What to Pack for the Arctic: The Complete Polar Packing List

Packing for an Arctic trip is fundamentally different to packing for a beach holiday or a city break. The difference between being correctly layered and incorrectly layered isn't minor discomfort — at -20°C and wind, it can become a safety issue. Get it right, and you'll stand outside for hours watching the northern lights in perfect comfort.

This guide covers the complete layer system, photography gear, and destination-specific additions for the main Arctic destinations.

The Layer System: How It Works

The Arctic doesn't care about individual items of clothing. It cares about your system — how the layers work together to trap heat, wick moisture, and block wind. Every item you pack should have a role.

Layer 1: Base Layer (Next to Skin)

The base layer's job is moisture management — moving sweat away from your skin. When you stop moving after a snowshoe hike, wet skin cools dramatically. The wrong base layer turns sweat into a cold-wet problem.

What to pack:

• Merino wool tops and bottoms — the gold standard. Merino regulates temperature, manages moisture, and doesn't smell after multiple days of wear. Icebreaker, Smartwool, and Ortovox make excellent options.
• Synthetic base layers — cheaper and fast-drying. Patagonia Capilene and similar are excellent for high-exertion activities.
• Avoid cotton entirely. Cotton absorbs moisture and dries slowly. "Cotton kills" is the saying — it sounds dramatic until you understand why.

Layer 2: Mid Layer (Insulation)

The mid layer traps warm air close to your body. This is your primary insulation.

What to pack:

• Fleece jacket — versatile, packable, dries fast. Patagonia R1 or R2 are classics. Essential for active days.
• Down or synthetic insulated jacket — for static activities (aurora watching, photography sessions), this is what keeps you warm when you're standing still for 2 hours. Down is warmer per gram but useless when wet; synthetic stays warm when damp.
• Fleece or merino mid-layer trousers — often overlooked. Standing still at -20°C, you'll want them.

Layer 3: Outer Shell (Wind and Waterproofing)

The shell protects everything inside from wind, snow, and moisture. This is NOT your warmth layer — your warmth comes from inside.

What to pack:

• Hardshell jacket — fully waterproof (not water-resistant), breathable (Gore-Tex or equivalent). This is the most important outer garment in the system.
• Hardshell or softshell trousers — waterproof trousers for snowmobile tours, skiing, or any wet snow activity.
• Many Arctic tour operators provide outer gear (suits, boots) as part of their packages — always ask before buying.

Hands

• Thin liner gloves (touchscreen-compatible) for everyday use and camera handling
• Midweight fleece gloves for moderate cold
• Heavy overmitts or ski gloves for serious cold and wind
• Budget: bring a liner + heavy glove; the 3-glove system gives you flexibility

Head and Neck

• Wool or fleece beanie — covers ears
• Balaclava — for extreme cold or windy snowmobile rides
• Buff/neck gaiter — one of the most useful things you'll pack
• Ski goggles — essential for snowmobile tours and blowing snow

Feet

• Warm wool socks (Smartwool or Darn Tough) — 3–4 pairs, mid-weight
• Winter boots to -30°C or colder — Sorel Caribou, Baffin, or Kamik are proven options. If you're under-booted, no amount of socks will save you.
• Many tour operators provide boots — check before buying expensive ones.

Photography Gear for the Aurora

Northern lights photography has a specific gear list that differs from regular travel photography.

Camera:

• A mirrorless or DSLR with manual mode and support for long exposures. Most modern mirrorless cameras work excellently — the Sony A7 series, Nikon Z series, Fujifilm X-T5.
• Full-frame sensors perform better in low light, but APS-C is fine for most people.

• A wide-angle lens (14–24mm equivalent) with an aperture of f/2.8 or wider. The wider the aperture, the better — the aurora is bright enough that f/2.8 at ISO 1600–3200 and 10–15 second exposures is typically ideal.

• Remote shutter release (or use the camera's self-timer to avoid camera shake)
• Extra batteries × 3 — cold destroys battery life faster than anything. Keep spares inside your jacket, close to your body.
• Microfibre cloths — for wiping condensation when moving between cold outside and warm inside
• Memory cards — bring more than you think you need
• Sturdy tripod — the single most important accessory. A flimsy tripod in wind is useless.
• Head torch with red light mode — so you can see your controls without destroying your night vision

Destination-Specific Additions

Iceland: Wind is Iceland's defining characteristic — more so than cold. Your shell needs to be windproof above all else. Bring a face cover for volcanic beach walks (the black sand blows). Microspikes or crampons for icy paths in winter (many rental shops in Reykjavik).

Northern Norway (Tromsø, Lyngen): Prepare for variable conditions. One day might be -5°C and snowy; the next -15°C and clear. The flexibility of the layer system matters more here than having one very heavy jacket.

Finnish Lapland (Inari, Levi): Finland can get genuinely, deeply cold — -25°C to -35°C is not unusual in January and February. This is where serious insulated mitts and a balaclava become non-negotiable. Inari temperatures require the full system even for short walks.

Abisko, Sweden: Often drier than the Norwegian coast (rain-shadow effect from the mountains) but similar temperatures. The Aurora Sky Station requires a gondola ride in the open air — dress as if for a cold ski day.

Packing Light: What to Leave Behind

• Heavy cotton jeans — useless and slow to dry
• Bulky non-compressible items — compress everything
• More than 2–3 "social" outfits — this trip isn't about fashion
• A full makeup kit — the cold will wreck it anyway and your hat will cover everything

The Short Version

If you only read one thing: invest in good base layers and a proper winter boot. Everything else can be improvised, rented, or borrowed. Cold feet and wet skin will ruin an otherwise perfect aurora night — and no one wants to be that person leaving the viewing spot early because they're miserable.

You're going to one of the most extraordinary environments on Earth. Dress for it.

See our guides to Tromsø, Finnish Lapland, and Iceland for destination-specific activity and accommodation recommendations.