Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
UK AND IRELAND
Youth Hostels Association ( YHA)
UK
W
yha.org.uk.
Scottish Youth Hostels Association
UK
W
syha.org.uk.
Irish Youth Hostel Association
Ireland
W
anoige.ie.
Hostelling International Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
W
hini.org.uk.
dome or tunnel design, with a space between the
flysheet and the tent entrance where you can cook
and store your backpack and boots out of the
weather, is ideal. Whatever the conditions are when
you set up, always use guy ropes, the maximum
number of pegs and a flysheet, as the weather can
change rapidly; in some places, especially in the
Interior, it's also advisable to weight the pegs down
with rocks.
Also invest in a decent
sleeping bag
- even in
summer, you might have to cope with sub-zero
conditions - and a
sleeping mat
for insulation as
well as comfort. A waterproof sheet to put under-
neath your tent is also a good idea. Unless you find
supplies of driftwood you'll need a
fuel stove
too,
as Iceland's few trees are all protected. Butane gas
canisters are sold in Reykjavík and many fuel
stations around the country, but you're possibly
better off with a pressure stove capable of taking a
variety of fuels such as unleaded petrol (
býlaust
) or
kerosene (
steinolía
). White gas/Coleman Fuel, a
naptha-based product recommended by several
pressure stove manufacturers, is erratically stocked;
note that this is not the widely available thinner
white spirit/shellite.
As for
food
, never buy purpose-made freeze-
dried stuff from Reykajvík's specialist camping
stores - most brands are expensive and barely
palatable even when you're too exhausted to care
after a hard day's hike. Normal boil/microwave-in-
the-bag meals from the nearest supermarket are far
cheaper and can't taste any worse.
AUSTRALIA, NEW ZEALAND AND SOUTH
AFRICA
Australia Youth Hostels Association
Australia
W
yha.com.au.
Youth Hostelling Association New Zealand
New Zealand
W
yha.co.nz.
Camping
Camping
is a great way to experience Iceland,
especially during the light summer nights, when
it's bright enough in your tent at midnight to feel
like it's time to get up. You'll also minimize
expenditure, whether you make use of the
country's 150 or so campsites or set up for free in
the nearest field.
O
cial campsites
are only
open
between June
and some point in September - though you're
welcome to use them out of season if you can live
without their facilities (just shower at the nearest
pool). They vary from no-frills affairs with level
ground, a toilet and cold running water to those
sporting windbreaks, hot showers (always
350-500kr extra), laundry and sheltered kitchen
areas. Electricity for motorhomes costs 500kr a
night. On-site shops or cafés are unusual, so stock
up in advance. Campsites in the Interior are very
barely furnished, usually with just a pit toilet. While
a few campsites are free,
prices
are usually around
1000kr per person per day.
If you're doing extensive hiking or cycling there
will be times that you'll have to
camp in the wild
.
The main challenge here is to find a flat, rock-free
space to pitch a tent. Where feasible, always
seek
permission
for this at the nearest farmhouse
before setting up; farmers don't usually mind - and
often direct you to a good site - but may need to
keep you away from pregnant stock or the like.
Note, too, that in a few reserves such as Skaftafell
and Jökulsárgljúfur camping is only permitted at
designated areas. When camping wild, you can
bury anything biodegradable but should carry
other rubbish out with you.
Mountain huts
At popular hiking areas and throughout interior
Iceland you'll encounter
mountain huts
, which are
maintained by Iceland's hiking organizations (see
p.40). These can be lavish, multistorey lodges with
kitchen areas and dormitories overseen by wardens,
or very basic wooden bunkhouses that simply offer a
dry retreat from the weather, and
cost
3500-5500kr
accordingly. You'll always have to supply bedding
and food and should
book well in advance
through
the relevant organization, particularly at popular sites
such as Þórsmörk and Landmannalaugar. If you
haven't booked - or can't produce a
receipt
to prove
it - you may get in if there's room, but otherwise
you'll have to pitch a tent; wardens are very strict
about this, so if you don't have a tent to fall back on,
you might find yourself having to hike to the next
available hut late in the day.
Emergency huts
, painted bright orange to show
up against snow, are sometimes not so remote -
Camping equipment
Your
tent
is going to be severely tested, so needs to
be in a good state of repair and built to withstand
strong winds and heavy rain - a good-quality
