Laugavegur Trek Packing List: Essentials to Bring on a Fully Supported Tour

By Tara Short | Founder of Green Edventures | Leading women’s adventures since 2009 and leading groups on the Laugavegur Trail since 2021.

What do you need for the Laugavegur Trail when your luggage is transported? A comfortable daypack, reliable waterproof gear, practical layers, and a compact bag for hut essentials.

Having hiked the route and helped women prepare, I recommend packing for changing weather without bringing a different outfit for every day. Shared huts have limited space, and keeping your belongings organized makes life easier.

This guide covers essential items and practical packing advice. Participants joining our fully supported women’s Laugavegur trek also receive a detailed packing list specific to our trip.

Backpacks and Duffel Bags

Daypack: 35–40 liters. Choose a comfortable backpack with a supportive hip belt. It should hold your rain gear, warm layers, water, lunch, snacks, river-crossing footwear, and personal essentials.

Bring a rain cover, waterproof pack liner, or dry bags to protect your belongings. Spare layers need to stay dry.

Transported duffel: 65–75 liters, no more than 40 pounds packed. These are our tour’s luggage guidelines; other operators may differ. You do not need to fill the bag.

Use labeled packing cubes so you can find things without spreading everything across the hut. Keep anything you need during the hiking day in your backpack—you cannot access your duffel along the trail.

What to Wear on the Laugavegur Trail

Your clothing is your first shelter. Choose non-cotton layers that work together and let you adjust to wind, rain, and changing temperatures.

Hiking Clothing

For our trek, this is enough clothing alongside your outer layers:

Two pairs of softshell hiking pants: Flexible and quick-drying.
One merino wool tank top.
One merino wool T-shirt.
One or two merino wool long-sleeve tops: Lightweight fabric around 185 g/m² is a useful starting point.
Wool thermal leggings: To wear under hiking pants in colder conditions.
Hiking socks and underwear: Include a dry spare pair of socks in your daypack.

The merino fabric weight describes its thickness, not the total weight of the garment.

Essential Outer Layers

Waterproof rain jacket: Look for taped seams and an adjustable hood.
Waterproof rain pants: Choose a pair that fits over your hiking pants; ankle zippers help you pull them over boots.
Softshell jacket: A breathable layer for cool, breezy hiking.
Puffy jacket: For breaks and chilly evenings. Around 450 grams total garment weight is a reference, but insulation and construction determine warmth.
Warm hat, sun hat, and gloves.
Glove Rain Covers
Buff: Protection from sun, wind, dust

Water-resistant clothing does not replace waterproof rain gear. Try on your full layering system before traveling to check that you can move comfortably.

Hiking Gear

Waterproof hiking boots: Choose a comfortable pair with ankle support and excellent traction. Break them in on training hikes, including uneven ground and descents.

Trekking poles: Required on our trek, poles help with balance on loose terrain, steep sections, and river crossings. Practice using them before arriving in Iceland.

River-Crossing Gear

Pack neoprene socks and sports sandals with a back strap. The socks add warmth in cold water, while secure sandals protect your feet and stay attached as you walk. Flip-flops are unsuitable.

Keep these items accessible in your daypack, along with a small quick-drying towel. Follow your guide’s instructions at each crossing.

Daypack Essentials: Food, Hydration, and Personal Care

Water bottles or a hydration reservoir: Follow your guide’s advice on daily water needs.
Electrolytes: Bring tablets or individual packets you have tried during training.
Trail snacks: Choose familiar sweet and salty options you enjoy eating during long hikes.
Packed lunch: Leave room for it in your backpack.
Blister care: Carry blister dressings, athletic tape, and supplies that work for your feet. Address rubbing early and let your guide know.
Personal medications: Keep them with you rather than in transported luggage.
Sunglasses, sunscreen, and SPF lip balm.
Hand sanitizer.
Dog waste bags: Useful for packing out wrappers, used tissues, and other small rubbish. Follow your guide’s instructions for bathroom stops.

Hut Life: Sleeping Gear and Small Comforts

Keep these items in your transported duffel:

Lightweight sleeping bag: Suitable for indoor hut accommodation; follow your tour’s temperature-rating guidance.
Optional twin-size top sheet: Lay it over the mattress beneath your sleeping bag.
Sleeping bag stuff sack: Fill it with soft, dry clothing to make a pillow.
Indoor hut shoes: Lightweight sandals, Crocs, or clogs. If using your river sandals, clean and dry them before wearing them inside.
One set of hut clothes that doubles as sleepwear.
Sleep shorts: Shared huts can get hot, so a lightweight sleeping option is useful.
Earplugs and an eye mask: Helpful for shared rooms and long summer daylight.
Hanging toiletries bag: A loop or hook keeps everything organized and off wet counters.
Hand lotion: Expect cold water at hut sinks; frequent washing and exposure to wind can leave hands chapped.
A few dog waste bags: Keep one nearby for small rubbish. From a top bunk, you will appreciate somewhere to put a tissue or wrapper without climbing down.

Pack Less, Test More

Before departure, take a training hike wearing your boots and carrying your packed daypack. Check the fit, practice with your poles, and make sure you can reach your rain gear easily.

For hut life, compact and organized beats having lots of choices. Bring versatile clothing, keep your sleeping clothes dry, and use your participant packing list for final preparations.

Ready to see how the trip works? Explore our Iceland Women’s Laugavegur Hike for the itinerary, hut experience, and group support.

About Tara Short

Tara Short is the founder of Green Edventures, a women-focused adventure travel company she started in 2009. An environmental educator and experienced expedition leader, Tara has been guiding women on Iceland’s Laugavegur Trail since 2021. Originally from Chicago, where mountains are hard to come by, she understands what it takes to prepare for a challenging hike without living near mountain trails. Her passion is helping women discover what they’re capable of through adventure, education, and a supportive community.