Iceland’s weather can shift from sunny to stormy in minutes, turning even the most prepared traveler into a soggy, shivering mess. The country’s infamous saying “if you don’t like the weather, wait five minutes” isn’t just folklore—it’s a survival warning. Here are 15 cold-weather packing hacks that will keep travelers warm, dry, and ready for whatever Iceland throws their way.
Bring two pairs of waterproof gloves
One pair will inevitably get soaked. Iceland’s combination of rain, snow, and mist means gloves face constant moisture, and wet gloves in freezing temperatures become useless fast.
Pack a lightweight backup pair in an inside your pocket. When the first pair gets drenched, swap them out and stuff the wet ones inside a jacket to dry from body heat.
Pack merino wool base layers
Synthetic materials might be cheaper, but merino wool keeps working even when wet. This matters in Iceland, where staying dry is nearly impossible.
The wool regulates temperature naturally and doesn’t hold odors like synthetic fabrics. One quality merino base layer can be worn multiple days without washing—a huge advantage when packing light.
Use packing cubes for wet-dry separation
Designate specific packing cubes for wet gear. After a day of hiking through rain and snow, soggy clothes need somewhere to go that won’t contaminate clean items.
Pack one cube exclusively for damp clothes and another for waterproof shells. This system prevents that awful moment when you discover a soaked sweater has ruined an entire suitcase worth of dry clothes.
Choose boots one size larger
Thick wool socks are essential in Iceland, but they take up space. Boots that fit perfectly at home become torture devices when paired with proper cold-weather socks.
Buy winter boots a half or full size larger than normal. The extra room allows for thick socks without cutting off circulation or creating pressure points during long walks.
Pack hand warmers in outside pockets
— Photo by pavlofox
Chemical hand warmers work great until they’re needed most—when fingers are too numb to open packages. The trick is pre-positioning them in easily accessible outer pockets before heading out.
Activate warmers and slip them into jacket pockets at the start of each day. When hands get cold, the warmth is immediately available without fumbling through layers or backpack pockets.
Bring a spare phone battery pack
Cold temperatures drain phone batteries fast. Really fast. A fully charged phone can die within hours in Iceland’s winter conditions.
External battery packs also lose capacity in cold weather, so bring one rated for more power than typically needed. Keep it in an inside pocket close to body heat when not in use.
Use vacuum-sealed bags for bulky items
Down jackets and sleeping bags take up enormous suitcase space. Vacuum-sealed compression bags can reduce their volume by up to 75%.
The catch is that you should pack things that you won’t need right away when you get there. These objects expand to their full size once opened, and it is very hard to put them back into vacuum bags without the right tools.
Pack rain pants, not just a rain jacket
Most travelers focus on upper-body rain protection and forget about legs. Iceland’s horizontal rain and ground splash make waterproof pants essential, not optional.
Look for pants with full-length side zippers. They can be quickly pulled on over hiking boots and regular pants when the weather turns nasty. And it will turn nasty.
Bring a buff or a neck gaiter instead of a scarf
Traditional scarves get caught in the wind, fall off, and generally cause more problems than they solve in Iceland’s conditions. A buff or neck gaiter stays put and serves multiple functions.
It works as a neck warmer, hat, headband, or face mask depending on conditions. Plus it takes up almost no packing space and weighs practically nothing.
Pack extra plastic bags
Ziplock bags become lifesavers in Iceland. They protect electronics from moisture, separate wet clothes, store muddy boots, and keep important documents dry.
Stock up on various sizes:
- Quart-size for phones and cameras
- Gallon-sized for wet clothes
- Large garbage bags for really soggy gear
- Small snack-sized for charging cables and memory cards
Choose synthetic insulation over down
Being entirely dry in Iceland is nearly impossible because down loses all of its insulating qualities when it gets wet. Despite being moist, synthetic insulation keeps you toasty.
The trade-off is weight and pack size—synthetic jackets are bulkier and heavier than down. But they keep working in Iceland’s wet conditions where down would fail.
Pack microfiber towels
Regular towels take forever to dry in Iceland’s humid conditions. Microfiber towels dry quickly and take up minimal space.
They’re also useful for wiping down wet gear, cleaning fogged glasses, and drying hands before handling electronics. The texture feels weird at first, but functionality trumps comfort when packing for Iceland.
Bring waterproof socks
Regular socks get soaked, stay soaked, and create miserable hiking conditions. Waterproof socks eliminate the wet feet problem entirely.
They’re expensive and feel strange initially, but completely dry feet make Icelandic hiking dramatically more comfortable. The investment pays off within the first day of sloppy trail conditions.
Use dryer sheets between clothing layers
— Photo by homank76
Iceland’s dry indoor heating creates static electricity that makes synthetic clothing cling annoyingly. Tucking dryer sheets between clothing layers prevents this problem.
The sheets also keep clothes smelling fresh longer—important when wearing the same base layers multiple days. Plus, they take up zero space and weigh nothing.
Pack a small dry bag for daily essentials
Every day trip in Iceland involves some water exposure, whether from rain, spray, or snow. A small waterproof dry bag keeps essential items completely protected.
Include phone, wallet, extra gloves, snacks, and any medications that absolutely cannot get wet. Size it to fit in a daypack, but small enough to carry easily during short walks from the car.
The bottom line
— Photo by MitaStockImages
Iceland doesn’t forgive poor packing decisions. These hacks won’t guarantee perfect comfort, but they’ll prevent the most common cold-weather disasters that turn dream trips into endurance tests.
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