The Essential Packing list for Lapland

When we first decided to do a DIY trip to Finnish Lapland we were overwhelmed with trying to figure out what clothing to take. It can be extremely cold weather (you are in the arctic circle after all!) so it’s a good idea to be prepared for the weather conditions. I really think that if you aren’t warm enough it could ruin your experience. And we all know that children will not be happy if they’re cold!

So here I will simply and clearly list what we took. We each had plenty to keep us warm and only very occasionally did we feel cold – and that was only when we’d not layered up properly!

The most important thing to do is take layers. You need to be able to layer up, with the outer layer being waterproof, and strip down as necessary. For example, if you’re at Santa’s Village you need appropriate clothing for walking around but when you go for lunch you need to be able to take off enough so that you don’t get hot!

Adults

• Thermal long johns – ideally merino wool. (I actually wore two pairs of normal leggings instead but I did have thermals with me just in case).

• Jogging bottoms or jeans

• Salopettes (when you buy these make sure you try them on with all the layers underneath)

• Long-sleeved thermal base layer (Decathlon) Ideally merino wool.

• T-shirt

• Fleece

• Ski Jacket (both of ours are Dare2be)

• Thin socks (normal ones from home)

• Thick socks (we got merino wool ski socks)

• Thin gloves (we got ours from Decathlon)

• Thick ski gloves (we got ours from Decathlon)

• Snood/Neck Gaiter – this was a brilliant purchase and really helped with dealing with the extreme temperatures. They can be pulled up over your mouth and nose as well to keep you extra warm.

• Thick hat – we both wore hats we had at home (woollen ones) and they were a good option for the cold temperatures.

• Snow boots – check what temperature your boots are good until. Mine were good down to -25c which is probably about right for Lapland. One of the worst things is cold feet so investing in good boots is a must. We got both of ours from Decathlon.

Kids

• Thermal long johns (Decathlon)

• Fleece-lined leggings (Amazon)

• Salopettes – for these it is worth checking E-Bay, Vinted or any other selling site. There’s often a good selection as children tend to grow out of these from one winter season to another.

• Long-sleeved thermal top (Decathlon)

• T-shirt (as an extra layer if it’s very cold)

• Fleece (Decathlon) These were really good value from Decathlon and kept the girl’s middle layer really warm, it was one of the best things we purchased (and they’ve worn them loads at home too).

• Ski Jacket (or a very warm winter jacket – we got our youngest’s from Joules in the sale). Our oldest daughters was second-hand from Mountain Warehouse.

• Thin cotton socks (these were normal socks from home)

• Thick wool thermal socks

• Thin gloves

• Thick ski gloves – spending money on decent gloves is well worth it for the extra warmth. I advise you to take children to try them on before you buy as they can be quite tricky to guess the sizes. We got all of ours from Decathlon.

• Snood/Neck Gaiter – we all really appreciated our snoods, they stay on and can be pulled up over your nose in bad weather (or if it’s really cold.)

• A thick hat which covers ears (decathlon) Again these were a really good price and because they covered the girls ears they were nice and warm. The girls have been wearing them to school since we returned so a good investment.

• Snow boots (decathlon) Make sure these fit over the socks and also have a good grip.

Extras

• For the husky ride, the girls were supplied with arctic snowsuits to go over their regular clothing (as above). This looked like a lot of clothing to wear but they did appreciate it and didn’t complain about being cold. Adults can also wear snowsuits (at no extra cost) but we didn’t. I know people who did the husky ride in the snow and appreciated their ski goggles which ensured snow didn’t fly into their eyes.

• Lip Balm – especially if it’s sunny, your lips can get dry so it’s worth taking some.

• Hand warmers – we used these during the husky ride.

• Skull cap – this is an extra thin hat to go under your main hat, we used it occasionally.

• Small backpack – I took this out with us every day with extra gloves (if we weren’t wearing both pairs), snacks, and extra pairs of socks (in case they got wet).

• It is also worth thinking about taking some normal clothes – there were times when we were indoors at restaurants, or at the indoor Santa Park and it’s nice to be in clothes that you are happy in. We wore these under our warm clothing so it was easy to take off the different layers.

Summary

We only took 1 checked in suitcase and we still managed to take more than enough clothing for our 5-day trip. There is no such thing as too many clothes in those extremely cold climates so if you can take more, do take more. It was a maximum of -14c when we were there and it can get quite a bit colder. However, for our first time in cold temperatures like these, we managed to prepare really well and we feel really well equipped for if we ever go somewhere that cold again.

We estimate that we spent about £500 on clothing (which is a lot of money!) before our trip but we did need everything. Most of it we have used loads since and will do in the future. Anything we don’t need I will sell on Vinted to get some money back.

Thanks for reading our blog on The Essential Packing list for Lapland. We hope it has helped you pack for a wonderful trip to Lapland! If you’d like to read our Lapland Itinerary click here and for what it all costs, click here.