Thermal / Snow clothing... ??

h4zel

I have decided to go to Iceland in the winter in hope of seeing the Northern Light... I want to know where the best place to buy snow type boots from to keep my feet nice and warm and dry (and of course look the part! )...and also thermal clothing like gloves, jacket etc... any advice on good makes and bargains?! ta!

jago25_98

Sorry, I been there but can't help.

Saw ray meers get some made my the inuits but I don't think there's much like that there.

There's some very quiet places but I didn't see a single raindeer from which to make that sort of thing. Very little in the way of vegetation, all got cut down and now a bit of a desert mostly, efforts to start again aren't easy as even the dirt is blown away.

I think it's going to be expensive and the only way you'd get something good price would be handmade stuff in a cold and poor country; not Iceland.

You might be able to get something locally made in Iceland but I would be prepared for £100 and get something there.

Sorry I can't give much more info, not an easy subject because it's hard to tell if boots like that would be made there or imported from the rest of Scandanavia and expensive like food is. I didn't go shopping at all.

btw Bring some dried food moneysaver, it's very expensive!

Thermal stuff, start with the cheapest silk underwear or tight fitting undergarments http://search.ebay.co.uk/search/search.dll?sofocus=unknown&sbrftog=1&from=R10&satitle=silk+thermal&sacat=-1%26catref%3DC6&sargn=-1%26saslc%3D3&sadis=200&fpos=PL4+7LU&ftrt=1&ftrv=1&saprclo=&saprchi=

for jacket bear in mind all jackets have to be waterproofed ever 2 years or they don't work (that cost me an ipod and a phone). I recommend spending extra on Berghouse gortex jack and scrimping on a fleece.

Socks are important, trick again is layers, thin underlayer and thick outer layer. Oh, and tuck stuff in. A cheap option for footwear could be waterproof socks (£20).

Hands. Motorbikers use silk gloves under thier main gloves. Mitts are warmer as they group your fingers.

What else, oh yeah, hat. Something like 40% heat comes out of your head so decent hat and dealing with the resulting hair is another thing. One of those fleece headbands saves a bit of hair frizz, maybe it won't be a problem for you.

Neck, the jacket can cover but you might like the tube scarfs that you can bring over your nose.

There, ready for the arctic.

Having said all this it's not always that bad. The vikings named it Iceland to stop people invading after Greenland; very smart indeed I think.

Have a good one

h4zel

Thanks very much, very informative! :T

I was actually after buying the stuff in the UK for my trip to Iceland, not too fussy where it comes from as long as it keeps me warm and dry and doesn't cost me an arm and a leg!!

Thanks again!

Avoriaz

Winter clothing is widely available in Winter Sports shops, department stores, sports shops etc.

I have bought very good skiing jackets for as little as £30 in factory outlet stores.

Hiring is another option as is borrowing from a friend who is a skier (or snowboarder if you don’t mind looking a pratt )

h4zel

Avoriaz wrote:

Winter clothing is widely available in Winter Sports shops, department stores, sports shops etc.

Thanks for this but I was kind of after specific recomendations for my trip, I have seen 'winter clothing' available in many shops considering the season but can you tell me if any of it is any good for a trip to Iceland?!

halojones

I work in a motorcycle shop, and we have been selling loads of bike gear to people for ski holidays and snow boarding. We have all the thermal and wind stopper gear too. You might get some cheap as it is a slow time in bike shops and we often have sales now. You could go to one of the bike events as you can often get really cheap gear.

The windstopper stuff us really good, as it is a special fabric designed to keep the wind out to keep you warm and they are always fleecy and warm on the inside.

HTH

h4zel

halojones wrote:

I work in a motorcycle shop, and we have been selling loads of bike gear to people for ski holidays and snow boarding. We have all the thermal and wind stopper gear too. You might get some cheap as it is a slow time in bike shops and we often have sales now. You could go to one of the bike events as you can often get really cheap gear.

The windstopper stuff us really good, as it is a special fabric designed to keep the wind out to keep you warm and they are always fleecy and warm on the inside.

HTH

Thank you very much... I will certainly give that a try, we have a big bike shop just down the road! ta! :beer: