When packing for a trip to Iceland, the different types of necessities might seem overwhelming. Because it is such a unique destination like no other, with weather that can change very often, there are some essentials needed for its special conditions.

I travelled to Iceland for two weeks in June of 2023. For my trip, I packed along essentials that were lifesavers for my trip, and I also made some mistakes, forgetting to pack certain things. Here, I am sharing 9 essentials you need for your next trip to Iceland, composed of things I brought and things that I should have brought.

1. Black Out Eye Mask

During peak season, in the summer, there is the midnight sun, which is when the sun never sets below the horizon. Therefore, especially if you are camping, the outdoor brightness could mess with your sleep. Getting a black out eye mask is important to get quality sleep and making sure you are energized for the next day.

Here is the exact eye mask that I got before my trip. It blocks the light so so well. I even tested it at home, before leaving, making my partner close my apartment lights and seeing if I could tell a difference. I couldn’t. Plus, there is some padding on the mask that makes it extra comfortable.

2. Hiking Boots

There are so many amazing hiking trails in Iceland. Hiking boots will be very useful during your hikes, especially if you plan on doing long ones. The trails can have a lot of different terrain, from mud, rocks to snow, so having good hiking boots will definitely help. However, if you aren’t planning on hiking a lot, or if you are only planning on some easy and short hikes, hiking boots are not super necessary.

Here are the exact hiking boots that I use.

3. Swim Suit

Iceland is known for its hot springs, so you want to make sure to at least visit one of them! Make sure to have at least one swimsuit.

I would also recommend to use a swim suit that isn’t your favourite. Some of the hot springs could ruin your bathing suit. For example, the Blue Lagoon is known to ruin some people’s hair, so it most probably will have some similar effects on your bathing suit. Also, for the natural hot springs, they are usually filled with rocks or mud at the bottom. They could then dirty or even colour your bathing suit.

4. Waterproof Jacket

The weather in Iceland can be very unpredictable, and so it can be rainy a good amount of times. It can rain so much that you will feel like you just jumped in a lake and came out, so make sure to have your waterproof jacket! You don’t want to cancel all of your plans just because of a rainy day.

Also, make sure that the jacket is 100% waterproof, and not just water resistant.

Here is the jacket that I used to protect from the rain.

5. Waterproof Pants

This is something I did not bring. And oh boy did I regret it. I ended up buying rain pants from a local store in Iceland throughout the trip. I did not think that it would be that bad and I honestly thought that I would be fine without rain pants and just with a waterproof jacket, but rain pants are actually very necessary, especially if you are planning on going outside rain or shine!

6. Reusable Water Bottle

You do not need to buy plastic water bottles in Iceland! The tap water is so so fresh because Iceland has so many glaciers, which is where the water comes from. We would even get the water during our hikes from the water streams, and they were super fresh.

I usually bring a metal water bottle, but if you would like to carry the less weight possible, I recommend a non metal water bottle like this one. Especially if you are doing some hikes, you do not want the extra unnecessary weight of the metal of the water bottle.

7. Microfiber Towel

A microfiber is honestly a must, no matter where you travel. However, for Iceland, because we decided to camp and because so many travellers decide to camp due to its popularity, I have included this item. They do not have any towels at campsites, so you will have to bring your own, and microfiber towels are great because they dry very quickly and are super compact, so they are not heavy and do not take up a lot of space in your luggage.

Here is the exact microfiber towel that I use. I have the size L, which is perfect for showers and going to hot springs on this trip.

8. Car-Plug Adaptor

Because we were always in the car and not at a hotel or an airbnb with a plug, we bought an adapter that could be used to charge some more complex things such as my camera battery. I could not use a regular usb cord to charge my camera battery. This is why I decided to get an automobile auxiliary power outlet power inverter. This adaptor could of also allowed me to charge my computer for example.

I could have also decided to charge my batteries at the camping site, but it usually involved paying an extra amount for electricity. Also, having this adaptor allows for more flexibility of charging it whenever I needed.

This is the exact model that I got. The plug here only works for I believe people in Canada, the USA and Mexico. I am sure there are also other similar adaptors for for example European adaptors.

9. Reusable Grocery Bag

If you are looking to save money, I highly recommend for you to buy groceries and cook some meals. This is what we did. Because we were grocery shopping a lot, we used our reusable grocery bags a lot. Having a reusable grocery bag helps to minimize the usage of plastic grocery bags.

This is the end of the list of 9 essentials you need for your next trip to Iceland. I hope that this was helpful!