Example: Irina's Packing List
What I personally bring. Take it as a reference — not gospel. Links go to the exact products I use.
Base Layers
- Base layer thermal topx2 thin 135g, x1 thick 220g
- Base layer trousers — x1 sports leggingsx1 merino leggings (66 North)
- Sports bras (x2)
- Underwear (x5)
- PJs merino long sleeve top + leggings
Mid Layers
- Basic pants
- Long sleeve basic top
- Mid layer warm fleece ×2thin Patagonia R1, thick 66 North Tindur
- Insulated down / puffer jacket (Vaude Freney)
Outer Layers
- Warm insulated trousers cheapest Decathlon ones, genuinely the best I've had
- Windproof breathable trousers Mammut ski pants, used less
- Snowboard outer jacket (Montec) I wore this instead of the snowmobile jacket
Feet
- Thin merino socks (x3, Loow)
- SmartWool snowboard socks (x2)
- Bridgedale expedition heavyweight socks (x1)
- All the toe warmers in the world my feet run very cold
- Hiking boots
Hands
- Thin base layer gloves (66 North Vik)
- Knitted alpaca wool fingerless gloves worn over the base layer gloves when shooting
- Windproof thick gloves I'd recommend The Heat Company SHELL — unless you have tiny hands like me, in which case children's sections are your best friend
Head & Face
- Thin full face balaclava
- Warm insulated hat ×2
- Fleece-lined buff
- Wrap-around sunglasses 100% UVA/UVB
- Ski goggles
Bags & Carry
- Atlas Adventure Backpack — camera bag / cabin bag
- Duffel bag for checked luggage — cheap Decathlon waterproof 60L
Extra
- Bikini not mandatory, but worth it for all the lagoons in Iceland
Field Kit, Hydration & Extras
- 1L metal thermos (Sigg)
- 1L Nalgene pee bottle
- She-Wee
- Hand warmers
- Watch — Garmin Fenix
- External battery
- Headphones
- Headtorch + spare batteries
- Swiss army knife
- Laptop + charger
- Camera battery dual charger
- Power plug adapter (Anker 70W)
Hygiene & Personal Care
- Toothbrush / toothpaste / Miswak stick
- Comb
- Dry shampoo
- Small towel
- Mini washing items — shampoo, conditioner, shower gel
- Sunscreen SPF 50
- Hydrating face cream
- Body hydrating cream
- SPF lip balm ×2 I always lose one
- Period products
- Nail clippers
- Tweezers
- Pretty sparkly makeup ✨
First Aid & Medication
- Ibuprofen 400mg fast release ×2 strips
- Ibuprofen 800mg slow release
- Ibuprofen 800mg slow release
- Coldrex / Lemsip ×8
- Voltaren ×1
- Nausea medicine ×1
- Diarrhoea medicine
- Band aids
- Blister treatment
- Athletic bandage tape
- Bandages
Always consult your GP for full medical advice before departure.
Camera Gear Recommendations
Canon R5 ×2
Full-frame mirrorless with excellent weather sealing. Handles cold well. Ideally have a spare body with you — hard to find a camera store run by Arctic foxes.
Bring one, max 2.
RF 400mm f/2.8 prime rental option
The wildlife lens. Exceptional reach and speed for musk ox, arctic foxes, and ptarmigans at a distance. This is an expensive piece — local rental (e.g. Visuals.ch in Switzerland) is a solid option if you don't own one. Pairs well with the 1.4× extender.
RF 500mm f/4L IS USM rental option
A step up in reach from the 400mm while remaining manageable in the field. Outstanding sharpness and image stabilisation — a great choice for distant wildlife across the fjord.
RF 600mm f/4L IS USM rental option
Maximum reach for the most skittish subjects. Best suited if you're primarily focused on wildlife and comfortable handling a larger lens.
RF 100–500mm f/4.5–7.1L
The best-value Canon telephoto lens (and comes without a ridiculous price tag). Zoom range provides plenty of versatility for capturing wildlife and details in ice formations, as well as open landscape shots across the vast Scoresbysund fjord.
RF 70–200mm f/2.8 (new version)
The versatile workhorse. Use this for environmental portraits, icebergs at mid-range, and anything in between.
RF 24mm f/1.8 prime
Primary landscape and aurora lens. The f/1.8 aperture is a real asset for night sky work — you'll want this the moment the northern lights appear.
RF 16mm f/2.8 prime
Ultra-wide for dramatic ice scenery and tight interior shots at the camp. Light and compact — earns its place even given the weight constraints.
RF 1.4× or 2× extender
Worth having to give you that extra bit of reach — in case the polar bears decide to keep their distance.
4× Canon LP-E6NH batteries + dual charger
Cold halves your effective battery life. Four bodies' worth of cells is the minimum — rotate them through an inside pocket against your body heat throughout the day. Generator power at camp allows nightly charging.
DJI Mavic 3 (or equivalent) + 3 batteries + controller
Aerial perspective provides some really cool new perspectives over the Scoresbysund fjord. Drone battery performance in arctic cold is severely reduced — keep all batteries warm before launch and plan shorter, more frequent flights.
Tripod
Essential for aurora and long-exposure ice work. Carbon fibre preferred — aluminium legs become painful to handle barehanded in deep cold. Practise your setup routine with gloves on before you leave home.
Peak Design neck strap + front hook
Keep your body accessible and secure while snowmobiling. The front hook on your camera pack lets you clip the body to your chest without removing the bag.
Lens cleaning kit
Blower, microfibre cloths, lens pen. Snow and breath condensation will hit your front element constantly. Minimise outdoor lens changes when possible. Two camera bodies help with this too!
Memory cards + hard drive
Bring multiple memory cards and a hard drive to back up photos in the evening.
Atlas Packs Adventure / Shimoda
A dedicated camera backpack with internal organisation is essential. See the flights section for notes on what fits in the cabin on the Reykjavík–Akureyri leg — bag size matters there specifically.
Sony A1 ×2
50MP full-frame with class-leading 30fps burst and AI subject tracking — exceptional for arctic wildlife. Excellent weather sealing and cold performance. A second body is strongly recommended.
FE 400mm f/2.8 GM rental option
Sony's prime wildlife lens. Extraordinary reach and sharpness for distant musk ox and arctic fox. Rental is a sensible option given the price tag.
FE 200–600mm f/5.6–6.3 G
The best-value super-telephoto in any system. Exceptional reach for the price — ideal for birds in flight and distant fjord wildlife. Pairs well with the 1.4× teleconverter.
FE 70–200mm f/2.8 GM II
Compact, fast, and optically superb. The workhorse lens for environmental portraits and mid-range ice work.
FE 24mm f/1.4 GM
Primary landscape and aurora lens. The f/1.4 gives you an edge over comparable Canon glass for night sky work — you'll want every stop of light when shooting the northern lights.
FE 20mm f/1.8 G
Ultra-wide and lightweight — ideal for dramatic fjord scenery. Exceptional value for the image quality.
SEL14TC 1.4× or SEL20TC 2×
Worth having for that extra reach — in case the polar bears decide to keep their distance.
4× Sony NP-FZ100 batteries + dual charger
Cold halves battery life. Keep spares in an inside pocket against your body heat and charge nightly on the generator.
DJI Mavic 3 (or equivalent) + 3 batteries + controller
Aerial perspective provides some really cool new perspectives over the Scoresbysund fjord. Drone battery performance in arctic cold is severely reduced — keep all batteries warm before launch and plan shorter, more frequent flights.
Tripod
Essential for aurora and long-exposure ice work. Carbon fibre preferred — aluminium legs become painful to handle barehanded in deep cold. Practise your setup routine with gloves on before you leave home.
Peak Design neck strap + front hook
Keep your body accessible and secure while snowmobiling.
Lens cleaning kit
Blower, microfibre cloths, lens pen. Snow and breath condensation will hit your front element constantly. Minimise outdoor lens changes when possible. Two camera bodies help with this too!
Memory cards + hard drive
Bring multiple memory cards and a hard drive to back up photos in the evening.
Atlas Packs Adventure / Shimoda
A dedicated camera backpack with internal organisation is essential. See the flights section for notes on cabin sizing on the Reykjavík–Akureyri leg.
Nikon Z9 or Z8 ×2
The Z9 is arguably the finest wildlife camera ever made — 45MP, 20fps RAW, stacked sensor with no blackout. The Z8 offers the same sensor in a lighter body. Either handles arctic cold exceptionally well. A second body is strongly recommended.
NIKKOR Z 400mm f/2.8 TC VR S rental option
Nikon's flagship wildlife prime — with a built-in 1.4× teleconverter giving you 560mm f/4 at the flick of a switch. Exceptional for arctic fox and birds at distance.
NIKKOR Z 100–400mm f/4.5–5.6 VR S
Outstanding zoom range with excellent sharpness throughout. The go-to flexible wildlife lens for the Nikon Z system — great for everything from soaring birds to wide fjord shots.
NIKKOR Z 70–200mm f/2.8 VR S
Fast, sharp, and versatile. The workhorse for environmental portraits and mid-range ice work.
NIKKOR Z 24mm f/1.8 S
Primary landscape and aurora lens. Tack sharp wide open — you'll want this the moment the northern lights appear.
NIKKOR Z 20mm f/1.8 S
Ultra-wide for dramatic ice scenery. Light, compact, and impressively sharp — earns its place even with strict weight limits.
Z TC-1.4× or Z TC-2.0×
Worth having for extra reach — in case the polar bears decide to keep their distance.
4× Nikon EN-EL15c batteries + dual charger
Cold halves battery life. Keep spares in an inside pocket against your body heat and charge nightly on the generator.
DJI Mavic 3 (or equivalent) + 3 batteries + controller
Aerial perspective provides some really cool new perspectives over the Scoresbysund fjord. Drone battery performance in arctic cold is severely reduced — keep all batteries warm before launch and plan shorter, more frequent flights.
Tripod
Essential for aurora and long-exposure ice work. Carbon fibre preferred. Practise your setup routine with gloves on before you leave home.
Peak Design neck strap + front hook
Keep your body accessible and secure while snowmobiling.
Lens cleaning kit
Blower, microfibre cloths, lens pen. Minimise outdoor lens changes when possible. Two camera bodies help with this too!
Memory cards + hard drive
Bring multiple memory cards and a hard drive to back up photos in the evening.
Atlas Packs Adventure / Shimoda
A dedicated camera backpack with internal organisation is essential. See the flights section for notes on cabin sizing on the Reykjavík–Akureyri leg.
OM System OM-1 Mark II ×2
The best-weatherproofed camera in any system — IP53 rated, freeze-proof to −10°C. The Micro Four Thirds 2× crop factor turns every lens into twice the reach, making it a surprisingly powerful wildlife system. Lighter kit overall is a real advantage on weight-restricted flights.
M.Zuiko 150–400mm f/4.5 TC1.25× IS PRO rental option
With the 2× crop, this gives an effective 300–1000mm equivalent range — and it has a built-in 1.25× teleconverter on top of that. An extraordinary wildlife lens that's genuinely unique. Heavy for MFT but unmatched for reach.
M.Zuiko 40–150mm f/2.8 PRO
Equivalent to 80–300mm f/2.8 — fast, compact, and excellent image quality. The workhorse for mid-range wildlife and ice formations.
M.Zuiko 12–40mm f/2.8 PRO II
The equivalent of a 24–80mm f/2.8 — versatile for landscapes, aurora, and tight shots at camp. Fully weatherproof and compact.
M.Zuiko 8–25mm f/4 PRO
Ultra-wide equivalent (16–50mm) in an impressively small package. Earns its place on weight-restricted flights.
MC-14 1.4× or MC-20 2×
The MC-20 combined with the 40–150mm gives 80–300mm at f/5.6 — and with the 2× crop, that's 600mm equivalent. In case the polar bears decide to keep their distance.
4× OM System BLX-1 batteries + dual charger
Cold halves battery life. Keep spares in an inside pocket against your body heat and charge nightly on the generator.
DJI Mavic 3 (or equivalent) + 3 batteries + controller
Aerial perspective provides some really cool new perspectives over the Scoresbysund fjord. Drone battery performance in arctic cold is severely reduced — keep all batteries warm before launch and plan shorter, more frequent flights.
Tripod
Essential for aurora and long-exposure ice work. Carbon fibre preferred. Practise your setup routine with gloves on before you leave home.
Peak Design neck strap + front hook
Keep your body accessible and secure while snowmobiling.
Lens cleaning kit
Blower, microfibre cloths, lens pen. Minimise outdoor lens changes when possible. Two camera bodies help with this too!
Memory cards + hard drive
Bring multiple memory cards and a hard drive to back up photos in the evening.
Atlas Packs Adventure / Shimoda
A dedicated camera backpack with internal organisation is essential. See the flights section for notes on cabin sizing on the Reykjavík–Akureyri leg.
Accommodation Details
Reykjavík — staging
Hotel base in central Reykjavík. Plenty of options for cute souvenir stores, excellent food, lagoons (Sky Lagoon & Blue Lagoon), and day trips to the Golden Circle, Snæfellsness Peninsula, and the South Coast of Iceland.
Ask Irina for recommendations 😉
Akureyri — transit
One night in Akureyri before the Twin Otter flight to Constable Pynt the next morning. Book your own accommodation (we recommend Hotel Akureyri) — the town is small and walkable, with good food options (like the Eyja wine bar) along the harbour.
Scoresbysund — Sydkap hut
Heated hut on the edge of the Scoresbysund fjord, shared facilities. Expect basic but warm: bunk-style sleeping, the most delicious dehy meals 😉, generator power for a few hours daily. No phone signal — this is (part of) the point.
Nerlerit Inaat — the infamous Hilton
One night at the station in Nerlerit Inaat before the return flight, in the infamous Hilton Hotel. A nice dinner in the airport canteen and warm showers will surely hit different after a week in the wild.
Reykjavík — return
Back in civilisation. Allow a buffer night built in for weather delays on the connector flight. If all goes smoothly, this becomes a free evening in Reykjavík.