Besides the obvious travel items, here are a few essential items that you may not think about when packing for your trip to Iceland.
Hiking Boots
You may not be planning hard core hiking activities for your trip to Iceland, but you will still need a good pair of waterproof hiking boots. I packed a pair of my favorite hiking boots for the glacier walking, and I found myself wearing these boots nearly every day on my trip. Why?
- If you are planning to enjoy the magnificent landscape that Iceland offers, you will likely end up walking on unpaved, gravel-y, dirt trails, and a good pair of hiking boots really helped. I tried walking these trails in my sneakers once and I felt every rock and gravel that I walked on, and believe me, it was not pleasant! Also if you happen to be visiting waterfalls, especially Seljalandsfoss where you can walk behind the waterfall, you will be walking on slippery surfaces, so hiking boots will really help you with traction and keep you dry.
- Waterproof boots will act as rain boots in the rainy season.
Binoculars
I traveled along the Ring Road and found myself going Puffin watching using the zoom lens on my camera (and it wasn’t very good). It came as no surprise to me that I was not able to find any Puffins because I was not able to see! If you want to check out the many species of birds nesting around Iceland or go whale watching, I recommend bringing along a good pair of binoculars. Alternatively you can join day tours that take you bird/whale watching, and they would provide a pair of binoculars for you.
Rain Gear
Iceland is super lush and green because of the rainfall it receives. What this means is Iceland is super wet, so make sure you bring appropriate rain gear! In packing light you can use your hiking boots to double up as rain boots.
Eye Mask (seasonal)
If you go to Iceland in the summer time, you will find that the sun never sets so you can be out in the light even at one o’clock in the morning. How awesome! Now what’s not awesome is having trouble sleeping because there is always light out. Some hotels/AirBnBs have black out curtains which help you sleep. If you don’t have these curtains, you may want to pack an eye mask instead.
Water Bottle
Iceland has the cleanest water in the world. They have plenty of water, so water is always free. Bring a water bottle to fill up for free and taste the cleanest water in the world. What a deal!
Layers
Even in the summer the weather changes quite randomly in different parts of the country. Remember to bring layers so you can adjust to the changing temperatures and weather conditions.
Car charger
If you are taking a road trip and using your phone as the GPS, don’t forget to bring a car charger! The worst thing that can happen is for you to be in an unfamiliar area, and your phone is dead!
That’s all for now! If I am missing anything on this list please leave me a comment or send me a note!