Packing

A noted Stanford mathematician recently wrote:

I'm waiting for the "detailed packing list" episode :)

Indeed, when you come to Iceland, what should you bring? Besides the basics — lots of big ziplocs for your toiletries, eight days’ worth of underthings, two clear recycling bags for segregating soiled and rained-upon clothes —here’s what to plan for:

• The weather. It’s cool and it changes. A lot — it’s not impossible to have three sun/rain cycles in a single day, and then there’s the wind. So bring layers. Think “brisk autumn day on which it may well rain.”
• An outfit to hike in. Proper boots, a sun hat, sunglasses, and rain pants are advisable. Smart people will bring an extra pair of boot laces and a woolen cap.
• Pharmacy things. Local pharmacies can replace what you forget but are steeply priced. Antibiotic ointment cannot be found at all. 
• Tip: put a ziploc in your bathroom in the morning, and every time you use a toothbrush, potion, razor, or pill, drop it in. At the end of the day write down the contents of the bag, add band-aids and nail clippers, and that’s what you need to bring.
• If you want to pass undetected amongst the locals, now’s the time to bust out the black shawls (women) and scarves (everybody).
• A swimsuit. If you have an immodest Speedo, now’s your chance to wear it. You’ll blend right in.
• Similarly, women often wear leggings+nice boots in public. On warm days, men actually wear capri pants.
• Bring your camera. Bring an extra battery.
• There will be a several-minute walk from the pier on Viðey to the reception place. So no heels; bring flats.
• For staying cheaply in touch with home, bring your favorite wi-fi computery thing.
• You’ll want electrical goodies as explained in the forthcoming Electricity post.

In your carry-on, bring:

• Orange foam earplugs. Those are the only kind that work worth a damn.
• An eye mask. Maybe you’ll want to sleep on the plane, maybe you won’t, but you’ll want it later during the bright nights.
• A pen for filling out the landing card. Put it in its own ziploc in case air pressure makes it burst in flight.

It’s pretty straightforward. Just Google “packing for iceland” and you’ll get ideas suited to how you plan to spend your time.