A Wintery Week in Iceland: Packing Update

Prior to leaving on my trip, I spent an extensive amount of time researching what to pack. And then writing about it. Now that I'm back, here is the update to how well my packing plan fared. I am pleased to say that I what I packed was just about perfect! First the coat. It was exactly what I needed. It was warm, but also reasonably stylish. Which kind of mattered because I was wearing it in pretty much every.single.one of my pictures. Forget all the effort I put into picking out cute outfits. They were constantly covered up in the name of warmth and comfort.

Yep, pretty much every picture looked like this. Not that what I looked like really mattered. Just check out that scenery!

Relatedly, if I was going to look the same in every picture, a colorful hat really make a difference.

Underneath all of the pants and shirts and coat and gloves were my handy thermals (linked here and here). These were literally a lifesaver. They were thin enough to easily fit under what ever I was wearing and perfectly regulated my body temperature. Although not cheap, these were worth every penny!

Then there were the pair of waterproof pants I purchased.

I only wore them once - during my glacier hike - but even so they were worth the space they took up in my suitcase. They kept me warm and dry. Again, the temperature regulation they provided was useful. Yes, a glacier may be literally freezing, but hiking on a glacier? That is going to work up a sweat.

My real success was my choice of shoes. I may brag a bit for a moment. I only packed two pairs of those - Sorrels and a pair of Crocs. The Sorrels were my day to day shoes and I wore them just about everywhere.

That being said, I loved having a second pair of shoes, something lighter to wear after a long day in boots, something easy to slip on and off in the airport, and they had a surprising amount of traction that allowed me to walk comfortably around the city of Reykjavik.

And let's not forget my new Kavu rope bag. Despite being loaded down with everything I would usually have in my purse, a book (okay, so technically that falls under the category of "things I usually have in my purse"), a water bottle (Icelandic water is great, so I could fill it up anywhere), and various other items needed for travel, it never felt heavy or awkward, even after a 3-hour hike or walking around for hours exploring the city. I continue to use the bag for my weekend hikes and cannot recommend it enough.

For more details about exactly what I packed, please read my original post. One added note that I somehow overlooked originally - pack a swimsuit. Geothermal springs are an important part of the culture year round and are a relaxing way to enjoy Iceland. Otherwise, I fully stand behind my obsessively researched packing list!

My final purchase was a new LifeProof case for my cell phone. It enabled me to take my phone everywhere, less worried about dropping it on the ice or into a hot spring while I took pictures or used FaceTime. It was a last minute, impulse buy, but I was thankful I had it.

One last thing I packed was a Tep Wireless Egg.

After seeing how convenient it was in South Korea (my friend Shannon had one), I thought I would give it a shot for my first really and truly solo trip. At $100 for the week (including delivery and return by mail - super convenient), for me it worth it to have consistent access to the internet. I could use Google Maps to find my way around, I could FaceTime my boyfriend from some really cool places, and I could stay connected with people back home (and by that I mean post cool Instagram photos) without depending on unpredictable wifi. I know that it may not be worth it to everyone, but for me, I was glad I had it.

Oh, and don't forget an adapter, even if at the end of everyday, it means your nightstand will look something like this:

So that's my post-trip review of my packing list! There's just one more question to answer: Did I see the Northern Lights?