Packing and clothing suggestions for Iceland/Norway Cruise

[wcGma]

On 1/27/2024 at 4:26 AM, kaisatsu said:

The most common name brand for waterproof outer layers is GoreTex - the material brand. It’s used by several very reputable outdoor clothing makers, but several also offer their own house-brand laminates that often work just as well.

 

For rain shells and pants, I’ve had good experience with several brands over the years: Outdoor Research, Mountain Hardwear, Patagonia, Columbia, LL Bean, Helly Hansen, Arcteryx, Bergans, Nøronna. For retailers carrying a variety of brands, off the top of my head I like BackCountry.com and MooseJaw.com

 

For wool, my favorite is Devold, followed by Helly Hansen. I recently got some sets from Ulvang and they seem to be pretty good, but they’re only one (fairly light) season in. I had a bad experience with an Alclima top deteriorating really quickly, but I don’t know if I just had a bad piece (don’t want to risk that much money on trying another item).

I’ll be in Oslo mid March for a few days. Wondering how the streets will be for walking. Will my Goretex shoes be sufficient. I have heavier snow boots as backup. Trying to pack lighter and not planning to bring any more dressy style shoes. 

[kaisatsu]

15 minutes ago, wcGma said:

I’ll be in Oslo mid March for a few days. Wondering how the streets will be for walking. Will my Goretex shoes be sufficient. I have heavier snow boots as backup. Trying to pack lighter and not planning to bring any more dressy style shoes. 

A pair of waterproof shoes should generally be fine. The weather and conditions fluctuate substantially, but around the city center you usually only need boots immediately after a heavy snowfall. If you’re planning to spend a considerable amount of time in the countryside or are heading to the mountains or up north, I’d bring the snow boots.

[wcGma]

1 hour ago, kaisatsu said:

A pair of waterproof shoes should generally be fine. The weather and conditions fluctuate substantially, but around the city center you usually only need boots immediately after a heavy snowfall. If you’re planning to spend a considerable amount of time in the countryside or are heading to the mountains or up north, I’d bring the snow boots.

Thank you. Looking forward to our trip.