceland’s budget airline, WOW air, which charges additional baggage fees for bags larger than a personal item (e.g. a small backpack). We are often asked what to pack for Iceland. It’s further complicated by the fact that clothing and gear in Iceland can cost many times the average for similar items in the US, so it’s not wise to plan to pick up needed items upon arrival. However, we were able to fit the luggage for our family’s 10-day trip into one large checked suitcase and five small backpacks. We packed most of our clothes in our individual backpacks that we carried as our free personal items. This method kept our clothes separate and organized. We packed all our gear and large items in the suitcase, which almost exactly hit WOW air’s size and weight limits. If I went back, I would definitely be even more efficient in terms of packing. Note: The link to the links to our Iceland packing list is at the bottom of the post : ).
Iceland Packing List – Rain Gear
It is essential to bring layers and good rain gear to Iceland. None of us had ever owned rain pants, and I was a bit skeptical about whether or not they were really necessary when I purchased a pair for each of us. (Toddler sized rain gear was hard to find, so we brought a pair of light snow pants for our two year old instead.) We chose Mountain Warehouse Pakka for the boys and Swisswell for my husband. I even left the tags on to return if they ended up not being needed. However, we discovered in the first few hours in Iceland that rain pants were definitely necessary and served as great protection from both the rain and the wind. Don’t head to Iceland without a rain jacket and rain pants for everyone traveling to Iceland. These are not optional items, but feel free to leave the tags on the pants just in case. Due to high winds, I don’t think we ever found umbrellas to be helpful, but we probably brought one or two in hopes that any rain we experienced would not be accompanied by crazy wind.
Iceland Packing List – Layers
Layering is key in Iceland. We purchased base layers from 32 Degrees Heat (check out women’s top and pants and kids’ set). On cold/wet days, we wore hats, gloves, base layers, shirts, fleeces, rain jacket and rain pants. On warmer and sunnier days, long-sleeved shirts were sufficient, but we generally needed to have a light jacket available. Even during our trip in June, we wore our heavier coats on occasion when temperatures were in the low 40s with high winds. With a fleece, rain jacket and heavier coat for each of us, that was a lot of luggage space dedicated to jackets. The perfect fleece/rain jacket combo could have replaced the heavier coats, but especially after heavy rains, we were very happy to have a dry alternatives.
Iceland Packing List – Clothes
We selected clothing items for versatility and quick dry capabilities. We only brought casual clothes and did not need more formal attire anywhere we went, and the weather was never warm enough for shorts. Because we wore rain gear and jackets most of the time, our clothes were rarely visible in pictures. We found we had more changes of clothes than we really needed, especially because we did laundry every few days.
Iceland Packing List – Shoes
I had read that waterproof hiking boots were absolutely necessary in Iceland. We purchased hiking boots for the boys during our local Stride Rite‘s store going out of business sale but discovered on a practice hike that even with additional waterproofing, they did not repel water adequately and chose not to bring them. With the relatively high cost for each pair of waterproof boots and no plans to do any serious hikes during our trip, we decided not to invest in waterproof hiking boots but brought two pairs of sturdy shoes each. Our shoes were sufficient, and we didn’t regret not springing for more appropriate footwear that we would likely not use at home. While visiting the muddy Hverir near Myvatn, we did wish that we had disposable shoe covers that the tour companies clearly were giving out. Luckily, none of our shoes were destroyed by the mud, but if someone was selling them by the entrance, I probably would have been willing to pay many times their actual value.
Iceland Packing List – Swimming Gear
Iceland is not a beach destination, but geothermal pools should not be missed. Packing for Iceland’s pools is definitely unique, though. When swimming outdoors in cold temperatures, pool side lounging is not a thing. Flip flops are not permitted in changing rooms, and the only geothermal pool we saw them used at was the Blue Lagoon. Even in June, it was too cold to wear them outdoors, so they are really only usable in hotels and at the Blue Lagoon. Personally, I wish I left our flip flops and also my pool cover up at home. Floaties are provided at all pools, and I’m not sure if ones brought from home would be permitted. Also not needed are beach toys. The black sand beaches are gorgeous, but not the ideal location for sand play. We brought suits, pool towels and goggles with us. It was possible to rent suits and pool towels, but the rental cost was equal to the cost of pool admission (and renting suits was not something I would want to do). Although not typical “swimming gear”, visitors to the Blue Lagoon who want to take pictures while bathing with their mobile phones will want to bring a waterproof case, such as the Lifeproof case, to avoid shelling out some ridiculous amount on site for something similar to a ziplock bag. We left our phones in the lockers and brought our waterproof camera instead.
Iceland Packing List – Medicine
Over the counter medicine is available in Iceland, but not 24/7. As usual, we brought both children’s and regular ibuprofen and a thermometer but luckily did not need it.
Iceland Packing List – Food
Food is widely available but expensive in Iceland. It’s helpful to pack snacks for the plane and at least food for breakfast upon arrival as most flights get in before groceries open. Our favorite grocery stores in Iceland were Bonus, Kronan and Netto.
Iceland Packing List – Stroller/Carrier
Iceland is not a place to bring a stroller as there is virtually no use for it outside of the Keflavik Airport where free strollers are available. The terrain in most of the country is just not conducive to stroller use. In heavy rain, wind or particularly rocky terrain, I carried our toddler in our Beco Baby Carrier, which worked out great. The only place we could have used a stroller was during our brief visit to Reykjavik’s mall, Kringlan.
Iceland Packing List – Car Seats
WOW air permits a free stroller or a car seat for each child under seven. Because we were not bringing a stroller, we brought a convertible car seat for our daughter. We knew there was a chance that our LATCH system convertible car seat might not work with ISOFIX. We brought installation instructions for the seat and its safety clips but were pleased that the seat installed perfectly with ISOFIX. For each of our boys, we brought an inflatable BubbleBum Travel Booster Seat. These fit into our suitcase easily but needed to be re-inflated frequently.
Iceland Packing List – Miscellaneous
When traveling to Iceland in the summer, an eye mask may be helpful if sleeping during day light is an issue. Also, neck pillows are especially helpful for travel on Wow air as the seats do not recline. We brought our Garmin GPS, which includes European maps. It was helpful, but we wished we had a good map of Iceland as soon as we arrived. Also, there were some complications due to the complexity of the Icelandic alphabet, so we wished we needed to record the GPS coordinates of our destinations in advance.
Planning your own trip to Iceland with kids? Check out our listing of all Iceland posts or join our Facebook group We Go To Iceland With Kids, a forum to ask questions and share ideas about family travel to Iceland and our Iceland Trip Packing List (use tally marks to keep track of what is packed).
