Clothes to Pack for Lapland: Arctic Winter Packing Guide

The one thing that is probably making you want to scream when it comes to your Lapland winter holiday?

Packing the clothes!

Because it will be super cold, right?

And winter clothes are so bulky and heavy!

How many things do you actually need? And will they keep you warm?

If these kinds of thoughts are keeping you up at night, fear not.

In this post, we’ll tell you not just what clothes to pack for Lapland, but also share all the extra tips that you need to know to survive an Arctic holiday.

This post may contain affiliate links. For more information, please read our Disclaimer.

Here’s a little bit about our journey, if you are new here! If you know us, feel free to skip this part.

After leaving our old life in Scotland in March 2022 (it rains too much there), we travelled full-time for almost 2 years. Sounds fancy, doesn’t it? Well, it was. If you think that carrying overpacked backpacks in 45°C heat around streets that aren’t even on Google Maps is fancy. And that’s just 1% of all the fun we had! 😆

During the 2 years we volunteered in Italy and Bulgaria (free travel while learning new skills, anyone?), explored other amazing European countries and backpacked Southeast Asia. Btw, even our secret wedding was more of an expedition than a wedding. 😅

And, of course, we researched and planned everything ourselves, because you gotta keep the budget low, right? If you are like us, you’ve come to the right place, because we want to share all the useful travel tips and info with you!

Excited? Good. Let’s get into it so you can go on your own epic adventures too!

What you need to know about packing for Lapland

This post about clothes to pack for Lapland?

It’s part of our Lapland packing series.

So if you want to see everything that we packed on our Lapland holiday, head this way.

But, if you’re an anxious traveller (or a type A planner), you might also want to check out these posts: (COMING SOON)

🔦Essentials to Pack for Lapland (Small Stuff, Big Difference)

💡Lapland Packing Hacks: Winter Travel Made Easier

They are full of extra tips that you’ll appreciate when packing for your own Lapland adventures.

Behind the scenes of our Lapland trip

Before we tell you what clothes to pack for Lapland, we want to share some behind the scenes info about our trip.

Otherwise you might be looking at our clothes packing list and wondering why on earth we were taking 36 pairs of underwear for 12 days. (Although, given the amount of 💩 that happens to us, it wouldn’t be weird if we packed that many, just in case!)

• This trip wasn’t just us. We travelled as 3 adults: the two of us + Mirka’s sister
• We spent 12 days travelling (11 for Mirka’s sister as she joined us a day later)
• We weren’t packing just for Lapland. We also visited Copenhagen and Helsinki. Oh, and we also got married while in Copenhagen, so we needed wedding outfits too!
• If you’re currently thinking: what the hell, did you just say you got married?? Yes, we did. In a totally secret ceremony no one, not even Mirka’s sister, our only guest, knew about. It was as unhinged as it sounds.
• Want to know more about our Lapland trip? Our Lapland on a Budget post is the mothership with all the info.
• Got a question about any of this? Cause it all sounds really wild and weird? Yep, we get that a lot. 😅Just drop us a DM on our Instagram. Or, if you wanna chat more, book a call with us and we can help you plan a similarly crazy holiday, if that’s what you want!

Clothes to pack for Lapland

Now that you know what kind of weirdos we are, let’s talk about what clothes you should pack for Lapland!

This is what you need to know about our clothing packing list:

• Curious about a specific item? We’ve linked most of them—so you can jump straight to the extra tips.
• In the brackets, we’ve included how many pieces of each we’ve taken. Remember, we travelled as 3 adults, for 12 days. The numbers are the total for all of us, so if it says x3, that means each of us had one item. If it says x6, each of us had two items, and so on.
• To be totally transparent with you here, we ended up wearing awesome rental snowsuits in Lapland. We also got good snowboots and mittens. All of it was included for FREE (!!) at our aurora hotel, so why not take advantage of it, right? It’s one of the best ways to save money on Lapland outfits!
  
  That being said, we planned our packing as if the rental gear didn’t exist, just in case. So the packing list below still covers everything you’d need to survive an Arctic winter.

Our Lapland packing list: clothes

• Base layer top (x6)
• Base layer bottom (x5)
• Bra (x4)
• Buff (x1)
• Gloves (x3)
• Hat (x5)
• Jacket (x3)
• Neck warmer (x2)
• PJs (x3)
• Scarf (x3)
• Shoes (x3)
• Sliders (x3)
• Socks thin (x12 x3 = 36 pairs [FML])*
• Socks wool (x8)
• Sweater (x5)
• Swimwear (x3)
• Top long sleeve (x6)
• Touch screen gloves (x2)
• Trousers mid layer (x3)
• Trousers city (x3)
• Underwear (x12 x3 = 36 pairs) 

*Mirka speaking: “I left this note for you here to keep it authentic. That is genuinely what I wrote into our Lapland packing list when I did the math and realised we need 36 freaking pairs of socks (plus the woolen ones). I didn’t know whether to laugh or cry.

If this doesn’t highlight the importance of packing light, I don’t know what does. (Where you can, obviously. Don’t take 5 pairs of socks for 12 days just for the sake of packing light. You want to be a pro traveller that saves money, not a stinky little gremlin.)”

Clothes to pack for Lapland: extra tips

In this section, we’re going to share extra info and tips on some of the clothes we packed for our Lapland trip.

That way you can better decide what goes on your own packing list!

Speaking of the best clothes to pack for Lapland, you might also want to also check out these two posts:

• What to Wear to See the Northern Lights: Essential Tips
• Buying Clothes for Lapland: 3 Ways to Save Money

Now, here’s extra info on clothes to pack for Lapland, because packing the wrong stuff can cost you the whole holiday—if you get ill and have to spend it inside your hotel!

Base layers

If you are not sure what we mean by base layers and whether you need them, make sure to read this post.

But yes, you do need them, so add them to your Lapland packing list. 

We pretty much lived in ours, so make sure you pick comfortable ones!

In fact, sleeping in base layers is one of our weird aurora catching tricks.

When shopping for base layers, you will see everyone shouting about merino wool. But is it really worth your money? We discussed that here.

Bra 

A little note here from Mirka:

“If you still wear (and travel with) the torture devices known as wired bras, what are you even doing? You’ve got to give non-wired bras a go—it’s one of the best swaps I made when we went full-time travelling.”

Buff

If you are a pretty warm person and not keen on thick scarves or neck warmers, consider adding a Buff to your Lapland packing list.

Daniel used a Buff during our Lapland trip instead of a traditional scarf and he was totally fine. Keep in mind though, that he is Scottish, which means he doesn’t feel the cold like normal people do. 😆

If you buy a good versatile Buff, instead of a winter-weather specific one, you’ll be able to use it on other trips too (or in your day-to-day life).

Shoes 

When shopping for shoes for Lapland, make sure they are:

• Warm
• Waterproof
• Big enough to fit two pairs of socks (more on this below)
• Have a good grip so you don’t end up falling on your butt every two steps (but also get travel insurance in case you do end up falling)

Here are the shoes from our Lapland packing list:

Daniel: waterproof hiking boots (this suited him because he is Scottish and doesn’t feel the cold like a normal human being, so don’t use him for a point of reference unless you are similarly weird wired 😆)

Mirka: snowboots from a store called Sportisimo

Mirka’s sister: snowboots from Decathlon

Two things you might find funny about our Lapland shoes:

• These were the only shoes we took on the trip, meaning we also got married wearing those boots (proof below)
• When we got to our northern lights resort in Lapland, our shoes were judged and dismissed—not kidding! You can read about that drama here 😅

Sliders 

We are firm believers in always travelling with sliders—how do people go on a trip and not take them?? Walking around your accommodation in socks is just… yucky. 😭

In fact, sliders are one of the 3 pairs of shoes we took full-time travelling—you can read all about that here, including tips on how to pick the right ones.

Oh, and if you think you’ll just take flip flops, sorry to burst your bubble, but that’s a bad idea. Find out why here.

Socks

2 tips for the socks on your Lapland packing list:

1. Remember the no cotton rule. This applies to socks too, in fact, it’s very important for socks, because wet, cold feet are a disaster. If you are struggling to find no-cotton socks, check out sports ones, they are often made from moisture-wicking synthetic materials.
2. Don’t overdo it with the woollen socks. You should have a few pairs, but you’ll be wearing these over your thin, normal socks, so you don’t have to change them every single day. Woollen socks are usually pretty bulky, so there is no way you could pack light if you took, for instance, 36 pairs of those too! 😬

Sweaters

We talked about the kind of sweaters you should pack in a few posts already, like this one on how to save money when buying clothes for Lapland, and this one on what to wear for aurora watching.

To be honest, this isn’t as much of a “should” as it is an inspo idea.

Because we borrowed Mirka’s parents’ vintage sweaters for our Lapland trip. And it was the best.

Why?

• They are good quality – bought back when clothes were made to last
• We saved money, helping us do this Lapland trip on a budget
• It was such a vibe, like being in the Last Christmas music video!

So we won’t tell you what you should do. But if you can, consider adding retro sweaters to your Lapland packing list.

Swimwear 

If you are planning on not just trying a Finish sauna, but also taking a dip in an ice pool (would recommend!), don’t forget to pack swimwear!

That is, unless you are hiring a private space and are very comfortable with the people you are travelling with. 😆

Touch screen gloves

Everyone will tell you that the perfect gloves that should be on your Lapland packing list are waterproof mittens.

Mittens, not finger gloves, because they are better at keeping your hands warm.

The thing is, waterproof mittens are usually pretty bulky and, well, not the best for doing anything other than maybe pulling a sled behind you.

So if you are planning on actually using your hands outside, for example for setting up your camera to capture the Northern Lights, consider getting thin finger gloves that you can comfortably wear under your big mittens.

Pro tip: get the thin gloves first and then buy the mittens. Don’t do it the other way around – trying to fit finger gloves under tight mittens is a bad bad idea.

Now, if you are planning on using your phone, or other touch screens, make sure the thin gloves are touchscreen ones. Oh, and make sure they actually work—so many touchscreen gloves don’t actually work on screens, which is kinda the whole point, right?

Finger gloves are a must, but don’t forget the big waterproof mittens too. They are great for digging igloos too! 😄

Trousers – city

An explanation is probably needed here, right?

Because why do you need mid-layer trousers as well as city trousers on your Lapland packing list?

And what on earth even are city trousers?

Do you feel like a total fashion numpty right now?

Apologies, that wasn’t our intention.

Here’s the deal with city trousers.

Should this be on your Lapland packing list?

Remember how we said at the start that this Lapland trip was actually also our secret wedding?

Well, the trip looked like this: Copenhagen (inc. our wild wedding!) – Helsinki – Lapland – Helsinki.

So we weren’t just hanging out in the Arctic wilderness.

We were also sightseeing – you might have guessed it – cities!

Lapland fashion style

The thing we loved about Lapland?

And it’s also something everyone seems to be asking about before their first visit.

What do you wear to restaurants in Lapland???

Or to a bar?

Or on a plane?

We’ll tell you.

Your winter gear!

This is Lapland. 

Everyone knows you need to stay warm.

Everyone is out and about doing winter activities.

Nobody is expecting you to come to a local restaurant in heels and a blazer.

We would rock up to our hotel’s restaurant (btw how amazing that we had breakfast and dinners included in the insanely low price? Still can’t get over it) wearing our snowsuits (also included for free!) or just our own winter jackets.

We’d hang these up in the cloakroom area and go eat wearing just our base layers.

Comfiest meals ever!

(Also, base layers are nicely stretchy, meaning if you stuff yourself at dinner, because it’s buffet-style and delicious, there won’t be any buttons popping off your trousers and causing you pain! It’s travel hacks like these that you can count on us for. 😆)

So while in Lapland you are okay wearing base layers, shell trousers or even your mid-layer sweatpants (or pj bottoms! We heard a lot of people choose to wear these as their mid-layer), if you are also planning on sightseeing Helsinki on your way to or from Lapland, make sure to pack some city-suitable trousers too.

Cause you might try rocking up to a nice restaurant in Helsinki wearing your sweatpants, but you might also not get in. Btw, if you do try, let us know how it goes. 😄

Underwear 

We talk about this in our packing light post, but having underwear that is great for travelling is such a hack.

What do we mean by that

Basically, underwear that is:

• Thin
• Light
• Comfortable
• Moisture-wicking
• Quick-drying

And in the case of a Lapland holiday, also cotton-free! 

What not to pack for Lapland

We already touched on this here, but just to highlight it again: don’t bother packing fancy clothes to Lapland.

We backpacked with nicer clothes and shoes. It was one of our biggest mistakes and packing regrets.

These days? We are a lot more chilled.

Heck, we even got married wearing snowboots!

So unless you know you will 100% need fancy clothes, just leave them at home.

And if you’re curious about the non-clothing items we left at home (even though they’re often suggested for Lapland), have a look here (COMING SOON).

Bonus tip: don’t forget this for Lapland

Good clothes are super important when it comes to winter Lapland holidays.

But do you know what else is?

Something that people often underestimate?

Good travel insurance!

Because you never know what might go wrong on your Lapland holiday (hopefully nothing, but it’s better to be prepared, right?).

We recommend True Traveller—they understand travellers, have unbelievable customer service and prices you will not believe are real.

Check them out for your Lapland holiday—just in case your winter boots do let you down and you slip and break a leg. (Grim? Maybe! But we like to keep it real on here for you!)

If you need help with your clothes packing

We know how overwhelming packing for Lapland can be, so we’re here to help:

• Got any questions? Shout us on our Instagram.
• Need more help deciding what clothes to pack for Lapland? Or anything else? Book a call with us!
• Want to see our full Lapland packing list? Head this way.
• Wondering what cosmetics and small must-pack things you might be forgetting for Lapland? Check out this packing list of essentials.
• Need more tips on how to actually pack all of these things, without your suitcase zips bursting? This will save you. (COMING SOON)

We hope this posts helped you figure out what clothes to pack for Lapland, so you don’t end up screaming at the wardrobe (Mirka’s specialty).

If you still feel like you can’t cope without a big bar of chocolate and bottle of wine, give us a shout, or even better, let’s get on a call and figure this out together!