Packing list for Iceland in summer – carry-on edition

I can add another challenge to that: packing list for Iceland in summer, carry-on only, *with children*.

We’ve always traveled light. But in the post-pandemic era of airport chaos and lost luggages, we’ve streamlined our packing even further, and have now started traveling exclusively with carry-ons. We’ve been loving this. It simplifies our travel days, minimizes packing stress, and puts the kids in charge of their own belongings.

We traveled to Iceland for two weeks at the tail end of August, so our packing guide applies to Iceland in the summer. Iceland’s climate is officially “maritime subarctic”. This means it’s cool, even in the summer, but coastal, so think breezy and wet. Summers are short, typically from June to Mid-September. Average temperates sit at around 10 °C. (As we’ve been told by local islanders, we’re lucky if it hits 20 °C, which it does about 3 times a year…)

Iceland’s weather is *very* unpredictable, moves quickly, and is intense. The first thing I noticed after returning to Canada was how *mellow* everything was – compared to Iceland, the sun was mellow, the wind was mellow, the rain was mellow… well, you get the idea. So if you’re going to be spending most of your time outdoors, enjoying Iceland’s incredible nature, you need to dress accordingly.

As they say in Iceland, there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.

Which types of carry-ons should I bring?

Our family of 4 brought along 4 hard shell carry-ons. The most we had to lug them around was through the airport, so we wanted something with wheels. Once you get to Iceland, your luggage will either remain in your camper (if you’re camping), or transfer between rental car to hotel. Even most smaller camper vans have storage under the bed that can accommodate hard luggage. We compartmentalized our gear into packing cubes. We *love* packing cubes. It makes our luggage easier to pack and keeps our stuff organized at our destination.

We also brought along two backpacks, which served as daypack and camera bag for our trip. Because we rented a camper, the kids brought their own sleeping bags as their second carry-on piece. (We rented extra bedding for two once we got there.)

1. Pack your layers – clothing checklist for Icelandic summers

We recommend aiming for 4-5 days worth of clothing, and doing laundry once or twice along the way as needed, depending on how long you’re staying.

• underwear (we always overpack underwear for the kids… because kids.)
• base layers. Sets for kids. We recommend wool, because wool is temperature regulating and moisture wicking. Big S will not wear wool, so he wore layers he normally wears for hockey and sports. Adult base layers don’t generally come in sets. We definitely recommend base layer tops, and either: base layer bottoms, leggings, or long johns if you need to wear something under your waterproof pants.
• Thicker pants (at least 1 pair). Good for warmer days where you don’t need to wear waterproof gear over top. Fleece lined leggings or sweatpants are good options.
• Fleece mid-layers
• SOCKS. We recommend wool socks. Thick hiking or skiing socks work, too. You cannot pack too many socks. If there’s an available crevice in your carry-on, fill it with socks.

*Tip: Leave out your thick pants and 1 thick fleece to wear on the flight. The kids had these thick sherpa fleece sweatshirts that would have taken half a carry-on!

*Tip: Roll your clothing for a better fit and less wrinkles.

*Tip: Choose bright, solid colours to stand out in photos.

2. Outerwear checklist

Make it windproof, make it waterproof!

• 1 light puffer, packable is ideal. We brought non-packable puffers for the kids, because they already had them. Daniel did not need a puffer at all, because he claims he was a viking in his previous life.
• 1 waterproof windbreaker. Jaisy runs cold, and needed to wear all four layers at once (base, fleece, puffer, windbreaker) most of the time.
• at least 2 pairs of waterproof pants. You can get great hiking pants from most adventure stores. Daniel gets his from a great Canadian company, Northbound Gear, which are water, stain, and tear-resistant! He lives in these. (If you wear waterproof pants, you generally don’t need layers underneath.) For kids, it’s better to have splash pants that go over their base layers. Kids always find a way to get way wetter and way dirtier than adults, and it’s much easier cleaning and drying the waterproof shell separately.

3. Shoes checklist

• A great pair of hiking shoes!
• Sandals – for your camping vehicle/getting around the campsite, in your hotel, and at the geothermal baths

4. Extras and accessories

• Don’t forget pyjamas. You really only need 1-2 sets. You can always sleep in your base layers. On cold nights, the kids slept with their fleece on.
• Swimsuit. For pools and geothermal baths.
• Microfibre towels. For the above, and for showers if you’re camping.
• Hat and gloves. Yes, even for the summer!
• Sunglasses
• Laundry bag – for dirty clothes!
• Sleep mask. Iceland summer days are long, with sunset at 23:30 and sunrise at 4am in July. We found we never needed to use these in the motorhome, which had blackout blinds across all the windows. However, not all hotels will have these.

5. Daypack checklist

• Waterbottle or water bladder. We brought both, as we thought a bottle would be easier to use around the motorhome. We never ended up using the water bladder, as we didn’t end up hiking as much as we thought.
• camera gear. Daniel and Jaisy each have a dSLR. Although around waterfalls where it is wet and misty, an iPhone or Gopro definitely works better (you cannot focus a dSLR at all!)
• Tissue and wipes. (For dirty hands and runny noses… seems to happen all the time at the worst of times.)
• We also pack *lots* of snacks for the kids, such a granola bars or beef jerky. We bought most of our groceries locally, but we always bring some from home as back up, just in case. Hangry kids are the worst.

6. Don’t forget the essentials

• Toiletries bag
• First-aid kit – read our article on what to pack in your first-aid kit here.
• Kids road trip bag (whatever keeps the kids occupied. *Definitely* essential) – article coming soon!
• Electronics – phones for us, 1 iPad between the kids to share for music and the occasional movie. E-reader for Big S. Headphones for all of us. Portable speaker for music on the go (came in super handy when our motorhome didn’t have a port to plug a device). Chargers for everything. If you are renting a camping vehicle, bring an inverter to charge all your devices.
• Small flashlight or headlamp, if camping.
• Passports!

Things you don’t need for Iceland

• Insect repellant. There are NO, and I repeat, NO mosquitos in Iceland!!!!!
• Caps or sun hats. When it is sunny out, you definitely want to feel that sun on your face. (I would, however, bring along a small tube of sunscreen. Sun, like all other elements in Iceland, is intense.)
• Shorts and t-shirts. We *did* get lucky and had a day where it hit 20 °C. Even then, the weather felt mild at best, never hot.
• Dressy clothes. Iceland is an outdoor lover’s paradise. Even in Reykjavik, I never felt compelled to dress up in anything more than leggings.
• Rain ponchos. I found some of these on sale and thought it’d be smart to pack given Iceland’s weather. Completely unnecessary. Your outerwear does a fine job of keeping out rain, and it’s so windy when it rains the poncho is just whipping around you like a giant garbage bag.
• Outdoor toys. We’d read about packing a ball to kick around at the campsites and thought it was a great idea! We had an inflatable ball and a couple flying discs, but there is so much green space the kids mostly wanted to run around and explore.

We found with this checklist we packed the perfect amount – we used almost everything we packed!(Except the bug spray. Because despite reading there are no mosquitos in Iceland, I didn’t believe it until we got there.) We hope it helps you prepare for your Iceland adventures!

To check out our Iceland Itinerary, start here.

To download and print your packing checklist: