Gear List

Camping Gear:

Tent

A decent tent can make the difference between a fun trip and a cold wet one.

Big Agnes Copper Spur HV UL 2

It is pricy, there is no denying that, but with a little planning you can easily get a good deal. I waited to buy mine until REI announced one of their member discounts, and reduced my out-of-pocket cost even further by paying for part of it with my membership dividend from the previous year.

I also chose not to purchase the matching ground sheet, which is sold separately and runs a whopping $70US. Instead opting for a more reasonably priced 8x6ft tarp for $5US.

There were four of us who went to Iceland and since my tent only had space for two of us, we had to borrow another one from my dear old friend, Bumba.

I plan to do a full, in-depth video review of these two tents on my YouTube Channel, so make sure to stay up to date by subscribing to the email list at the bottom of this page.

REI Co-op Quarter Dome 2 aka “Bumba’s Tent”

This tent is very similar to mine in terms of it’s size and functionality. However, certain features like the price, for example, may make this a better option for you.

Just to be clear, this is not my tent and even though I have set it up a few times, I have never slept in it. After reviewing the specs, I think I can say that my tent is a tiny bit better in every way except the price…and maybe the warranty.

Overnight Pack

When we planned the trip, we thought that we might want to do one or two overnight hikes away from the car but in the end we didn’t so these packs basically served as glorified duffle bags. However, I have used mine on many other occasions, some of which I mentioned in the previous section.

OSPREY EXOS 58 Liter

I can easily recommend this pack to anyone going out for more than a night or two. The Exos costs less than both the smaller and larger sizes of the more popular Atmos/Aura only sacrificing a bit of padding here and there for a pack that is almost half the weight of the smaller 50 liter versions of the more popular models.

Sleeping bag

I am not entirely convinced that sleeping bags are necessary for camping, especially with the growing popularity of quilts and other alternatives. However, that is not to say that you don’t need something to insulate your body when camping in cold weather.

Sleeping bags insulate with either down or synthetic loft. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the stuffing that keeps you warm but rather the air trapped between the gaps created by the stuffing’s loftiness. When the stuffing is compressed, it loses its insulation properties. This means that when you sleep in a sleeping bag a significant portion of the insulation, the compressed section between your body and the ground, is rendered useless. This is not such a big deal if you have a decent sleeping pad between your bag and the ground, but why waste some of the bag’s capacity to keep you warm.

After learning about this I started sleeping with my bag unzipped and just using it as a blanket… Maybe at some point I will decide to invest in a quilt made for that purpose, but for now my unzipped-blanket method works fine.

Fjallraven Move in Bag

I brought my Fjallraven Move In Bag, which is rated to 5°C/41°F for comfort and down to -9°C/15.8°F for extreme conditions, paired with a Sea to Summit sleeping bag liner, which adds up to 8.3°C/15°F to the bag.

I bought this bag a couple years ago when I worked in a Fjallraven store in New York for a few months. Let there be no confusion about why I chose this brand. We were offered an employee discount on the website and I tried to make the most of the opportunity. However, there’s a reason I chose this bag over their other models. First, I tend to sleep pretty hot so I wanted something lighter that I wouldn’t suffocate in. Second, I shift around in my sleep so I wanted something less constraining than a typical “mummy bag” that only allows you to move like a caterpillar. Fjallraven essentially offers the same bag in two different cuts depending on your comfort preference. There is the “move-in” bag and the “move-with” bag. Once I narrowed down my options it was easy for me to decide between the two, but everyone is different. You do you.

I was comfortable with what I had however determining what sleeping bag to bring on a trip can depend on multiple factors like the time of year you plan to visit Iceland, the weather forecast for the nights you plan to camp, even your general tolerance for cold weather. Other variables to consider are your tent and sleeping pad. The tents we brought are both rated for 3-seasons. If you plan to bring a 2-season tent to Iceland in September, you might want to consider a sleeping bag that is rated for lower temperatures than the one I brought. Same goes for the sleeping pad and whatever you plan to wear to bed. For example, when camping in the cold, I like to wear a warm hat to sleep but I don’t like wearing socks even though they do keep you warmer.

Sustainability is another point worth mentioning. Presumably those who appreciate the outdoors enough to want to go camping also understand how important it is to preserve natural ecosystems and reduce pollution, if not for the ecosystem itself then for the sake of preserving the state of the environment in which they choose to recreate. That being said, I think it’s important to point out that unlike many other brands, the down insulation that Fjallraven uses in their sleeping bags and parkas is all harvested from food industry birds.

Keep in mind that sustainability is one of the company’s main advertising points that they encourage their employees to promote. Even though I can assure you that I no longer have any affiliation with Fjallraven, I understand that there will be skeptics. Feel free to take this information with a grain of salt. I doubt that they would make such bold claims without evidence to back them up, but you can judge for yourself. I found this short video that the company produced, which explains the benefits of their down production process.

Just for the sake of proving that I am not a loyalist I’ll tell you that no company is perfect, and even though their products are presumed to be produced via humane and sustainable practices, the way each store operates has a lot more to with the priorities of the people working there compared to the agenda of the corporate marketing team.

I don’t know if the sustainability practices are a true representation of what the people pushing that message actually believe or if it is merely a productive advertising strategy in a time when the current political atmosphere is saturated with discussions about the changes in Earth’s climate. What I do know is that even if there is some company policy dictating that managers and employees are required to prioritize sustainable practices over everything else, it certainly was not enforced or even suggested. The example I remember pondering had to do with shopping bags. If a company is so set on promoting themselves under the banner of sustainability, then why do they hand out so many disposable bags? Should they not try to incentivize people to bring their own bags, or even charge them for a reusable one? I know that I’m nit-picking and that everyone is a hypocrite on some level but yeah, just sayin…’

Sleeping Bag Liner

I only discovered these a few years ago but I am amazed at how much I use mine. The concept is fairly straight forward. It’s a liner for your sleeping bag, however there is beauty in simplicity.

The first benefit is the additional warmth. Sleeping bag liners are sold in a wide range of temperature ratings. If you have a lighter sleeping bag that’s designed for warmer months, a liner can add a significant degree of versatility for a much lower price than you would pay for a new bag for every new occasion.

Cleanliness is another benefit of using a liner. Think of it like a duvet cover. It’s much easier to wash the liner than it is to wash the sleeping bag.

Sea to Summit Thermolite Reactor Sleeping Bag Liner

My sleeping bag liner adds up to 8.3°C/15°F to my bag, which puts it in the middle of the warmth spectrum. When camping in the summer, I often neglect my sleeping bag entirely, opting to sleep in the liner by itself. In Iceland it was a welcome addition to the layers I wore to sleep and after several days of hiking and no showers, it was nice to be able to to just chuck it in the wash with the rest of my clothes.

Sleeping Pad

A sleeping pad is an essential gear item (especially when camping in cold weather) that is often overlooked. It is arguably more important than a sleeping bag. Remember when we talked about how sleeping bags lose their insulation properties when the loft is compressed? Your sleeping pad can be the difference between sleeping comfortably and getting hypothermia.

I’ll elaborate more on this concept below in the section on clothing, but for now all you need to know is that cold ground will rapidly suck the heat out of your body if you do not have an insulated buffer in between. And no, the compressed sleeping bag does not count, neither does the thin material at the bottom of your tent. The effectiveness of a sleeping pad is measured by its “R-Value,” which represents how well it prevents heat from transferring through it. A pad with a higher R-Value keep you warmer than one with a lower R-Value.

There are two types of sleeping pads, closed-cell foam and inflatable. Closed cell foam pads are usually heavier, bulkier, more durable and more affordable but inflatable pads are more comfortable.

I brought a foam pad to Iceland because it was all that I owned at the time, but since then I have upgraded to an inflatable pad.

Therm-a-rest Ridge Rest

I was more than fine sleeping on the extremely inexpensive Therm-a-rest Ridge Rest. It does what it’s supposed to do, which is all you really need. However, I recently upgraded to the Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite.

Therm-a-Rest NeoAir XLite

This sleeping pad is more comfortable than my old one by several orders of magnitude. Despite the bit of noise it makes when shifting around, it promotes much better sleep than the foam pad.

It is a lot more expensive and I do have to be careful not to accidentally pop it, but the ripstop material has held up so far and the improvements in the quality of sleep I get combined with no longer needing to dangle a rolled up foam mat off my pack more than justifies the investment in my mind.

I feel I should mention that I did not pay full price for this. As a member of the REI co-op I was able to get a discount during one of the member-only sales that happen a few times per year.

You should also keep in mind that I did not buy all of this stuff at once. I purchased many of these items over the course of several years, often upgrading to the products I have mentioned after extended periods of owning more affordable alternatives. I’ll give you an example. When I was in college I used to go to a lot of music festivals during the Summer breaks. Back then I often used gear made by the Walmart outdoor brands like Ozark Trail, because I simply could not justify making the investment in something better. Over time I invested in things here and there that improved the overall quality of my camping kit. And don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that the stuff you can get at Walmart compares to the items I am recommending. It definitely does not. However I can tell you how annoying it is to come back to your tent at the end of the night, tired and ready for bed, only to find that you can’t go to sleep because you have to spend the next half-hour bailing a gallon of rainwater out of the bottom of your tent by repeatedly using your only dry towel to absorb and wring out a little bit of water at a time until your hands are pruny and raw from the process. So budget what you can for now knowing that over time you can make improvements here and there.

HeadLamp

Headlamps are one of those item that makes a world of a difference. Sure, you can probably get away with just using a flashlight, you can even buy small ones that clip onto the brim of a hat, but what if you need to see and use both hands at the same time, what if you’re not wearing a hat with a brim? Headlamps are a better option.

Black Diamond Spot Headlamp

I don’t know that I can claim how much better one headlamp brand is compared to the next, especially compared to the advantage headlamps provide over regular flashlights. Some are brighter, some weigh less, some cost more, some take more batteries or different kinds of batteries, some have multiple settings and some have more comfortable straps. And some don’t.

I brought my Black Diamond Spot Headlamp to Iceland for the same reason I brought almost everything else, because I already owned it. As I said before, any headlamp will do, just make sure to bring extra batteries just incase.

I like my headlamp. I have had no issues for the couple years I’ve owned it. It’s affordable. It has multiple brightness settings. It has a red light option to avoid disturbing anyone sleeping nearby. It takes three AAA batteries, which last for a decent amount of time depending on how often I use it. I usually try to remember to remove one of the batteries before stuffing it in my pack for extended periods just so in case something in there bumps the power button and turns it on, but like I said, make sure to pack extra batteries just incase.

Cook Set

Gas Stove

Campfires are illegal in Iceland so if you plan to camp out, and eat hot meals, a gas stove is essential.

The two recommendations below fall under the category of “Ultralight Backpacking Stoves,” which are great for my intents and purposes. If you feel that you might want something larger I’d check out one of the Colemans. I have never owned one but I have a few friends who do and they seem to like them.

Just keep in mind that you will not be able to bring fuel canisters with you on the plane.

If you need a recommendation, check out the itinerary page for the location of the shop in Reykjavik where we bought our fuel canisters. Also keep in mind that the canisters will be more expensive than what you might pay at home due to the high cost of importing goods to an island in the middle of the ocean, so budget accordingly.

MSR Pocket Rocket 2

I have zero complaints about this stove and I have owned mine for almost two years. Just keep in mind that you need an external ignition source, like a lighter, since this stove does not have one built in.

Etekcity Ultralight

If you are looking for a more affordable alternative, I’ve owned one of these for years that a friends gave me as a gift. It works just as well as the Pocket Rocket and it even has a built in ignition source, but the build quality is inferior and the moving parts often get jammed.

I have definitely used the Pocket Rocket a lot more often so I can’t claim that I have abused them equally.

I met an Appalachian Trail thru-hiker on a short backpacking trip to Virginia and we got to talking about these stoves. I wanted to pick his brain. Having used one everyday over the course of several months, he had a lot more insight into the lifecycles of these things than I did. Like me, he had also upgraded from the Etekcity Ultralight to the Pocket Rocket. I remember mentioning that the Pocket Rocket would be perfect if it just had an sparker like the more affordable Etekcity Ultralight. He countered by telling me that the sparker was the very reason he upgraded his stove. He said that since starting his thru-hike several months earlier, he had gone through a few of the Etekcity Ultralight stoves before investing in the Pocket Rocket and that the sparker was always the first thing to go. Having spent the money to travel all the way from the UK to thru-hike the AT, he was keen to keep his expenses low by investing in more affordable gear like the Etekcity Ultralight, but ultimately he ended up spending more money by choosing cost over quality.

Based on his testimony I would say that shopping for backpacking stoves is really a “buy nice or buy twice” situation. Just keep in mind that the Etekcity Ultralight does work if you take care of it and don’t use it everyday, it just won’t last as long as the Pocket Rocket. And if the Pocket Rocket is out of your budget you can always upgrade later.

Pots, pans, cups and Cutlery

The specifics of this category are less important when car-camping. You really just need to make sure that whatever you bring to cook your food is small enough to sit securely on your stove. That’s a less important point if you have one of the larger car-caping stoves. I’m just saying that you don’t want to bring a 12” skillet if all you have to heat it up is a tiny backpacking stove.

Like many of the items on this list, all of my recommendations in this category were initially purchased for backpacking. I brought them to Iceland because they work well and I didn’t see the point in buying all new gear. I have used them all for car-camping and they worked out well for me.

Personally, I prefer to invest in equipment that I think can be used for as many occasions as possible. In my mind ultralight backpacking gear is more versatile unless you want to pull a Samwise Gamgee, tramping through the woods with ladles and cast iron skillets dangling off your pack.

Snow Peak Titanium Multi Compact Cook set

I’ve owned this for a couple years and TBH I have mixed feelings about it. Definitely don’t assume that you need to spend this much money to cover the basics. It’s one of those purchases where you spend a lot to get a lot.

For almost $100US you get a set of two titanium pots with measurement markers and two titanium pans that can also be used as lids for the pots. I bought the set so my wife and I could each use one at the same time with each of the stoves I mentioned above. This is definitely more than what one person needs, so keep that in mind if you are just buying for yourself.

The cost mostly pays for the material. Titanium is much more expensive than stainless steel, but it also weighs a lot less, making it more ideal for backpackers trying to reduce their base weight. If you are looking for a similar set but can’t justify the cost, I definitely recommend looking at stainless steel options.

Other pros and cons of titanium cookware include heat transfer and distribution. Titanium is very thin and does not not distribute heat as evenly as stainless steel. This just means that when cooking with titanium you have to pay more attention to your food and move it around more frequently. The thinness however, gives titanium the advantage over stainless steel when it comes to tasks like boiling water where you can turn your stove all the way up without worrying about burning anything.

GSI Outdoors Glacier Stainless Bottle Cup/Pot

I have a few of these. They are a much more affordable alternative and are conveniently designed to nest with a standard sized guide bottle like those made buy Nalgene and Klean Kanteen.

The only downside to these is that they can be a bit small for certain things. I am also not a fan of the handle design, which I find awkward to to hold compared to those you’d find on a coffee mug.

Stainless Steel 25 oz Cup & Lid Set - Self Reliance Outfitters

Though not as popular as the GSI option, it has all the same functions and more. I think that this is a much better alternative. It’s holds more volume than the GSI cup, it gets rid of the handle problem, and it has a couple additional features that make it much more versatile like a lid with a built-in strainer, measurement markers, and bail holes on either side if you want to dangle it over a campfire.

LMF Titanium Spork

I love this thing. It weighs next to nothing and does everything I need it to. There are definitely cheaper options out there but yeah, I like the quality of this spork.

GSI Outdoors Compact Scraper

I was turned onto this by my friend, Henri, who in recent years hiked both the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails with his wife Lauren.

This is definitely one of those items I have passed a hundred times in the store, never assuming I’d ever need one, but it’s surprisingly handy for cleaning the last bits of food out of a pan, especially the sticky stuff like oatmeal. Not only does it help keep everything clean, it also helps boost morale during those moments at the end of an exhausting day when you’re still starving after gobbling up all your food. Those last couple spatula licks really raise the spirits.

Fun fact: Henri also taught me how to whittle. He does a lot of amazing woodworking projects. I definitely suggest checking out his instagram account.

Bic Lighter

This is a very important item that is often overlooked. Even if you have a stove with a built in ignition source, it is good to have a lighter incase the sparker fails.

I specifically recommend the Bic brand because they are simply the best quality. If they get wet you can simply dry them out and they will still work. The fuel lasts a helluvah lot longer than any other brand of disposable or refillable lighters.

They do have some issues functioning in the cold, but you can easily get them working again by warming them up in your hands or in an inside pocket of a jacket.

Water Filter

Water filters are just another example of something that should always be in your pack. Water is life. Even if the areas you usually frequent have fresh spring water, there’s still a small chance it can get contaminated. Even if the risk is low, the stakes are still high, so cover your bases and filter your water.

Sawyer Squeeze

When backpacking, I generally prefer the Sawyer Squeeze Filter. It’s fast, versatile, and easy for one person to use by themselves. It even threads onto a SmartWater brand water bottle if you don’t want to use the smaller squeeze bags that come with the filter.

Platypus GravityWorks Water Filter System - 4 Liter

For the Iceland trip, I chose to bring my gravity filter mainly because we were four people and the four liter bags allowed us to filter a lot of water at once. The Platypus also enabled us to use the four liter clean bag to store extra water in the car for the longer days where we did multiple hikes.

A disadvantage to using gravity filters comes to light when you don’t have a tree to hang the bag on. In these situations you either have to hold up the dirty bag yourself or carry it to the closest tree.

Also, keep in mind that unlike a water bottle that you can pour with one hand, if you don’t want it spilling everywhere, you need to use two hands to pour water out of the clean bag. This is especially frustrating if you only have a bladder like a CamelBak to drink out of. Unlike a rigid bottle, water bladders cannot stand up on their own. If you are using the clean bag (not filtering the water directly into your bladder) you will most likely need someone else to hold the bladder open for you as you pour the water in.

Clothing

A layer system of clothing is generally the best option if you plan to be active in a cold or windy environment. There are two main ways that your body loses heat. Conduction and convection. Conductive heat loss occurs when you touch something cold. For example, when you hold an ice cube or a snowball in your bare hand, your hand gets cold because it is losing heat to the ice cube. This type of heat loss can also occur if you sleep on cold ground without a sleeping pad. The ground can literally suck out your body heat. Convective heat loss has to do with cold air flowing around your body. Even though your body can easily warm the air surrounding itself, that warm air rises almost immediately making room from more cold air to flow in that your body is then forced to warm up. That’s why it feels colder when it’s windy outside. Convective heat loss occurs when that process repeats itself over and over and over until you either put some clothes on or freeze. The real danger however comes from losing heat to both conduction and convection at the same time.

Water is interesting because it combines both conduction and convection. Your body loses heat much faster in cold water than in cold air because water can touch your body and flow around it at the same time. You’ll understand if you’ve ever climbed out of a heated outdoor pool in the winter. The air immediately sucks the heat out of the water clinging to your body and before your body can heat that water up, convection strikes again and again and again. It is certainly important to protect yourself from things like rain and more dramatic accidents like falling through thin ice but one of the most common ways to get wet is often overlooked.

When I hike, of often find myself removing layers, not adding them, in order to stay dry and therefore warm. Preventing yourself from sweating too much is extremely important when engaging in outdoor recreational activities in cold weather environments. By adding and removing layers you can regulate your body temperature and protect yourself from hypothermia. In Iceland, at least when I was there, we would often feel very cold at the start of a hike because we had spent the past hour sitting in the car. In the parking lot, before setting out on the trial, we would spend a few seconds to layer up. Within a couple minutes of starting uphill I would feel myself start to warm up considerably, and as you may know, sweat it the body’s method of cooling itself down. This was my queue to take off some layers. By removing layers while your heart rate is elevated, you can cool your body to prevent it from sweating too much and your body heat forces any perspiration that does form on your skin to evaporate fairly quickly.

If you stop hiking for long enough, whether it’s to rest or to wait for someone or to take a photo or something, you’ll catch your breath, your heart rate will calm down and you will start to get cold if you don’t put on a warmer layer.

Some of the items in this section will depend on what time of year you plan to visit Iceland, but in most cases, if you plan to be active, a layer system will be your best bet.

Rain Shell or Hard Shell Jacket

A rain shell is one of the most important and useful items you should bring to Iceland or an any other outdoor adventure for that matter. When you get wet it makes it significantly harder to stay warm, especially in a place like Iceland.

These jackets are also windproof making them an ideal layer to throw over a t-shirt, a fleece or a puffy jacket. Despite their windproof nature, they also breath a little, expelling moisture from sweat so you can stay dry even while exerting yourself.

Though many companies now produce their own proprietary versions, the GORE-TEX brand name has become synonymous with this kind of waterproof yet breathable, or “hard shell,” material. Similar to how many people still refer to photocopier as a “Xerox machine.”

I won’t dive too deeply into the difference between hard shell and soft shell jackets. Just know that soft shell material is usually more stretchy, breathable and tear resistant, making it ideal for skiers and rock climbers, whereas hard shell material is more water resistant.

I own two of these, one made by TheNorthFace and another from Patagonia. I brought the former to Iceland because it was cheaper and therefore evokes less emotional attachment, but any waterproof hardshell will do.

The North Face Millerton Rain Jacket

I have actually owned two of these. I got the first one at an Eastern Mountain Sports back in 2007. After a few years the membrane on the inside started flaking off. I found out that the flaking problem is fairly common and is covered under their warranty.

I sent it in and even though it took a long time to process, after several phone calls and what seemed like hours of holding for a warranty representative, I finally got through. It took at least a couple months but to their credit, they mailed me a brand new jacket. And even though I can’t seem to locate it at the moment, that’s the jacket I brought to Iceland.

It’s a great jacket for the price and it has kept me dry many a time.

Patagonia Torrentshell Jacket

On the surface the Torrentshell might seem like a similar jacket with a higher price, this is definitely a nicer jacket than the Millerton. It’s easy to tell once you feel the quality of the material and how nicely the seams are stitched together. It’s made with all around superior workmanship. I’ve owned this for almost two years and it has held up great, but only time will tell.

My one complaint is that the zipper inevitably catches on the fabric unless you run your finger over it as you zip it up. A small gripe, but it does get annoying, especially if I’m wearing thick gloves.

Fleece

It doesn’t matter what brand you bring, but when packing a layer system for hiking or camping, I prefer fleece to most other types of sweatshirt materials. It’s comfortable on the skin and stays warm even if you get a bit wet or sweaty because the piles (cones of fluffy material) only touch your skin at the very tip leaving room for your body heat to circulate between the piles, which keeps you warm and dries your clothes from the inside out.

Fjallraven Sten Fleece

I bought this at the same time I bought my sleeping bag. It has been my go-to ever since. I have no complaints.

Hiking T-Shirt

I brought a few of these to Iceland because we were car camping but I wouldn’t carry more than one extra for backpacking.

The only rule here is NO COTTON!

Synthetics are fine, but they definitely start to smell after a few days. The best hiking shirt material is merino wool. Like polyester, it dries quickly and retains most of it’s thermal value when wet, but coming off the back of a sheep, the fibers have built-in anti-microbial properties that keep the stink out a bit longer enabling you to wear it comfortably for multiple days in a row. I’ve heard that Icebreaker makes a good one but I haven’t tested it yet.

Socks

Wool socks! Always! No cotton!

Darn Tough Light Hiker Micro Crew Light Cushion Socks

I prefer the Darn Tough brand, specifically the Hike/Trek models. I used to wear Wigwams and the occasional pair from Smartwool but ever since I discovered Darn Tough I have never looked back. You can wear these socks all year round. They keep your feet warm in the winter and cool in the summer and the merino wool keeps your feet fungus free and smellin’ fresh. They are a tad more expensive than what you’d pay for your average pair in a bulk purchase at a department store, but they last a helluva lot longer and the Darn Tough warranty covers them forever so even if your socks get holes in them you can just send them in and they’ll send you a new pair. I never thought I could fall in love with a sock company, but yeah… I guess I was waiting for the one.

Undies

Same deal as the socks and t-shirt. Quick-drying and no cotton!

ExOfficio Give-N-Go Sport Mesh Printed Boxer Briefs

I am currently on an ExOfficio kick but I have dabbled in and have nothing bad to say about undies made by Icebreaker, Smartwool and Patagonia.

Pajamas

Aside from camping in the Summer, if I am sleeping in a tent I almost always change into long underwear or long johns before bed (unless I’m already wearing them, in which case I just leave them on). I am in the market for some new ones but out of the stuff I already own my current favorites are made my the Hot Chillys brand. I also own a pair branded by Eastern Mountain Sports that I have worn since the thumb holes actually reached my thumbs. I suppose I stopped growing at around fifteen or sixteen…so I guess I have had these for however long it takes for arms to grow two to three inches plus the thirteen or so years since.

Feel free to reach out on the Contact page if you have any recommendations.

Wool Hat

Same as the long undies. Unless it’s Summer time, if I am sleeping in a tent, I’m wearing a warm hat to sleep. It makes a huuuge difference. It doesn’t matter what brand you buy as long as it’s warm and doesn’t have a brim that would prevent you from lying down.

Hiking Shoes

This is another category that will vary depending on your own personal preference.

I wore the Keen Targhee EXP WP hiking shoes for the entire Iceland trip. Despite this I do NOT recommend them. I only wore those because I was testing them as a favor for a company that I was freelancing for at the time. I can say that they are fully waterproof and that they require no break-in time at all, which is kind of amazing to be honest, BUTTTTTTTTTT! That does not make up for the fact that they are not comfortable anyway especially since they do not come in wide sizes for Sasquatch feet like mine. Before you jump down my throat, I know that the mid-height version comes in wide, I tested those too (in wide), just not in Iceland, and they were still uncomfortable. Oh, and the sole is really grippy…if nothing you walk on is wet! I was slipping all over the place! Hate those things! Pff.

Anyway, I was saying that choosing footwear will greatly depend on what your feet find comfortable. HOWEVER! I do have some thoughts that might help you narrow things down for your own Icelandic adventure.

First, if like us you plan to stick to the ring road and car-camp, as long as it is not snowing, you will be fine with low top shoes. I find that I have become less and less inclined to wear mid-height shoes or “hiking boots” unless I plan on traversing super rugged terrain with a lot of weight on my back. If you’re going backpacking through the highlands in the snow, by all means, wear boots. They just were’t necessary for what we had planned for our trip.

Second, waterproof-ed-ness. Normally I would advise against this in a low-top shoe. Gore-tex and other waterproof material is great until you step into a puddle that is deeper than your shoe is tall. The water comes in over the top and then, unlike shoes with no waterproofing, they take FOREVER to dry! You might ask what’s different about Iceland that would make me go against my “normal” advice? Well I’ll tell you. See, unless I need snow pants, I’ll typically hike in shorts. There are exceptions here and there but typically I hike in shorts. When you hike in shorts and it starts to rain, all the water on the front of your rain shell eventually runs down your legs right into your shoes, which is no different than stepping in a puddle that is deeper than your shoe is tall. Due to the fact that I almost always expect my feet to get a little wet, I prefer not to take a chance and opt for the quick drying option over shoes that might keep my feet dry until they don’t. HOWEVER! Iceland changes the game. Even though you might not experience extreme temperatures in September that would motivate you to wear pants, Iceland is so rainy and so windy and so exposed that pants quickly became a staple of my daily wardrobe.

And what does this have to do with shoes? Well, if you wear rain pants, or even water resistant wind pants, most of the rain will miss the opening at the top of your shoe and the cuffs of your pants will prevent most splash-water from entering where it normally would if you wearing shorts.

In sum, you should wear waterproof hiking shoes in Iceland, but only if you wear pants as well. At least that’s what I think… You can decide for yourself.

Rain pants

When I was in Iceland I only wore these on the days when the rain was really torrential. I find that my legs get really hot when hiking in pants like this, which is why I prefer rain pants that either have lots of vents or unzip all the way down your leg.

For more information on waterproof materials see the section on Rain Shells.

REI co-op Brand

They work. This is the kind of gear item that you’ll only use when you really need to. They get used a lot less often than your jacket so they’ll probably last a lot longer. I have had mine for ten years and they barely have any worn out spots.

Camp Shoes

Comfortable shoes to change into when you are done hiking for the day. These can really be anything you find comfortable like slippers, sandals, flip flops… Weight is not much of a factor when car camping but just FYI a lot of backpackers carry Crocs because of how little they weight.

Chaco Z/1 Classic Sandals

I brought my Chacos to use as my camp shoes. Henri turned me onto these as well. He convinced me to get a pair for myself after telling me that he used them to hike the majority of both the Appalachian and Pacific Crest trails. Any sandals you can hike two thousand miles in are good enough for me.

Swim Suit

For the hot springs… and a hotel pool if you stay in a hotel with a pool. You could also just go in your undies like I did when I accidentally left my swimsuit in the car for the hot spring hike on our last day of the trip.

You probably can’t go naked in the Blue Lagoon, but there were a bunch of nudists when we went to the Reykjadalur Hot Spring River, so you can probably get away with not bringing one. Just use your judgment.

Accesories

Pack Towel

These are very handy, not only for camping trips, but for travel in general. They pack down small and dry pretty quickly. Given their packability I’d suggest getting the largest size you can find.

REI Co-op Multi Towel Lite

This is a decent one I have had for three or four years.

Sunglasses

Obvious, you might say, or not. Just FYI, it does get sunny in Iceland, it just gets cloudy and rainy and windy again after five minutes.

All jokes aside, this is especially important if you plan to go on a glacier. In January of 2012 I went on a two week backcountry ski course with the National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS) and the guides would actually get mad at us if they saw us without our sunglasses on. Apparently the sunlight that gets reflected off of snow and ice can actually burn your corneas, blinding you temporarily. So wear sunglasses because apparently it feels like having sand in your eyes for two or three days.

Also, if you bring sunglasses of the polarized variety, they will enhance all the dramatic Icelandic light, weather, skies etc. for a more enjoyable visual experience.

Note: If you do decide to take my advice and wear polarized sunglasses, just make sure keep in mind that this dazzling optical effect will not transfer into the pictures you are taking even though it may look that way when peering through your camera’s optical viewfinder. Learned that one the hard way…

GPS watch

You really don’t need to bring one of these to Iceland, especially if you plan to stick to the Ring Road like we did. It might become useful if you plan to trek off-trail through blinding snowstorms, but yeah.

At the time I was testing shoes for a company that wanted me to count my steps. I could have just used the Health App on my iPhone but I thought a GPS watch would be fun to test.

Garmin feinx 5x

This was the first GPS or smart watch I’ve ever used. It took some getting used to at first but overall it’s a fun toy to play around with. It has some cool features like a heart rate monitor and a fitness tracker, that allows you to compete with other people through the Garmin Connect App. You can even plot your own GPS routes with sites like gpsvisualizer.com that you can download straight onto the watch. The battery life is pretty good but just keep in mind that the battery drains much faster when the GPS feature is turned on.

I plan to conduct a more in-depth video review of this watch after I am done with this Iceland project. If you are interested in that be sure to follow me on social media @finerbub or subscribe to either the email list below or my YouTube channel (linked above in the navigation bar) to receive a notification when I upload the review.

Daypack

This category is more important for Iceland, especially if you plan to do a lot of short hikes back and forth to your car like we did. Similar to hiking shoes, ultimately your choice in this category will come down to what works best for you so make sure you weigh the opinions I am about to share against your own personal preferences before making a purchase.

I think there are a few important things to keep in mind when shopping for a daypack that will help you narrow down your choices. The first is size, volume or capacity. As a general rule, I would avoid buying a pack that holds more than twenty-five or thirty liters if I plan on using as a daypack. Simply put, the less you can fit in a pack, the less it will weigh when it’s full. A good way to figure out what size to get is to simply bring everything you plan to carry on a day trip to the store with you, but try to stick to the bare essentials. There is nothing worse than lugging around more weight than you need to.

When purchasing your own daypack, just make sure it is big enough to fit essentials such as:

• a water bottle or bladder

• a few snacks

• a dry pair of socks

• a rain shell

• a warm hat

• an insulated layer

• and maybe a camera

Bonus features include things like a rain cover, a hip belt and a sternum strap. However, the most important thing to consider is that when all that is stuffed inside, can you comfortably wear it on your back.

After that you can narrow down your options by price and other features like how good the warranty is.

Deuter Airlite 22L

I brought my Deuter Airlite 22. It is my go to backpack everyday use and has been since I bought it three-ish years ago to replace my Deuter RaceXAir that I had for several years before that. I like these Deuter day-packs for one main reason, the frame and back vent combo.

First off, frame-packs are awesome! Frames distribute weight evenly allowing you to comfortably carry wayyyy more than you could in a pack without a frame.

Second off (wut?), I am a sweheheaty boy! If I am exerting myself and I have a big ole’ somethin’ smushed up against my back… Let’s just say that things will get wet. Now I know all sorts of brands get all excited about their magic double cushion design or the ribbed washboard that they shoved between your back and the pack that’s supposed to generate “air flow.” NONSENSE! Never works. These BS solutions to problems that already have existing solutions are just that, BS. No cushion or ribbed piece of foam can compare to a mesh backing that keeps a two-inch air gap between your back and the pack itself, like you would find on these Deuter packs.

I have stuck with Deuter, because until recently (between now and the last time I bought one) they were the only company producing day-pack-sized-packs with this feature. I love this frame design so much that I have been happy to overlook features I don’t like in exchange for my beloved framed back vent. I won’t get into any more details here because I plan to conduct a separate, in-depth video review of the pack in the future.

Photo / Video

Most of you will not need to dive as deep into this category as I have. The three friends that I went to Iceland with were more than satisfied with just a smartphone camera.

For those of you who are interested, the following is a list of the gear I used to create this content in addition to the video series that will be uploaded to YouTube over the course of the next couple months.

Cameras

Canon Eos REbel T5i

Also known as the Canon 700D (depending on the country it’s sold in), the T5i was used to capture 95% of the photos I took in Iceland. I initially planned to use it for video as well, however I quickly realized that my batteries wouldn’t last if I did. Typically the three batteries I packed would have been more than enough for a day of shooting but we camped out for several days in a row with no access to wall outlets where I could charge the batteries overnight.

Next time I take a trip like this I plan to avoid this problem by investing in a rechargeable power bank with an AC plug outlet.

In addition to the Camera and the 18-55mm lens that came with it, I also packed the following accessories:

• Charger and three batteries

• 256GB SD card

• Dolica Travel Tripod

Note: Since traveling to Iceland I upgraded my main camera to the Canon EOS 80D, which I used to film the narration portions of the upcoming video series on YouTube. However, if you plan to invest in something of similar caliber, I’d suggest that you look into the more modern Canon EOS M50, a mirrorless camera with better specs that comes in a smaller form factor.

If you are in the market for more of an entry level camera like the T5i, I’d suggest that you look into the more modern Canon EOS SL2 AKA Canon 200D.

Canon PowerShot SD890 IS

I only used this camera when my DSLR had no batteries left. It takes decent photos for a point-n-shoot that I got in 2008, but you don’t need the link because it’s such an old model that it can’t even shoot HD video. Other than the 5x optical zoom, the camera on my new iPhone can do a lot more. For the most part, this camera is now retired from my arsenal.

If you are in the market for a small, point-n-shoot camera with a built-in lens (not interchangeable) I have read good things about both the Canon G7X Mark II and the Sony RX100 VI.

Gopro Hero 3 Black

This is another oldie that I won’t link out to. Most of my video footage from Iceland was filmed with the GoPro because I was able to use the USB charger in the car.

I packed the following accessories in addition to the camera:

• Chest Mount

• Suction cup mount

• 3x Batteries

• Dual Battery Charger

• 128GB MicroSD Card + SD adapter.

Note: I have since upgraded to the Hero 5 Black, but the image stabilization on the new Hero 7 Black looks incredible.

You can find all the info on the current GoPro models at gopro.com.

Iphone 6

The iPhone was mainly used for panoramas. Other than that I only used the phone for photos if my other cameras were dead or left in the car due to rain.

Audio

Rode Smart Lav+

Other than the fact that I did not use a single audio track that I recorded on this trip, this is an ingenious little microphone. It plugs right into the headphone jack of your smartphone and can be used with the Rode App so there is no need to carry the typical radio receivers and field recorders that come along with using professional lavalier microphones.

Note: Since returning from Iceland, I sunk all of my Amazon points into the Zoom H4N Pro field recorder, which I then used to record the narration and voiceover portions of the upcoming video series on YouTube.

I also purchased a Rode Video Micro, which I’ve found to be much more practical for traveling compared to the SmartLav+, whose cable often gets tangled or unplugged especially when hiking.

Media Management

Laptop

Macbook Pro 13” Retina (2014)

I only brought the laptop so that I could transfer files from the memory cards to an external hard drive. Ideally I would prefer to leave the laptop at home for trips like this but I welcomed the peace of mind that came along with backing up my footage.

One day I would like to invest in some sort of hard drive/card reader combo device. Please reach out to me through the Contact page if you have any suggestions.

External Hard drive

Everyone who takes lots of photos and videos on their trips knows the importance of backing up their files. There is nothing worse than losing all of those memories because one of your SD cards failed and you forgot to back it up.

Luckily external storage options are more affordable than they have ever been. Even if you have never had an SD card fail, the time it takes to back everything up at the end of the day combined with the cost of an external hard drive is a small price to pay for peace of mind.

Transcend - 2TB (Military Drop Tested)

I have owned one of these for almost two years. It has traveled with me all around the world including trips to Iceland, Utah, Canada, Italy, Costa Rica, Mexico and Malaysia. It is rugged, durable and therefore less likely to fail when it gets jostled around in a crammed backpack or suitcase.

External SSD (Solid State Drive)

For a faster, more reliable alternative, consider upgrading to an external SSD.

I only discovered these recently so I didn’t have one on my Iceland trip. I have bought two of them since then and I must say that if the higher price point is within your budget, these are a must have for traveling.

Unlike a typical external hard drive that writes files onto a spinning disk, external SSDs are made with flash storage similar to an SD card or a USB memory stick and are therefore less likely to fail.

The second benefit of SSDs is that they save space in your luggage. Flash storage has a much smaller form factor per gigabyte, making SSDs more convenient for traveling than a typical external hard drive.

The final and arguably the most compelling benefit of using an SSD over a traditional hard drive are the read and write speeds. I was shocked by how much faster it is to transfer and copy files to and from SSDs compared to regular hard drives. I originally purchased my first one to use as a dedicated drive for video editing.

My laptop is relatively old (2014) and often has a hard time keeping up with complex video editing software like Adobe Premiere Pro CC. When the program didn’t completely crash the footage would often lag or skip frames, elongating the already time consuming process of editing videos. Working off an SSD has made all the difference. Adobe still crashes once in a while but when it doesn’t, the video playback is incredibly smooth. Not only has this sped up my workflow but it saved me a ton of money by preventing me from prematurely upgrading to a new computer. I really cannot say enough about how much of a difference it has made.

As of now I’ve used two different brands over the course of several months neither of which have given me any issues.

Samsung T5 Portable SSD - 1TB

I have owned this one a little bit longer. It has been great so far. It comes with cables for both regular USB (type A) and the newer USB type C ports so there’s no need for adapters or dongles.

SanDisk 1TB Extreme Portable SSD

I bought this one a little more recently as a dedicated drive to keep in my backpack. I was initially turned onto it for its ability to clip onto a keychain or a small carabiner but the price was ultimately the deciding factor. Keep in mind that prices fluctuate and they may have changed since I bought these, but the SanDisk SSD cost me almost $100US less than what I paid for the Samsung SSD with the same amount of storage space.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this.

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