Winter Backpacking Trip

Hello,

Im leaving in about two months for a trip to Iceland, will be staying in hostels and doing a few backpacking trips here and there over the course over a month or two.

Not a long time experienced backpacker, but I have 2 months to prepare. And I want to make sure I have the knowledge and gear before I leave. I will be going alone, however Im sure I'll be meeting people there.

I will be letting people know when I am supposed to arrive back.

I am trying to know if I have the right gear for my trip. Temps will be around 10-30. Windy.

Im on a budget so i've been hunting for deals, used gear. I've spoke with REI experts hours on end and it seems like every day I have something new to buy!

Sleeping bag: 20 degree kelty down bag
Sleeping Pad: 3/4 self inflatable, looking for a full body one to go under it.
Stove: Thinking of the whisperlite international
Backpack: Bought both of these, not sure which to keep.
Millet Khumbu
Mountainsmith Cross Country 3.0
The mountainsmiths are easier on the wallet, which would allow me to actually eat while I travel  :D . But I'd rather have whats best.
Water: MSR Waterworks Pump, found it used on CL. Also tablets for backup.
Shelter: I bought a used 2 person 3 season tent on craigslist. Cant afford a crazy 4 season tent unless I absolutely need to get it. Heres a photo.

Upper body clothes:
Base - 1 midweight, 1 expedition weight, 1 wool
3 in 1 - Columbia Glacier to Gladew II

Lower body clothes:
Base - Expidition weight (x2)
Mid - Fleece pants
Shell - Wasnt sure about shell, heard many things. Does sierra trading post have any? REI has a nice pair, their $100 however...

Feet - 2x expedition weight socks, 1 midweight, waterproof hiking boots, gaitors, down booties for sleep, traction addon for boots
Head - Expidition weight balaclava, and knit hat
Hands - Grandoe Primo Elite , and some cheap snow gloves as a backup I have.


Extra:
First aid kit, repair kit, bag liner?, altimeter?, shovel?, wrist guards that go under gloves, pillow, watch, waterproof matches and starter.

Anything you guys think I should get or reconsider let me know. Thanks.

Justin,
Man, that trip sounds like a lot of fun. I looked through the first few things on your gear list and I realized that you're going about this well. Good job.

I'm not going to critique your list at all. I could have looked up the two backpack models that you mentioned and start making notes on each. But I bet you've already done that... 10 times over!

I'll let someone speak to your stove who knows the fuel situation in Iceland. I have not a clue. But you may be looking in the right direction.

Clothing... stay warm and dry and comfy. no one can tell you what works for YOU. Perhaps you've heard the phrase "Hike Your Own Hike"... well... this is a prime example of that thinking carried out.

Things to consider: a headlamp, map and compass (and possibly learning to use them if you don't already), something fun to read, camera!!!!, or a journal.

I think that the bottom line is... have fun doing this! It sounds like you've done a lot of homework in preparation. Good job! There are little tips that you can learn here and there like... (I'm 5'5" when sleeping on the ground, I use a 3/4 pad too. put my backpack under my feet to keep them off the cold ground. It works. And I don't have extra weight.) But... by the time you get done with this trip, you'll have little things to teach others. Go slow and enjoy the moments when they are presented. Meet some fun people and love them.

PS... I'm soooo jealous. *grumble... stupid TN cotton fields...*

- JP

You definitely need maps and the training to use them. Not sure what is available for Iceland. Consider a GPS.

If you haven't done it already, I would get a good guidebook for Iceland. I like Lonely Planet books, but there may be others. LP is more geared towards budget travel than some. I would get as much info about the country as possible before going. I did that for New Zealand using LP's books and they were quite helpful. Iceland may be expensive, from what I have read-bring plenty of money or a credit card.

LP also has a travel forum called Thorn Tree on their website.
www.lonelyplanet.com

Iceland is warmer than you would think. Unless you plan to be on snow, one pad should be fine. Things you should not need-pillow (use a jacket instead),altimeter, wrist guards (why, unless you are skiing or snowboarding), shovel (unless you are going to be on snow). Not sure if you will need the water filter. I don't carry one in winter because I melt snow for water.

I would take only one or at the most two base layers. I use midweight Capilene. You may need the bag liner for the hostels. The REI pants are probably worth it. I have Marmot Precip pants and they are similar. I'm not familiar with either pack. The Mountainsmith is heavy, from what I saw online.

If you are going to be on snow, I would look into snowshoes-maybe you can rent them there. I would also take a pair of trekking poles with snow baskets. Yaktraks are designed for things like icy sidewalks. They will be close to useless in soft snow-that's what snowshoes are for.

I've been to iceland - 10-50 is probably more accurate, with
hovering around freezing a lot on the coast. it can be colder inland. "Windy" is not the right word. more correct might be "tie small children and pets to big rocks so they don't blow away"




Figures - from REI experts



IMO, put your backpack under your feet, use the 3/4 - unless
you plan on going inland for snow and glaciers.



White Gas and Cartridges (ispropane, lindal valve) were available at trekking stores in both Reykyavik and Hafnafjodur when I was there last year, a bit pricy. but you could get them. - so if you want white gas, you don't need the "international" - the regular one will do, you won't be burning barbeque lighter fluid.

Alcohol (methyl hydrate and denatured ethanol) was available in all the home improvment/paint stores. - so you could easily consider using a pop-can alcohol stove. it might be cheaper and easier to find. Personally I would do this in iceland
unless I was planning on very long trips, or was planning on going out in deep winter where I would be melting snow for water.

Short answer, you don't need an exotic stove for iceland.




What is best is what you are comfortable with with the load you are carrying.. too big a pack will make you take too much useless crap and make you more uncomfortable.. buy your pack last.




I honestly wouldn't bring a filter to iceland. I'd just take
aquamira or pristine drops for the possibly occasional time I might want to treat water. But that will work.. if you take a filter don't take one of the nice light ones that can't freeze.



Normally, I think these are fine.. unfortunately, look back at my first quote, and ask yourself if those poles are fibreglass or easton aluminum - I would take a full freestanding tent with *good* aluminium poles to iceland. it is *WINDY*.. and I mean *REALLY WINDY* and exposed. There's no such thing as getting some shelter in the trees so your tent doesn't get clobbered.. if you get lost in the forest in iceland, you stand up.

You want something that can take a real pounding in the wind - for me this was a black diamond one shot.




Dunno about that 3-in 1 - if it includes "insulation" you can't
take out. have a seperate shell, (so you can use it for wind) and seperate insulation.



I would use your "3 in one" as shell, or ditch it and take a good waterproof breathable shell, or poncho. When I did iceland I did this on the cheap with a cheapo nylon windshirt that was treated with nikwax to make it more like a waterproof breathable, and I had a silnylon poncho for downpours.. most of the time it was just very windy with occasional drizzle and sleet.



You probably won't be cold enough to need a bag liner, iceland
near the coast just isn't that cold.

Unless you're planning on insane trips up volcanoes inland on trackless glaciers, if you're sticking to the neat stuff that isn't totally snowbound you won't need "winter winter" gear i.e. snow shovels and stuff - if *are* doing this you need full on glacier travel gear, a partner, and training, which is another topic entirely from this. so I"m assuming you're sticking on the hiking sorts of trails.


Might see you there - I may be back there in June sometime this year

Since it was very, very windy, how did the poncho do - did you have to tie a cord around the waist to keep it from flapping around too much?

Here is an interesting thread I found on the LP site about cycling in Iceland. Won't be totally applicable to you, but some of the links may be useful.
http://www.lonelyplanet.com/thorntree/thread.jspa?threadID=2132440

the poncho would flap, but in my case this is an integral dynamics silponcho - so I use it with the shockcord tied around my middle - flaps but not too bad.

essentially though, I only use the poncho for hunkered down in bad rain. if I'm walking, I just used the windshirt. most of the time I'm fairly sweaty when walking and the nikwaxed windshirt is just fine. Poncho/tarp was mainly for camp keeping my dry set of clothing dry..

Great advice from Phat.

We were there in Summer and still were really glad for the Hilleberg Jannu tent we carried; the wind and rain were ferocious, and even my Arc'teryx top wetted out, temporarily knocking out my camera that was kept in a vest pocket and leaving me uncomfortable for many hours of hiking.

We were sandblasted by crazy winds on a portion of the Landmannalaugar trail that looked like a moonscape, with volcanic ash rocks and not a single tree in sight for many miles. You may luck out and not have these extreme conditions, but note that we had them in July and you're at least as likely to have them in Winter or early Spring. Note also that we were able to hike with light still in the sky through midnight, which let us cover a lot of territory, and you'll have more limited daylight.

In July the river/stream crossings were quite challenging - the water was near-freezing glacial runoff and very, very strong (I got knocked to my knees at one crossing and soaked my top enough that I was chilled for many hours, and we ultimately decided to pitch the tent and get warm in sleeping bags rather than push for one of the huts along the route.)

All that said, it was beautiful, and we'd do it again in an instant.