What should I pack for Reykjavik?

The wind is the problem, not the cold. Reykjavik sits at 64°N latitude, and today's 10.2°C reading feels closer to 7°C once the North Atlantic gusts hit Laugavegur. Your layering system matters more than any single heavy coat. Start with merino wool base layers against the skin, where the lanolin keeps warmth even when damp. Add a fleece or wool mid-layer. Finish with a waterproof hardshell that seals at the cuffs and hood, because Reykjavik rain doesn't fall down. It moves sideways. A puffy down jacket looks warm on the street but soaks through in 20 minutes without a shell over it. Bring waterproof pants too. You'll feel ridiculous pulling them on outside Hallgrímskirkja until you watch three tourists in jeans sprint for cover during a 5-minute squall.

Sturdy waterproof shoes are the single most important item after your shell. The sidewalks along Bankastræti have uneven basalt pavers that punish thin soles, and any day trip to Þingvellir or the Reykjanes Peninsula puts you on raw lava rock. Ankle support helps. Fashion sneakers will be wet and cold within an hour. Pack a swimsuit, and not as an afterthought. Geothermal pools are the social infrastructure here, the way pubs function in London or cafés in Paris. Sundhöllin in the Hlíðar neighborhood, opened in 1937, costs about 1,100 ISK (roughly 9 USD) and has a hot pot at 42°C where the sulfur-tinged steam mixes with the smell of wet concrete and rain. You shower nude before entering. That's the rule at every pool in Iceland. A quick-dry travel towel saves the 500 ISK rental fee.

Iceland runs on 230V with Type C and Type F outlets. Your US or UK plug adapter is the one item that strands you if forgotten, because hotel front desks in Reykjavik rarely stock them. A portable charger earns its weight in winter, when you might stand on the Seltjarnarnes peninsula for 2 hours waiting for the northern lights with your phone camera running. In summer, the problem reverses. June and July bring near-continuous daylight, and a sleep mask is the difference between 8 hours of rest and lying awake at 2 AM in a bright room. Sunscreen matters even under overcast skies. The UV reflects off water along the Sculpture and Shore Walk path between Harpa concert hall and the Höfði house, where Reagan and Gorbachev met in 1986.

Skip packing wool sweaters. The Handknitting Association of Iceland on Skólavörðustígur sells genuine lopapeysa starting around 25,000 ISK (about 207 USD). Expensive, yes, but these are hand-knit from unspun Icelandic lopi yarn, and they weigh half of what a comparable synthetic fleece does. The Álafoss factory outlet in Mosfellsbær, 15 minutes east by Route 1, sells seconds and older patterns at lower prices. Skip the umbrella entirely. Wind gusts along the Reykjavik waterfront routinely hit 50-60 km/h, and umbrellas invert rather than shelter you. Buy toiletries at Bónus, the yellow-pig-logo discount chain on Laugavegur, where toothpaste runs about 400 ISK. Worth noting, Reykjavik tap water comes from the Heiðmörk reserve and tastes clean with a faint mineral edge. Bring a reusable bottle and fill it from any tap.