In 2015 I executed 9 very different hiking trips in Iceland while staying there for 8 months. I arrived to Iceland in May and quickly realized that I might be lacking some equipment such as for example crampons, ice axe and high-quality winter clothing. Being accustomed to hiking in the Alps I didn’t expect that I’ll need winter equipment in late spring and summer because the mountains in Iceland are not that high. The highest mountain is 2.109 meters high. However, due to the geographical position of Iceland (63⁰ – 68⁰ N), conditions are quite harsh there and thus additional equipment is required in order to hike safely and comfortably. I had to refrain from climbing a certain mountain more than once because I didn’t have the right gear as described in the article Six biggest hiking mistakes we’ve made (so far)– which is of course a damn shame!

So, in order to aid those who are planning to hike in Iceland I have made a list of the top 10 things to bring for hiking in Iceland, which includes things I found especially useful – as well as gear I wish I would have brought. If you are planning to go hiking in Iceland, please also read the “10 things you should know before going hiking in Iceland” to be prepared for any hike you might wish to conduct. If you, like me, won’t have a car at your disposal, you might get some inspiration from the article The Best Hiking Trails Reachable by Public Transport.

1. Waterproof Jacket – Outdoor Research Helium

When to use it: All-year-round on every hiking trip

As Iceland is an extremely rainy country, high-quality waterproof gear is necessary in order to be comfortable on the trails. Additionally, the weather in Iceland is very unpredictable; it happened to me more than once that the weather forecast didn’t stick throughout the day – or hour. I was using a Mammut Softshell Jacket for rain protection but unfortunately it didn’t offer sufficient protection for all-day rain and thus I got wet more than once. However, the jacket offered great wind protection.

For the best performance I would recommend the Outdoor Research Helium jacket which is made of a 2.5-layer Pertex Shield material. The Pertex Shield material has a hydrostatic head of 10.000 mm and thus keeps you dry in the heaviest rainfall. Additionally it offers great breathability – it has a MVTR (Moisture Vapor Transmission Rate) of 7000 g/m²/24h. The jacket is equipped with glued seams and high-quality YKK AquaGuard front zipper for additional protection.   It also features an adjustable hood, drawcord hem and a conveniently placed chest pocket. As the jacket weighs only 180 grams it’s perfect for the demanding Icelandic trails.

 

2. Hat – Woolx Merino Wool Hat

When to use it: All-year-round on every hiking trip

The temperatures in Iceland are relatively low throughout the year (max. 20⁰C on “warm” summer days) and the strong wind never stops blowing. Therefore a high-quality hat is necessary – not only for hiking but for basically every outdoor activity.  I’ve been using the Woolx Merino Wool Hat on a daily basis and I found it extremely functional. The hat is made of 100% ultrafine 18.5 microns Australian Merino wool which is soft to the touch and offers incredible performance. It excels at moisture-wicking and odor-control properties. On long hiking trips I wore this hat for several days without washing it and still there was no sign of odor.  The hat is also lighter and less bulky than similar hats.

 

3. Waterproof Pants – Montane Minimus

When to use them: All-year-round on every hiking trip

The Montane Minimus pants are a great option for rainy country like Iceland. I didn’t have these pants but I was using the Montane Atomic rain pants instead. The Montane Atomic pants have been unfortunately discountinued since. I purchased Montane Atomic rain pants half way through my stay in Iceland (October) as the weather became very rainy. The minimus pants are a level higher than the Atomic pants. They are made of a 2-5-layer Pertex Shield fabric and thus offer an outstanding rain/wind protection. The pants are designed to be worn over hiking pants and are equipped with ¼ side zips which allow you to easily put them on without taking your footwear off first.  Additionally they feature an elastic waist with drawcord, Velcro adjustment straps in the calves’ area and snap fasteners in the ankles’ area. The pants are also exceptionally light. The only con is that they don’t have any pockets or zippers to reach the pockets in the pants underneath.

 

4. Comfortable Hiking Boots – Lowa Renegade

When to use them: All-year-round on every hiking trip

As the distances are usually vast on hiking trips in Iceland, it’s very important that you wear a pair of comfortable hiking boots. I was wearing the Salewa Mountain Trainer Mid boots and overall I was satisfied with the performance. However, these boots are more “Via Ferrata” oriented and thus equipped with a relatively stiff sole.  For hiking in Iceland I would recommend the Lowa Renegade boots as they are exceptionally light (only 1110 grams per pair) and relatively flexible, thus offering great comfort for the Icelandic terrain. The boots are equipped with an upper made of Nubuck leather, Vibram EVO sole, Climate Control Footbed and Gore-Tex lining. Due to the Gore-Tex lining they will keep your feet dry in the quickly changing Icelandic weather.

 

5. Lightweight Backpack – Osprey Talon 44

When to use it: All-year-round on up to 4 days long hikes

The Osprey Talon 44 is an incredibly light backpack – it weighs merely 1040g. I’ve been using it throughout my Hiking Iceland tour and I simply can’t say a single bad thing about it. The backpack is made of a very light nylon fabric which is reinforced in the crucial areas such as for example the bottom. The backpanel is ergonomically shaped and made of foam, which is covered with a mesh fabric to provide good ventilation. Additionally the Osprey Talon 44 features a chest strap, hip belt, 2 side mesh pockets, external lid pocket, internal lid pocket, sleeve for water reservoir and shoulder strap pocket. The main compartment can be accessed from the top as well as from the bottom. I was amazed over the comfort and stability of this backpack – even when carrying heavy loads. Therefore I would recommend it to every hiker who is planning to hit the demanding Icelandic trails.

• Osprey has since released an updated version of the Talon 44 and the link below leads to the new version.

 

6. Handheld GPS Device – Garmin eTrex 32x

When to use it: All-year-round on every hiking trip

Iceland has a very low population density (3.2 people/km²) which is unequally distributed with the vast majority living in towns along the coastline (2/3 of the population just in Reykjavik!) and a quite uninhabited interior – which is popular for hiking and mountaineering. It can therefore be very dangerous to miss the direction when hiking – it might take you days if not weeks to come back to civilization. Bad weather and low visibility sometimes make navigation especially difficult. While hiking in Iceland I was using the Suunto Ambit 2 GPS watch for navigation and I found it very useful.

However, as GPS watches are not yet able to show an actual map on the display I would recommend you the handheld Garmin eTrex 32x GPS device. It is an extremely powerful device that features long battery life (25h), WAAS and HotFix functionality, 3-axis electronic compass and barometric altimeter. It is also relatively small and therefore you can easily store it in your backpack’s hip belt pocket. The Garmin eTrex 32x GPS device weighs merely 141 grams and is equipped with a 2.2″ display which can show 65.000 colors. In addition to that, the Garmin device offers extremely detailed maps of Iceland.

 

7. Lightweight Tent – Rab Latok Mountain 2

When to use it: All-year-round on hikes that last more than one day

Sleeping in mountain huts in Iceland is fairly expensive and therefore I would recommend you to bring a tent. I didn’t bring it and I still regret this decision. For hiking the Kjolur route I had to borrow one, but the only thing I could get was an ordinary 2-person camping tent which was extremely heavy. Needless to say, I spent enormous amount of energy carrying that thing for 55 kilometers.

I would recommend you the Rab Latok Mountain 2 tent which is extremely light (1850 g) but at the same time offers superb protection against natural phenomena. It comfortably accommodates 2 persons and still leaves space for some equipment. It is made of a 3-layer DVStorm fabric which uses the eVent waterproof technology. Because of the fabric and strong poles, the tent offers incredible resistance against wind, rain and snow. In addition to that it’s very easy to set up. Packed, it measures 55 X 18 cm and can thus be easily attached to a backpack with straps.

 

8. Winter Sleeping Bag – Big Agnes Torchlight UL 20

When to use it: All-year-round on hikes that last more than one day

The temperatures in Iceland are low, even in summer, and you should therefore make sure that you bring a sleeping bag which provides sufficient warmth. I didn’t bring a sleeping bag to Iceland and therefore I had to buy one there. The prices for outdoor gear are ridiculously high in Iceland and as I wanted to save some money I bought a relatively inexpensive sleeping bag with a temperature rating of 8 C – after all it was July when I needed it. However, the sleeping bag could not even live up to its comfort rating and when it got very cold in the Icelandic Highlands in the night, I had to sleep with my jacket and pants on. Needless to say, I would not recommend this sleeping bag for anyone planning to sleep outdoors in Iceland.

Instead I would suggest the Big Agnes Torchlight UL 20 for overnight hiking trips. The Big Agnes Torchlight UL 20 sleeping bag has a comfort rating of -5 C (20 F) and weighs only 1020 grams/2 lbs. 4 oz. (regular length) while packing down super small. It’s shell is made of Nylon rip-stop shell fabric with a water repellent finish and the interior features an insulation of 850 fill power DownTek water repellent down. Additionally the sleeping bag features a 3-D anti-snag draft tube which prevents heat loss along the two-way zipper, an oversized interior anti-draft collar and contoured hood baffles to cradle your head comfortably. The Big Agnes comes in three lengths: Small, regular and long. As the sleeping bag is extremely light and warm, it’s perfect for the demanding Icelandic weather conditions.

 

9. Crampons  – Petzl Irvis

When to use it: All-year-round on icy and snowy trails – check for conditions before going

Icelandic trails are covered with snow for the majority of the year – in bad years almost constantly. For example Mount Esja was in 2015 inaccessible without crampons till late June. I didn’t bring my crampons to Iceland and therefore I had to skip many mountains which I would otherwise ascend. However, I still managed to conduct 9 different hiking trips – some of them even in December.

If you planning to go hiking in Iceland at any other time than high summer (mid- June – mid-August), I would recommend you to bring the Petzl Irvis crampons which offer great performance and are very light (820 grams). These crampons are made of stainless steel and thus offer great durability and corrosion resistance. They are equipped with 10 points and anti-balling plates which together offer great traction. The Petzl Irvis crampons come in two versions – clip and strap. As you will probably want to use them with an ordinary hiking boots, you will need the strap model – it fits most hiking boots.

 

10. Ice Axe – Petzl Summit Evo

When to use it: All-year-round on icy and snowy trails– check for conditions before going

As I didn’t bring crampons I naturally also didn’t bring an ice axe. However, when you are wearing crampons you should also carry an ice axe (in case that you slip).

For frosted Icelandic trails I would recommend you the Petzl Summit Evo ice axe. This ice axe is more oriented towards technical mountaineering but it can also be used for hiking and general mountaineering. It features a curved shaft made of aluminum and a head made of stainless steel. The shaft is equipped with a  rubber grip and there is also a hydroformed handle at the curve. The ice axe offers great performance for climbing slopes as well as for self-arrest. The Petzl Summit Evo comes in three different sizes for good fit.

 

 

Do you have any questions about hiking in Iceland? Feel free to ask in the comments section below.