Packing for Iceland

[sTitchNeeyore]

I tell ya, I was very concerned about the luggage weight, too. But it ended up okay!
I didn’t mean to be misleading regarding taking the spinners strictly as carry ons throughout our trip.

So this was what we ended up doing:

We flew Delta from our home base to Boston, and on the return.

Flew Icelandair from Boston to Keflavik, and the reverse on return. We chose to check all four of our suitcases (there was no additional fee.)
They did not weigh or measure the bac passkpacks we carried on. We did take a change of clothes and nightwear in our backpacks, just in case the checked luggage didn’t make it.

So we did check our spinners for Icelandair flights. There were four of us travelling and we had four checked bags.

This trip was great!
BTW, you may have Mike Torres as one of your guides—he was on our trip, too. He rocks!

This has been SO helpful. Logan is our "home" airport, and Icelandair is nonstop. We are on an 11:30 pm overnight to Keflavik. We are planning to use backpacks as carryons as well. One checked bag each and we should be good to go. My suitcase is currently empty so I plan to do a"sloppy" pack just to see what the weight is for what I plan to take. I tend to overthink. Trying to get over that! Also thanks to aggiedog for the underseat tip. So- one more question? Our boxes finally came. So much was made about the lanyard and badge, I expected something a bit sturdier? I was thinking of getting ours laminated just so they'd last through the trip. Thoughts? Our local Staples does it. I assume the blank space on the badge is for the names we are called (Deb as opposed to Deborah, for instance?) Thanks as always. I am so grateful for this group.

 

[Shadowfan]

As far as the lanyards go, on our trip it was completely optional to wear them. (People used them just the first day or two.) There were twenty-two guests and two guides, so not a big group, really.

With more folks in a bigger group (like 40 or more), the lanyards are helpful!

 

[sayhello]

As far as the lanyards go, on our trip it was completely optional to wear them. (People used them just the first day or two.) There were twenty-two guests and two guides, so not a big group, really.

With more folks in a bigger group (like 40 or more), the lanyards are helpful!

The only trip I'm aware of where the lanyards are required is the Southern CA/Disneyland trip, as they are used as your IDs for the backstage access areas.

I really do appreciate people wearing them, at least for the first couple of days, so that you can learn names. As you say, that can be hard with the really larger groups.

This has been SO helpful. Logan is our "home" airport, and Icelandair is nonstop. We are on an 11:30 pm overnight to Keflavik. We are planning to use backpacks as carryons as well. One checked bag each and we should be good to go. My suitcase is currently empty so I plan to do a"sloppy" pack just to see what the weight is for what I plan to take. I tend to overthink. Trying to get over that! Also thanks to aggiedog for the underseat tip. So- one more question? Our boxes finally came. So much was made about the lanyard and badge, I expected something a bit sturdier? I was thinking of getting ours laminated just so they'd last through the trip. Thoughts? Our local Staples does it. I assume the blank space on the badge is for the names we are called (Deb as opposed to Deborah, for instance?) Thanks as always. I am so grateful for this group.

I've never had an issue with the "badge" breaking, but I suppose it's definitely possible. Yes, the blank space is for the name you want to be called during the trip, so be sure and write it in before you laminate it! (Most people write their name on both sides, as it can get turned around while you wear it).

Sayhello

 

[OrangeBirdGirl]

For rain jackets, if you have an outlet mall, check out Eddie Bauer, The North Face or Columbia. You will likely be able to get a quality jacket there for a decent price.

As for rain pants, you could find those pretty inexpensive places. We just bought new ones this year and love the style. They have full zippers down each leg. Which means when you are wearing hiking boots (or bulkier shoes) you could take the rain pants on and off without taking off your shoes. These are REI brand and around $100. I'd think you could get basic ones for half the price. We do alot of hiking so they will come in handy. Something to consider with the full zip leg if you have other uses for these pants.

 

[hmsTigger]

we did this for our trip 2 years ago, good hiking boots also helpful, some days were warm others were cold. Very interesting country

what hiking boots would you recommend to stay dry yet comfortable? Thx

 

[sayhello]

what hiking boots would you recommend to stay dry yet comfortable? Thx

I have a pair of these Merrell Moab 3 Mid Waterproof Hiking boots. They come in both Women's & Men's. Best, most comfortable hiking boots EVER!

https://www.merrell.com/US/en/moab-...3=false&prefn4=itemStyle&prefv4=Boots&start=1

(ETA, I'm having some issues clicking on the above link. If you have problems, I found right-clicking and saying "open link in a new tab" *does* work. Hopefully just a glitch).



I *highly* recommend them! Extremely comfortable, very stable, great traction, and very light weight.

Sayhello

 

[aggiedog]

I have a pair of Keen boots that I love. I have very wide feet and I have no problems with them. I just did a 45 mile thru hike across the Icelandic highlands in them.

When I hike, I wear a thin liner sock and a thicker wool sock (no matter the time of year) so my hiking boots are a half size larger than my regular shoes. When I fly, I usually wear the boots and only wear one pair of sock then, but the extra space in the shoe is not an issue when we're just walking around airports. Having that extra space is critical when hiking so your toes don't bang up against the end of the shoe. Good way to lose a toenail if you do a lot of incline/declines.

 

[hardcorestitch]

We are a family of four traveling on the end of June ABD. We live in northern Ohio, so we have some cold weather clothing. However, the packing list, along with the luggage restrictions is a bit overwhelming!
[Incidentally, I have investigated the option to rent outerwear in Iceland, specifically long, hooded insulated rain coats & outdoor pants. The cost would run about $575 for four people for 7 days’ use. Does this seem reasonable or excessive?]
Please let me know how you generally packed for this trip

How was Iceland? Did you enjoy your visit?

 

[jimmymc]

I use similar Merrill boots as Sayhello, they've served me on a lot of big hikes and travel days.