As soon as we booked our New Years trip to Iceland, I started thinking about cozy sweaters, furry jackets and snow boots (AKA, this!). But I was quickly reminded that we only had space on the plane and in the car for one carry on…

This was my second trip to Iceland, so I had a packing advantage. During my first trip, I realized I wore the same few pieces of clothing on repeat, so I learned from my mistakes and packed less. A LOT less! I fit five days worth of clothing (for freezing temps!) into one carry on!

I planned on bringing 3 sweaters, base layers, undershirts, pants and one pair of boots – so I just needed to find all the right pieces that were cohesive and versatile. PS – having a washing machine helped!

A note on dressing for freezing temperatures…

Base layers are EVERYTHING. You always want to have one layer between your body and the outside elements. Your base layer should be tight fitting so it can hold your body heat in. The most common base layers are pants and shirts, but you can (and should!) wear base layer socks, gloves, even hats!

There’s an ever going argument between natural and synthetic base layers – I’ve worn both and liked them both, so it’s really a personal preference. However, I will say that natural fibers (like SmartWool) can be slightly itchy, so I wouldn’t recommend that if you’re sensitive to scratchy fabrics.

xx,
Lauren