Camping in Iceland

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22camels
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Camping in Iceland

Post by 22camels »

Hi all,

I have 3 1/2 weeks in Iceland from mid-August to early September this year, during which I hope to cycle around some of the country, camping along the way (probably mostly wild but campsites too). I've done a fair bit of research but lots left to do. Following advice in this thread viewtopic.php?f=16&t=93537 I have decided to ensure in view of my planned route that I have a very solid bike (either upgrading my tricross to a new pair of wheels, or most likely getting a proper touring bike like a Thorn Sherpa or an LHT which I will need anyway for future trips). So that part of the equation is out of the way. The main remaining concern I have is about the camping and I was hoping some more experienced people on this forum or/and those who have been to Iceland could give me a bit of advice. Effectively I am still more or less a beginner with both cycle-touring and camping and don't really know what I am doing. With this trip I am looking for something more challenging, but don't want to bite off more than I can chew :).

Rough route: https://www.google.com/maps/d/edit?mid= ... aRnQAtwGyQ . 1400km. Not fixed in stone. Might be altered completely. If it takes too long to reach Akureyri through the interior F26 Sprengisandur route I will omit the eastern loop and go back west perhaps returning via the Kjolur route.

Tent: I have a Luxe Habitat 2 (http://www.backpackinglight.co.uk/shelt ... 102-3.html). This is a dome tent very similar to the MSR Hubba Hubba - I have no budget or inclination to invest in another tent, this will have to do, I will take pole repair sleeves, gaffa tape etc in case. It has been pretty good so far but I have no idea how it performs in strong winds. Actually, I have a little now as I took it on a day hike up a Brecon Beacons summit during some gale force winds recently and tried to put it up with the help of a friend, and failed miserably, basically it was impossible to get stakes in as the snow covered ground was either too soft or too hard, even if I had succeeded in staking it, I am not sure it would have stood up. I don't know if I will encounter any gusts that strong in Iceland, but I guess the important thing is to know when it is too risky to attempt erecting the tent, and to have a plan B for when the tent breaks. Now I will try to watch the weather forecast very closely and try to stay close to civilisation in bad weather but there are a couple of remote sections mainly the 240km unpaved section of the F26 where I may not have much of a choice.

I was thinking, is it possible, or at all wise to carry some kind of waterproof bivvy shelter to spend the night in, for those times when it is impossible to use the tent?

Tent pegs: my tent comes with 8 Y-shaped stakes which are slightly shorter versions of the MSR (mini?)groundhog stakes. Should I get hold of some more of the same? Some different type stakes? Any particular recommendations? Do I need a mallet, or a peg extractor?

Sleeping bag: I have a North Face Blue Kazoo down bag which is rated to -15C but it's an old second hand one so probably less, anyway I've got a liner as well, and am not really concerned about this as I have happily slept in temperatures just below zero in this and it won't get any colder than that as far as I can tell. I have a Thermarest Z-lite mat.

Stove: I have a Trangia alcohol stove. I'm planning to stock up with fuel 2-3 times along the way after leaving Reykjavik, is it fair to assume I will be able to find gas stations stocking meths at a few points along the ring road?

Filter: Never used one, do I need one or is most stream water ok to drink?

Phone signal: I intend to get an icelandic sim to put into my spare phone on arrival, and call the weather information line, but are there going to be big reception voids along some of my route where I won't be able to get a signal? Is it better to carry a radio?

Any other important points I should keep in mind or things I can do now to prepare? I will have full waterproofs, a 1:200 000 Ferdarkort atlas, hopefully some gps maps on a phone or two, a 112 iceland emergency services app, I know in the worst case I can take a bus even along the F26 I think though I may need to wait a day, or even a lift from a passing car. To be honest, I am pretty sure I will be totally fine for this trip after all lots of people tour there every summer, just I'm trying to veer on the side of caution.

Thanks in advance.

regards,
22camels

p.s. here some of the resources I've looked at so far: http://www.masterlyinactivity.com/ivan/iceland.html, http://www.fjallahjolaklubburinn.is/english, http://members.ziggo.nl/erens/icecycle.htm, http://www.cycletourer.co.uk/cycletouring/iceland.shtml I may not have absorbed the whole wealth of information there..
Vorpal
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Re: Camping in Iceland

Post by Vorpal »

Maybe you've had a look around the forum, but there are some resources and information on this thread viewtopic.php?f=16&t=89712

If you think you may not be able to use your tent at some point, you could take a Bivvy bag? That would give you an option if you found you were cold in your old sleeping bag, too.

Do you know about http://campingcard.is/ ??

About the alcohol, you can use rauðspritt. It is available lots of places, including outfitters, DIY shops, and hardware type shops. I'm not sure about petrol stations, but just ask someone when you arrive. There are also couple of alternative fuels available that might work, but I don't know what they are called.
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22camels
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Re: Camping in Iceland

Post by 22camels »

Thanks yes I've seen that thread and a few others.

I have not bivvy camped before so not sure how feasible it is. What sort of bivvy would I need, I have a cheap adventure medical kits emergency waterproof one, I am not sure if I need something better. I doubt very much I would get cold in my sleeping bag, unless I manage to get it wet.

Yes I may get the camping card, I wonder how many nights I need to spend at campsites for it to start paying for itself.
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RickH
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Re: Camping in Iceland

Post by RickH »

Vorpal wrote:There are also couple of alternative fuels available that might work, but I don't know what they are called.

According to this PDF on the Trangia website, which gives the names of fuels in many countries, "vinandi/spiri" is/are listed as well as "Raudspritt".

Rick.
Former member of the Cult of the Polystyrene Head Carbuncle.
Vorpal
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Re: Camping in Iceland

Post by Vorpal »

22camels wrote:Thanks yes I've seen that thread and a few others.

I have not bivvy camped before so not sure how feasible it is. What sort of bivvy would I need, I have a cheap adventure medical kits emergency waterproof one, I am not sure if I need something better. I doubt very much I would get cold in my sleeping bag, unless I manage to get it wet.

Yes I may get the camping card, I wonder how many nights I need to spend at campsites for it to start paying for itself.

I don't have a specific recommendation, as I haven't used a modern bivvy bag (I used a military surplus one some years ago), but

http://sectionhiker.com/a-beginners-gui ... ivy-sacks/
http://www.outdoorgearlab.com/Bivy-Sack-Reviews

might help.
“In some ways, it is easier to be a dissident, for then one is without responsibility.”
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andrew_s
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Re: Camping in Iceland

Post by andrew_s »

I probably would take a bivvy (these seem to be the popular fairly cheap model).
It would be useful not only as a fallback if you were having problems pitching the tent, but also as a sleeping bag cover for extra warmth if you get the wind whistling under the fairly generous gap below the outer and straight through the mesh inner (Iceland has the reputation of having wind).

Different type of tent pegs are best on different types of ground. Y pegs are probably best as an all-round peg, but V are better if the ground is fairly soft, and nails are better if the ground is hard and rocky. It's better to have a variety available, which also allow for a few spares. My tent (Akto) has 4 peg locations that are the most important, so I take 4 Y pegs, 4 widish V pegs, and 4 nail/skewer pegs, which gives 2 spares, and use the best suited pegs in the 4 important places.
Don't forget that it's not just poking a peg into the ground and hooking a guy round it - you can also do things like guy to the middle of a buried peg, or guy to an empty pannier with a heap of rocks on top of it.
I generally use a rock for bashing pegs in, and cord loops for pulling the pegs out. My pegs are chosen with this in mind.
22camels
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Re: Camping in Iceland

Post by 22camels »

Thanks, any idea what the Alpkit Hunka bivvy would do that this doesn't? I really doubt I'd need the extra warmth, it would only be as a fallback for when the tent can't be put up. Edit: though it might also be useful in preventing condensation getting the sleeping bag wet.
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andrew_s
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Re: Camping in Iceland

Post by andrew_s »

22camels wrote:Thanks, any idea what the Alpkit Hunka bivvy would do that this doesn't?

I'd very much doubt that the emergency bivvy would be breathable enough that your sleeping bag wouldn't be pretty damp by the morning.
I spent 3 or 4 years when I was an impecunious student camping about 40 nights a year using one of the big orange plastic survival bags, and if you were forced to actually get inside, the condensation would just about have soaked through a hollowfill bag by the morning. That's OK if you are only camping Saturday night and you've got a week to dry the sleeping bag off, but not so good for a tour.
22camels
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Re: Camping in Iceland

Post by 22camels »

Thanks, I will give it a try. It has some good reviews, though according to this one when it's cats and dogs you should keep your head outside to keep yourself and the bag from getting wet, I suppose (hope) with a hood/hat this should be ok for a few nights..
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martin.philpot.3
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Re: Camping in Iceland

Post by martin.philpot.3 »

Equipment wise you sound as though you have everything covered. I cycled Iceland in 2011 and enjoyed the whole experience.
If I have 2 or 3 nuggets of advice, and I am sure you've heard it before, here they are;

The wind can be VERY strong and there are no trees or cover. (I cycled Patagonia last year and the wind is comparable). The difference is in Iceland I found it very changeable so it's not defeatist to hunker down for a day or two and sit it out. Trying to beat it can erode your resolve.

Hostels are mostly full during August so book ahead if you want a guaranteed bed for a night.

The terrain is hostile but sooo dramatic and rewarding. Iceland is the land of extremes; Understandably expensive, potentially dangerous because of its remoteness. If you're self sufficient/reliant, mentally strong and adventurous then you've chosen the right country. Good luck!!
22camels
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Re: Camping in Iceland

Post by 22camels »

Thanks, glad to hear you think my preparation is ok. Really it boils down to this: if I was either staying in hostels or/and staying entirely on the ring road, I would have no concerns at all and would approach it as any other tour (I've done 3 week long trips so far). It's the fact I plan to camp, mostly wild (which I've done a bit of), and that part of my route goes through the interior (where you kind of have to wild camp), that I'm trying to prepare much more than I would usually.
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