What did I pack for Iceland?

This year was amazing, and at last I checked out of my bucket list one of my travel dreams, this trip to Iceland! No, I didn’t see the Northern Lights, at least not with my bare eyes… (more about this in another article). But it was a trip that taught me a lot about loads of things, even how to prepare a bag and the trip itself.

This time, and I hate to admit this, but my packing didn’t go so well… It was the first time I traveled to a country known to be really cold (ICEland anyone?). I knew very few about this country too, even though I researched a lot. Though I still ended up overpacking some items into my bag… So here’s the list.

Gadgets I packed

Comparing with other lists I did…, I am starting to think I might have a problem regarding the amount of gadgets I take with me…

Anyway, after all of this, I ended up using everything except the Travel Adaptor. Honestly, I don’t even know why I took it with me, considering I already had an USB adaptor for European power outlets, everything would work fine. Keep in mind that Iceland uses the same power outlets as the rest of mainland Europe. If you’re coming from any of those countries you won’t need any adaptor.

Regarding the batteries, if I had doubts about their need when I purchased them, now I am certain that it was a wise decision. I really had to use the spare battery I had when I tried to take photos of the Northern Lights. Even though most of them are still crappy… But it was way better to have a spare battery than not even trying to take those photos. Regarding of the SD cards, I only had to use an extra one for the GoPro, the spare ones I had for the Nikon I didn’t even had to take them out. But I was already counting on that, I just took them as a backup.

Clothing I wore in Iceland and hygiene (e extras)

Just by looking at this list it is obvious that I overpacked…, and yes, I over packed it. I had no idea how to pack a bag for a country known to be this cold, and I also didn’t know exactly what to expect. Waterfalls? Hikes? Snow? Rain? My biggest fear was ending up soaked without a change of clothes, and considering it didn’t make sense to plan laundry while traveling for just a week… I decided to be over prepared… Though, while for some things I was really well prepared, I failed in a few others.

https://www.instagram.com/p/BM2QYQeB7I5/

A pair of hiking pants that I didn’t even worn, socks? Three unused pairs… The idea was to wear double pairs of socks in case it was too cold. Oddly, the cold wasn’t as bad as I thought. Underwear? 1 extra pair of boxers, the idea was to wear them after snorkel, though I didn’t even get wet, so this pair wasn’t necessary. The same regarding the extra tshirt. Regarding swimming shorts and beach towel, the idea was to use it in case I was going to any hot springs, which didn’t happen…

What was lacking? A spare pair of gloves…, I ended up getting mine wet while I was waiting to get in the water for the snorkel, and a dry spare pair of gloves would be awesome…

So basically, this time I really overpacked. And considering I drove a lot, I actually didn’t need that much, it was just a matter of being careful not to get wet, and everything else would be fine. Considering I had no idea how the weather would be in Iceland, I ended up being over prepared…

And regarding shoes, I highly recommend hiking boots, but some proper hiking boots. Normal boots won’t be enough, mostly with ice. A good pair of hiking boots will protect your ankle, I slid a few times and the terrain is a bit unstable in some trails. If you are planning to hike a bit, think about your own safety too. If your boots are really good, like mine are, you won’t need any other kind of shoes. In Iceland you’ll want to see Nature.

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