What to pack!

It can be a bit tricky to know what to pack and what to take with you to the arctic. It all depends a little on what you are going to be doing, the time of year and the temperature. Obviously if you are spending an hour on a dogsled or going for a one week expedition... the packing list is quite different. But regardless of that.... here is a list of clothing and additional items of what to pack for a short visit.

Clothing:

A note on clothing…it all very much depends on the temperature which fluctuates quite a bit. The recommendation below is for very cold temperatures…better to be prepared!

• Thermal underwear- both long-johns as well as long-sleeved shirt. We highly recommend wool, especially merino wool. They are much more expensive but they make all the difference. Both for the warmth but also wool does not smell. Synthetic thermals are definitely not as warm and smell very quickly. It of course depends on your budget and the length of which you are going to be using it
• Fleece- a fleece sweater or jumper for over your thermals both thin fleece and thicker fleece depending on the temperature. If its colder than -20 we also suggest wearing fleece pants over your thermals.
• Ski trousers
• Wool zip up or sweater in case its very cold for over a fleece.
• Windproof/winter jacket

Additional items: (for our longer tours)

• Beanie/neck gaiter (we recommend 2 pairs)
• Balaclava
• Hat if possible windproof ( we do provide warm windproof hats if you need to borrow a hat)
• Wool socks- minimum 3 pairs (please note that cotton socks are the worst socks to wear in minus temperatures. Therefore we recommend wool and the higher the wool content the warmer! In case you cannot find good loose fitting socks we sell socks with 80% wool content for 140 SEK. It is important though to let us know before hand so we can make sure we have your size in stock!)
• Mittens in wool (for under the big mushing mittens that we provide).
• Gloves that are thin enough to work with and preferably waterproof or water resistant so you manage to harness the dogs and clip them onto the lines. Big bulky ski gloves are not recommended as they are very unpractical to work with.
• Warm waterproof shoes (Thinsulate and Goretex) when not mushing and just walking around the area of the wilderness lodge. Nevertheless, you can also wear the boots we provide instead!
• Slippers or inside shoes for in the wilderness lodge
• Headlamp for at the cabin as there is no electricity. (You can rent them from us for 300kr with advanced notice)

Keep in mind that the thing that makes you warm is the air…not the amount of layers or thickness of the layers. Therefore, loose fitting clothes are better than snug fitting gear. Please read our recommendation on how to dress in the arctic 🙂

You can of course always contact us if you have any questions.

Oh P.S. For our longer tours, we recommend to take a waterproof duffel bag instead of a suitcase!