Tomorrow is finally the day.. That’s when we board the plane for our trip to Tromsø! We’re incredibly excited and we’ve had our fingers crossed for the northern lights for weeks, but we have one bigger concern: staying warm! Because what goes on your Tromsø packing list when you’re flying into the freezing cold instead of the sun?
Survival expert Les Stroud once taught us “You sweat, you die”. And we take that advice pretty seriously, because when you’re camping out in the freezing cold (in the wilderness camp temperatures can drop to -30), you obviously want to live to tell the tale. Preferably with all your limbs still attached.
The key to staying warm is layering. That’s not just the advice of mister Stroud, but also of the organization Visit Tromsø. They explain that it’s best to work with 4 layers: 1. thermal underwear, 2. a middle layer of wool or fleece, 3. a warm sweater or cardigan, scarf and ski pants and finally 4. a hat, gloves and a windproof and waterproof jacket.
I’m quite the wimp when it comes to the cold myself, so I’ve taken some extra precautions. So what’s in my suitcase?
– Sorel snow boots
The first thing we do when we need new outdoor gear is head to Bever, an outdoor store here in the Netherlands, where I live. We al-ways find what we need there. This time was no exception. The very first pair of snow boots I tried on was a hit right away. Most importantly: they’re warm, fluffy, waterproof and black! And they fit like a glove. So I scored the 1964 Pac Nylon snow boots by Sorel. Made of waterproof nylon and ‘vulcanized rubber’. Sounds fancy! They’re supposed to keep my feet warm down to -40 °C. Challenge accepted!
– Jack Wolfskin gloves
One of the most important things, besides footwear, is gloves. I went for this (black, hehe) pair by Jack Wolfskin. They’re windproof, waterproof and super soft! And just a little too big, so I can wear a thinner glove underneath. That’s going to come in really handy, especially when I’m taking photos!
– O’Neill hat
Put something with that soft white sheepskin thingy on my head and I’m sold. That’s exactly the story behind this hat. Too bad they didn’t have an all-black one, but oh well. This one goes nicely with my backpack!
– O’Neill sweater
I fell in love with this sweater the moment I saw it in the store. The price gave me a bit of a shock, but against my better judgment I wanted to try it on anyway. My own fault, because then I was even more in love. I decided to leave it, because the day had been expensive enough, but 3 days later I still regretted it.. So I decided to order it after all. And now this beauty is in my suitcase anyway! The inside is fleece and it’s SO comfy. It’s almost a shame it’s too warm to wear around the house.
– Thermal underwear
On the advice of several winter sports fans, we bought our thermal underwear at HEMA, the Dutch department store. We both have HEMA’s own standard version, and I bought an extra pair of leggings to wear at night when we sleep in the wilderness camp.
– Girlfriend stuff
Because winter vacations, and shopping for them, are REALLY expensive, I was offered some help. I now have a ski jacket, ski pants, ski socks, 2 warm cardigans and a few sets of thermal clothing from my sweet friend and ski expert Marloes (THANKS BABE!!!). I’m going to get SO much use out of these. Those ski pants practically come up to my armpits and the jacket is lined with that duvet stuff. WOOHOO!
Also:
– Sunglasses for the snowmobile;
– Waterproof sunscreen and lip balm with UV filter;
– Leg and wrist warmers;
– Warm sweaters and cardigans;
– A scarf I can drown in;
– Sweatpants to wear over thermal underwear and under ski pants;
– Thermal leggings as a spare middle layer;
– Onesie (DUH!);
– Slippers for the hotel;
– 21 pairs of socks;
– Cameras (GoPro, Canon IXUS 150, Sony A7S);
– Vaseline, body lotion and body butter to save my skin from doom;
– A little pile of medicine in case my cold gets worse.
Now all I have to do is get that thing to Norway without getting a hernia..
What’s your must-have item for a winter vacation?
