Nancy J. Miller, M.S. Creative LifeWork Design

I found it challenging to keep my packing light for the variable late September weather in Iceland. I mostly failed and needed to drag a large suitcase around. Fortunately, I was not alone and didn’t need to pull the heavy suitcase up and down all of the stairs on my own. There were stairs everywhere, even at the Airbnb with a lift. A large heavy suitcase was not the best choice.

I wanted to pack light for a two-week vacation in Europe with a two-day layover in Iceland. With expected mild and wet weather in Iceland, I was afraid of leaving behind something I would need, so I over packed. The problem with bringing everything I might want is that I couldn’t find half the things I needed that I brought. Since we were not hiking in the outback, we had plenty of opportunity to pick up small items along the way.

We stopped at several stores in Reykjavík to buy salads and snacks. There were so many opportunities to purchase small necessities. It wasn’t necessary to make sure I packed every little thing. In fact, when the zipper broke on my daughter’s suitcase, she found some silver duct tape at a nearby hardware store to keep it together for the trip home. Yes, you might pay a little more, but after hefting a big suitcase around London, Scotland, and Iceland, I found I would have done well to bring less. Here are some of my wants and needs while traveling in Iceland.

Lightweight Raincoat

A lightweight easy to pack raincoat was very helpful, especially when I knew it would rain and actually wore it. The raincoat packed well in my waterproof bag. The raincoat was a nice thing to have but not necessary since I didn’t always have it when it rained. A jacket is a need to break the cold wind.

Waterproof Bag

The waterproof bag I bought in Hawaii on a very wet day came in handy for an afternoon whale watching yacht trip. I was able to pack my raincoat, hat, personal items, and wallet for our outing, so I was well prepared for the wet walk home. A waterproof bag or jacket pocket can be a necessity to keep important items dry.

Hats

I brought a sun hat and bought a knit hat in Scotland that were both useful in Iceland. The knit hat even worked well under the hood of my lightweight raincoat. A warm hat was needed on walks especially along the water.

Umbrella

An umbrella is a must, especially if you take it with you on rainy days. But since the sky doesn’t always warn you about a change in weather, clipping it to your bag, beltloop, or carrying it in your waterproof bag will help keep you dry. An umbrella is nice to have but not a necessity if you have a waterproof jacket.

Waterproofing Leather Spray

Waterproofing a bag or boots can be helpful if you have the right spray. Unfortunately, the one I bought and used right before the trip dripped down my purse and boots. I wiped off the excess and found that it didn’t help my purse at all. With all of the wet weather, it took more than a day for my purse to dry. I found several things were damp including a slightly wrinkled passport, I packed in my leather bag right before we left. Fortunately, my passport smoothed out before getting to customs.

Boots

Boots are great and they can keep out the weather, but I found that for most of the trip, I did so much walking that tennis shoes worked better than boots. Walking around town in the rain, I saw few people wearing boots. Waterproof or extra shoes are a needed to keep your feet dry.

Leggings

I read that leggings dry quickly, and they can be a good choice in Iceland. I bought some nice leggings, a dress, and a tunic that served me well. They took up less space and dried much quicker than the jeans I wore out on the water on a cold wet day. Layering my clothes kept me comfortable on unpredictable days. Sometimes I just enjoyed getting a little wet. To stay comfortable, layers and jackets are needed.

Neck Wallet for Travel

I got an over the neck wallet that held my passport, phone, money, and miscellaneous items. It might be helpful in countries where theft is a big problem, but I held my bag close and didn’t have any problem. I usually needed more for an outing than a neck wallet. I’m not sure where the happy couple in the neck wallet ad was going that they only needed the small wallet around their necks (I did fall for the ad). It was convenient, especially to have my ID, phone, and money handy at the airport, but it wasn’t needed for the places I visited.

Swimsuit

A swimsuit will be a necessity in Iceland if you want to visit one of the popular geothermal pools, although at the Blue Lagoon you can actually rent one if you forget yours. So, a swimsuit is needed, but you can sometimes get by without one.

Travel Size Toiletries

I used small reusable bottles for shower products and travel size containers. I tossed the inexpensive travel items as well as a few other nonessentials to make room for an Iceland t-shirt and a few things to bring home. Travel size containers are a necessity for saving space.

Medications

Reykjavík, the biggest city and capital of Iceland, has stores and pharmacies where you can pick up basic nonprescription medicines. It is easy to do a web search to check the names of ingredients that are in Icelandic, but prescriptions medicines are a necessity.

Electronics

I brought a converter, with adapter plugs for my phone and watch. I used the converter for my single temperature curling iron I didn’t feel I could live without, but I researched appliances before I bought one. The Airbnb where we stayed, as well as the Blue Lagoon, had a hair dryer available. Check before you book your stay if you want a hair dryer and internet access. It won’t be hard to find the basic amenities.

I brought my smartphone for photos, books, and note taking as well as small journals and a larger journal. I wanted to remember places of interest to write articles when I got home. I am not a photographer, so I didn’t want a camera. I did bring a portable charger for my phone. Although I didn’t need it, I always like to bring it just in case. The adapter for any country you visit is a necessity, and a converter if you want additional appliances. Just check your country, converter, and appliance to make sure they work together. A phone is a necessity, and you will probably need international phone service from your carrier.

Travel Documents

My passport, ID, itinerary, and reservation information were needed. You might also need other travel documents. Keeping them where you can find them quickly is the trick.

Money

A debit or credit card were a necessity and useful for all transactions. Cash wasn’t needed.

Snacks

Protein bars and snacks were a lifesaver or rather hunger saver while traveling on long plane rides and walking around town, but especially when getting into Reykjavik at 9:00 PM. With only snacks all day, since we didn’t want to buy the food offered on Icelandair, we got to our Airbnb very hungry. To our surprise none of the restaurants near us were open after 9:00 PM and the local pizzeria didn’t deliver after 9:00. There may be places open, I understand the bars are open late into the night, but finding food was more difficult. Protein bars, dried fruit, and snacks were a necessity.

There are essentials that need to be packed for any trip, and a few more for an international vacation, but so much of what I needed was determined by the time of year, expected weather, and the convenience of stores and restaurants. Packing things I thought I wanted that were not needed was very inconvenient. Taking a suitcase in good condition is a necessity for easy travel. I recently purchased two new suitcases with smooth wheels. Taking two smaller bags, will be easier than one large heavy one for my next trip. Determining my wants vs. needs will help me pack more efficiently for my next trip. What has been your experience with packing for travel?

Notes from a recent trip by Nancy J. Miller, Career Counselor/Certified Life Coach. Contact Nancy with comments or questions or make a comment here.