Ben

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Original post at The Trek - Gear Changes I'm Making for The Iceland Traverse - The Trek

Introduction

After hiking the GDT in 2025 we learnt a lot about gear and what works for us. We had our gear pretty dialled in for the budget we had but some things we decided to change and upgrade for this hike (The Iceland Traverse). Also, with conditions a little on the windy and wet side in Iceland, some gear choices have been made with that in mind. Our pack weights won't be at our lightest but hopefully should be suited to the hike and some of the extra gear we need for the harsh condition. We will keep making upgrades as our hikes go on!

Tent

If you've read my first post you'll know that we have changed our tent from a Durston X-mid 2 to the Fjallraven Abisko lite 2. Quite simply, a 4 season tent will, hopefully, shrug off the strong winds in Iceland. Check out my first post (Am I Packing My Fears?) to see why I made this decision. Lord knows I wouldn't carry a 2kg tent just for fun!

Fjallraven Abisko Lite 2 - https://amzn.to/408EwFA

Down Jacket

The down jacket I used in Canada was both on the budget and the heavy side. It was a Vinted (second hand) purchase of a Mountain Equipment Lightline Jacket. 740g of warmth and reliability. It was super warm and tough and I had no complaints when sat at camp on a cold evening. But, it just took up so much space in my pack and was far too heavy for thru hiking in summer temperatures. I've made the change to a RAB mythic g. 1000fp goose down, 277g. Its lightened my pack considerably and I have so far been very impressed by it. My only worry is the higher fill power down may not survive that well in the wetter climate of Iceland. I do tend to keep it packed within a liner and wear it under my waterproof. Only time will tell whether this will be an issue.

Shoes

For the GDT, I switched to trail runners and I am never going back. I know this is something most thru hikers have already discovered, but they're very few and far between in the UK. I hiked in the Altra Lone Peak 9+. I liked them but was not overly impressed with the durability. Equally I found after just a couple of hundred miles the support had almost completely disappeared. Of course a great shoe, but not for me. I've switched to the Topo Athletic Traverse. I also use these in my day job so have got to use them quite extensively. They seem far more robust, offer better support and also seem to dry out faster. So far so good. Lets see how they hold up on the traverse. Also, I will be pairing these with gaiters to try and keep some of the sand out, not sure how well it will work, but its the thought that counts!

Topo Athletic Traverse - https://amzn.to/4crxcMH

Trekking Poles

Now, I've made a very minor and somewhat insignificant change. I've stuck with Black Diamond and aluminium trekking poles. I trust them and I like them! Nothing wrong with that. The only switch I have made, as my budget has slightly increased (I got a real job), is to slightly nicer, lighter, cork handled ones. Growing up, I spent much of my time fishing and I always remember being told to use corked handled fishing rods to keep my hands warmer. Especially in the wet. Hopefully that theory is right as there will be cold wet wind, which could be hard on the hands, in Iceland. They also look cool...

Black Diamond Trail Cork Trekking Poles - https://amzn.to/4070VTL

Pack (Kind of...)

I'm not sure if I've changed my pack yet. A backwards way of saying I'm undecided. There is still a key factor we haven't quite worked out yet. Our resupplies. Our second resupply is still a bit up in the air as the bus company may not be running routes to the cabin. So our second food carry could be 6 or 11 days. Needless to say I'm praying for 6!

Anyway, I used the Durston Kakwa 55l on the GDT and loved it. I still do and will not be letting it go. So much so I'm getting the 40l version that I'll be using if we get that 6 day resupply. I found the 55l to be a little on the large side for me on the GDT but excellent for longer food and water carries. I will be picking up the 40l regardless of what happens with our Iceland resupply as it will probably become my main pack of choice for summer and shoulder season hikes.

Sun Hoodie

The sun hoodie I've been "rocking" for some time now is the Black Diamond Alpenglow. Its done me very well all over the UK and I used it on the GDT in 2025. The one slight issue, that I really didn't realise was an issue until recently, was its lack of breathability. Miranda uses the Fjallraven Abisko sun hoodie and after realising how much better that dealt with moisture from sweat when hiking, I just had to give it a try. I found the Fjallraven to be more breathable, faster drying and a better fit for my body shape. Also, with more features, thumb holes and an all round better fit, what's not to love. I will be giving it its first big outing in Iceland, not that I'm expecting much sun, so we shall soon see if the switch was the right decision!

Fjallraven Abisko Sunhoodie - https://amzn.to/4kCuiXB

Water Bottles

The water bottles were a fairly straightforward change. Like most people, we used to use Smart water bottles. Perfect size and shape for the side pockets of our packs as well as being cheap and lightweight. Also, our Sawyer Squeeze would fit on them... more about that later. We do however HATE unnecessary waste so wanted to switch to something reusable but similar. Something more sustainable. We simply switched to the Cnoc Thru bottle. One litre, same thread size, and very similar dimensions. Much the same just more durable and reusable. I can grantee these will stay in out pack from now on.

Water Filter

We have been using the Sawyer Squeeze filters for some time now, including on the GDT. Again, its done us very well. We've had no water filtering issues as such but more minor use issues. On longer trails, i.e. the GDT, we found that with a smart water bottle attached the seals frequently went and often it didn't quite seal up properly. Also, we found with glacial rivers laden with silt, they quickly blocked up requiring backwashing so we had to carry a syringe and frequently backwash it. In particularly poor water areas, even backwashing was barely enough. The flow slowed significantly by week 3. However, our friends we hiked with used the Katadyn Be Free and found very little flow issues. Also, it looked so much easier to clean the filter. Just a rinse. I know there are some minor issues with the silicon bottle getting holes but we will see how it performs in Iceland.

Katadyn BeFree - https://amzn.to/4aO9clG

Conclusion

We have both made a few minor tweaks to our gear for Iceland. These are real minor changes that are nothing but fine tuning our gear to what works for us. Just because we have changed from something, it doesn't mean it isn't a great bit of kit. Some changes were purely personal preference, some to suit Iceland's conditions. There is a possibility that we may even change back. I find myself being a bit of a perfectionist and could easily see myself constantly making gear changes and never being 100% happy. But these changes have been made not only off research but also personal experiences. If you have any questions on making decisions on gear do drop a comment below or message us on Instagram. I will be sure to say whether these changes were good after the hike and what we will or won't stick with!

Gear Changes I’m Making For The Iceland Traverse