As we are above the arctic circle at 68 degrees north as you can expect there can be a huge variation in the weather. We are very heavily influenced by the gulf stream and intern means milder winters and cooler summers.

You will want to be outside when you visit immersing yourself in the breathtaking scenery. I will start by covering my standard all season clothes setup -

All seasons:

Vital equipment:

These gear lists are aimed at people looking to hike in the mountains where you should be prepared with suitable equipment.

Puffy jacket - I opt for a down jacket that is lightweight and very packable so no excuses not to bring it.
Wind/waterproof jacket - Gore tex or similar is great choice
Warm underwear  – Long-sleeved T-shirt + long-johns  (ideally merino wool)
Hiking socks (warm)
Woollen hat
Gloves
Sunglasses
Hiking trousers
Woollen jumper
Quick-dry underwear (not cotton while hiking)
Walking shoes/Hiking boots (waterproof if possible)

T-shirt and shorts are great for hiking in the sunshine but be prepared for conditions to change quickly and the temps to drop.

The rest

Backpack suitable for hiking

Handheld GPS
Water bottle or thermos flask
Knife
Walking poles (even if you are not used to using them, the terrain here is perfect for Nordic walking)
Sunscreen
Bathing suit (you never know)
Quick-drying towel
Small first-aid kit
Mobile phone
Plus everything you usually take with you…

Winter equipment

Vital equipment

In addition to the all season equipment you should take:

• A pair of snowshoes (if you want to leave the road). You can rent these many places including us if you don’t want to buy or bring a pair with you.

• A warm insulated jacket

• A pair of under-gloves + a pair of warm gloves. A spare is always a good idea if they get wet.

• Woollen underwear, socks, and hat.

• A head lamp and charger/spare batteries.

• A pair of warm walking shoes suitable for your snow shoe fastenings.

• Neck gaiter or buff

** Big winter jacket. - This is my extra comfort and a nice luxury when here. I have a big down jacket that folds up very small but on those cold days it’s so nice to have. Another luxury is hand warmers. These can be air activated stick on pads or even battery powered. They can make all the difference on those icy days.

NB : Make the most of your rucksack to ensure you don’t overfill it. Remember you will find everything when you get here (in case you’ve forgotten anything) but that it’s more expensive than say in France. Lastly, do not underestimate the cold that may come in any season at this latitude. My personal experience is that wool (particularly merino) is the best material ever invented in terms of warmth and comfort.

Weather

It’s good to have a heads up on the forecast for your visit and like I said before conditions can change very fast so its good to be prepared. There are lots of good sources but these two I like the most:

Windy.com

A very useful website for all weather data including wind, snow etc. There are also web cameras on the islands so you can check out spots directly. There is also a phone app version available which works great.