Do Shit: Survive Icelandic Winter

The Grapevine’s ongoing guide to getting shit done

Winter is officially upon us. While the news is trying to gaslight us all into believing that November was unseasonably warm — either that or it was written by someone who spent the month in Tenerife — there’s no denying that the mercury has plummeted of late. And with freezing temperatures has come the usual winter challenges to overcome.

Being seasoned survivors of Icelandic winter, we’re here to give you some tips for getting through it relatively unscathed.

Be the penguin

That line was repeating in my head as I shuffled down Óðinsgata en route to the Grapevine offices in the first week of December, determined to conquer the expanse of sheer ice stretched out ahead of me. It was my mantra. My fight song. With “be the penguin” as my guiding light, no harm would befall me.

Then I wiped out on a patch of ice on Ingólfsstræti, bruising my knee. My ego took the brunt of it, though. But (and this is key) I didn’t fall until I stopped penguining.

So, when faced with an icy sidewalk or road — and it will happen, since Reykjavíkurborg is notoriously bad at mitigating the effects of winter on the city’s sidewalks and streets — you’re going to want to switch up your stride. Shift your centre of gravity over your feet. Keep your arms slightly extended from your body for balance. Think penguiny thoughts. When walking on ice, you’re not taking a heel-toe approach, you’re opting to land on the ball of your foot or shuffle. You can honk and bray like a penguin, too, guaranteeing that everyone around will give you wide berth.

An alternative to the penguin shuffle is to stretch a set of mannbroddar over your shoes or boots. These rubber webs embedded with metal studs turn your standard footwear into crampons on the fly. Do they actually work? That’s questionable, in my experience. Do they make you sound like Fred Astaire tippity-tapping down the sidewalk? Yes.

Get some good outerwear

Iceland is a windy place. That should be news to absolutely nobody. It’s also wet (also, not news). So that handsome wool overcoat isn’t going to cut it when the winter really starts wintering.

Get yourself a winter coat that is wind-proof and water-repellent. Finding one that has enforced seams is also wise, lest you may find yourself with weird wet splotches on your shoulders when removing your outer layers. Not a good look.

66 North claims to have been keeping Icelanders warm since God was a boy, but there are a lot of good options out there at varying price points. Check out the second-hand stores like Verzlanahöllin for a deal, or find something from an international designer on Boozt.

I personally recommend opting for length. Then the wind starts blowing and the sleet is whipping around, you don’t want to end up with frosty buns. Nobody wants frosty buns.

Soak up (and supplement) the limited daylight

Daylight is sparse in these winter months. By the time the winter solstice rolls around on December 21, Reykjavíkingur will experience just over four hours of daylight — from 11:22 to 15:29. “Daylight” in this case should come with an asterisk, because those peak hours still feel like golden hour, with long shadows being cast by the low-hanging sun.

With such a short window to get out and enjoy the sunlight, it’s easy to miss it. You’ll likely commute to school or work before the sun rises and head back home after it sets. Make a point of getting out for a midday stroll or just to stand in the sun to break up your day a little.

It’s also a good idea to supplement with vitamin D to keep your mood up when the light is low. Icelanders have started their day with a spoonful of cod liver oil since time immemorial and they’re the collective picture of health. Vitamin D is also available in pill, spray and fizzy tablet form, if straight up fish oil isn’t your thing.

Remember this will pass

If the cold, wind, wet and darkness really has you down, try to remember that this season will pass. After the solstice, we can expect five more minutes of daylight every day until hitting the summer solstice in late June. Of course, then the trend reverses and we’ll have to grapple with the annual descent into the frigid dark once again. The circle of life, amirite?

But, hey! Don’t think about that! Keep your eye on the prize. Winter is here but soon it will be gone and we can all go back to complaining about Iceland’s lacklustre summers.

Follow the Grapevine’s Do Shit series to collect tips and tricks for navigating life and bureaucracy in Iceland.