Iceland Recap: GO. GO NOW.

Iceland turned out to be too exciting to ignore even for a few moments. I had the best intentions, my friends, to post blog updates from the road and share my excitement/initial unrehearsed reactions to the play land of the Gods called Iceland.

I couldn't though. My heart stopped and my mind rushed free through the lava tubes, over glaciers, into ferociously carved waterfall-bedazzled canyons, over endless fields of purple flowers growing out of dust and stone. I gasped it all in desperately, so blessed to be small in the land of giants, to be alive and free to roam in nature's dangerous, boundless beauty.

What I am saying is, go now. Don't wait any longer than strictly necessary. Perhaps you've heard that Iceland is very expensive. While this is true, there are also many ways to minimize costs without missing out. We brought a tent and sleeping bags; a night's camping fee (x 2) was never more than $20-$30. We picked up Pulla (Icelandic hot dogs), rolls, fruit/veggies, and Kartoffelsalat (potato salad) at the grocery store and cooked it over a fire pit with scavenged charcoal and twigs. The wind was harsh on our thin, Southern blood, but I wouldn't have traded greater comfort for the powerful experience of living so close to the land in Iceland. 

What I'm saying is, you can afford it. Woolly moss can grow up to 50 cm thick, which is some pretty luxurious bedding...

Stay tuned for highlights of our trip, the complete itinerary, and many more photos--we took over 4,000 pictures during our great Icelandic festival and camping saga of 2016!! 

All photos in this post courtesy of DT Explorer, 2016. All rights reserved.

3 Underrated Items I Always Pack

Lucky girl, I leave tonight for 9 days in Iceland (or one really long one, depending on how you look at it). The plan is to attend Secret Solstice in Reykjavik, then camp across the countryside as far as we can before heading back to the airport.

Let's not think about that part yet.

In the midst of packing and repacking my backpack for the trip, I managed to get a sleeping bag, mattress pad, towel, toiletries, and 8 days worth of clothes--including specialty items like long underwear and swimwear--into a pack little larger than the ones that only carry books. Yeah, I roll. I roll tight.

But what I want to share in this post are a few lesser-known and under-appreciated items that I never leave home without:

1. Bar laundry soap (I use Fels Naptha, like my mom before me): Didn't pack enough underwear? Overestimated the temperature and had to wear all of your clothes every day? Seagulls shit on the shoulder of your coat while riding the ferry (this actually happened to me)? Never fear--as long as you bothered to pack a bar of soap to wash soiled items by hand in a sink or tub.

2. Solar charger: This handy gadget hangs off the back of my pack, soaking up the sun all day so that I can use it to recharge my phone or other items in case of emergency. Like needing a pastry and not knowing where to get one. Or getting hopelessly lost just as your phone dies. My solar charger has a USB input so that I can charge it completely via computer or outlet before I go, which I recommend because solar charging is slow and inefficient in these small, lightweight, affordable chargers. When fully-charged, mine will recharge my phone 3-4 times--a lifesaver for dinner plans after a long day of running down your battery taking pictures!

3. Small flashlight or head lamp (if you're not worried about looking like a creepy spelunker): A small flashlight or lamp on a headband takes up only slightly more space than a pack of gum. And again, you just never really know when it will become indispensable. Lost an important piece of jewelry behind the bunk bed in your darkened dorm? Decided you want to go inside that strange abandoned structure you came across in the park? Want to see cool stuff better? All of these situations may come up in the course of your travels, so plan accordingly.


What do you think? What underrated travel items are on your don't-leave-home-without list?