Josh and Steve as they are leaving customs.
Over the past eighteen months much planning has gone into my Iceland adventure. Gear lists have been made, various items purchased, cars reserved, hotels secured, reservations changed and paid for again. It really has been a long and detailed process. Well, twelve days ago (July 1, 2010) all the planning and preparation finally paid off as my friends (Steve, Josh and Paul) and I landed in the Land of Fire and Ice, thus beginning the trip of a lifetime.
Our first day “in country” was largely spent securing provisions; mainly things we couldn’t bring with us. Our eyes were quickly opened to just how expensive this trip was going to be when we hit the grocery store and left an hour later with a bill of over twenty thousand kroner (roughly a hundred and fifty bucks American) and about five days worth of food. We also picked up a cheap little cooler for two thousand kroner and a couple chairs for two thousand more.
The one item we had trouble finding was an affordable twenty liter (five gallon) gas can. We spent hours, yes HOURS, looking for one and were amazed at how expensive they were once we found one. The one we found was close to fifty dollars American. Come to find out, that wasn’t such a bad price considering we paid almost as much for two one and a half gallon containers.
After taking care of all our errands, I contacted my friend Klaus who lives here in Iceland and we made plans to meet outside the Hotel Floki between 21:30 and 22:00 that evening (that’s 9:30 PM and 10:00 PM for those of you who can’t tell 24 hour time.) Klaus was right on time and after a round of introductions we headed down to the Reykjavik Strip which was conveniently located a couple blocks down from the Floki.
On the way to our destination Klaus explained that driving the strip is what everyone does on a Friday and Saturday night. They cruise the strip looking for friends to go to bars with or to just stop and talk. We made one pass before finding a spot in a parking garage and from there we hoofed
Klaus listens in as Sebastian and Josh discuss routes.
it to the Danish bar a few blocks away.
Shortly after arriving at the bar we were joined by another friend, Sebastian. Sebastian is another avid off-roader so his arrival spurred much conversation about trails to take and the sights that we must see. Klaus and Sebastian had both been very helpful in the planning stages so the first few rounds were on me.
As the night progressed the beers flowed more and more freely, the bands grew louder and louder, conversation became more and more difficult and someone (ok, it was me) ordered a round (or three) of shots. How could I resist sampling an Icelandic distilled “schnapps” that the locals referred to as “the black death???”
The shots were pretty good and had a subtle hint of cumin on the finish. I must admit though that beyond that point things get a little fuzzy…
I vaguely remember another round or two of shots, one of which tasted just like cough syrup and I have a distinct memory of Spert kicking me squarely in the nuts not once, but twice and then hitting them again just for good measure. I just stood there with a dumbfounded look upon my face as I turned to Helgrid (the bartender) and stated “He just kicked me in the nuts!”
At some point we left the bar in search of sandwiches. I quickly lost interest in the search and found a nice set of steps that I thought looked lonely so upon them I sat doing my best to keep them company. Just then, a funny thing happened – I became the most popular tourist attraction in all of Reykjavik! People lined up to have their picture taken with me and all I really cared about was holding the steps down while my world kept spinning around me.
Eventually Paul and Josh managed to get me to leave my perch and got me back to the hotel. After a short six or seven hour nap I was ready to hit the trail and tackle the fabled F26, the Sprengisandur Road.
Finally, the Iceland Adventure is almost upon us! I can’t believe it my last Iceland update was back in March. Soooo much has happened since I posted last.
For starters, there has been a volcano erupting for the past three months. Its emissions have wreaked havoc on flights going to and leaving from western Europe. Airports in many nations were unable to get planes in the air for over a week due to the ash cloud spewing from the Eyjafjallajökull volcano. It has also caused some problems for those on the island as well and one of those affects us directly. One of the vents from which the volcano’s expressing itself just happens to be located directly under a glacier. The heat and lava flowing forth caused some serious melt-off and in turn the local streams turned into raging rivers. In an effort to save the bridges in their path, the Icelandic government decided to cut three large sections out of the southeastern portion of the Ring Road, the main road that runs around the island’s perimeter. Our first week of the trip had us returning to Reykjavik along that stretch of the road. Looks like we will have to reroute once we get in country. Hopefully there will be options.
This is the actual Korando we will be renting.
Another change that has occurred is that we decided against going with the Suzuki Jimnies. Instead we went with a more built up Korean job called a SsangYong Korando (or something like that.) Should be interesting. The ones we have reserved are actual 4x4s with 31″ to 33″ tires and I am assuming that they have been lifted to some degree. Can’t wait to find out just how capable these things are.
For months now, cooking has been a concern of mine. I didn’t necessarily want to get there and buy a stove, and at the same time, I don’t want to haul a stove there only to find out that the European propane canisters won’t have the same fittings as the American made. Well, thanks to one of my FJ amigos (GSFJ aka Garrett) who reminded me about the grill Luke and I used on our Can-Alaska trip last summer I found our solution..
Ladies and Gentlemen, please allow me to introduce to you the Cobb Grill! 
This little grill, along with the four different cooking attachments I bought too, will create a complete cooking system that should suit our needs for the trip and will become a fixture in my normal camping / off roading gear as well. I can honestly say that I am looking forward to cooking many meals on my new Cobb.
Wondering what other equipment I am taking? That’s OK, I am too! lol
In all seriousness, I have been putting together a generic “gear” bag to take on the trip. In it I will have what I consider the essentials; tent, sleeping bag, yank strap, the Cobb.. This is basically what I will be taking…
Top Row: A Modular Sleep System (This is the same multiple layered sleeping bag system our military uses and is good to roughly 50 below zero), Battery operated lantern.
2nd Row: Self-inflating insulite mattress, MSR Groundhog tent stakes, yank strap.
3rd Row: DryDucks rain gear, Ultra-lite camp towel
Bottom Row: Spare blanket, Eureka Spitfire one man tent, 20 liter kitchen sink / bucket.
All of this stuff weighs in at 33 pounds. Add in 10 more pounds for my Cobb Grill and probably another 7 for the grill accessories and the bag *should* top out right at 50 pounds.
What else is there to tell…
Oh yeah… It looks as if Luke is back on the “Not Attending” list. No one has really heard from him since the last posting. It really is a shame. I think he is missing the trip of a life time.
Just two more weeks…
This past Sunday (3/21) the Iceland Crew got together at Oggi’s Pizza and Brewing Company for our first meeting. Steve’s brother Paul is confirmed and he will be with us for the first six days of the trip. In fact, he booked his tickets while we were having lunch.
During the meeting we discussed a variety of topics including camping equipment, items we need to take with us and what gear we should just purchase there. We put the three tour books (links posted below) and map I purchased to some use as we hashed out a tentative itinerary that covers what we will see while Paul is there, what to see after he leaves the group and proposed nights for camping as well as the nights we need to stay in hotels. We also agreed to nail down the truck rentals this week (more on that later) and Josh said he’d give Iceland’s tourist bureau a call and ask them a few questions.
Josh, Steve and I are all scheduled to arrive in Reykjavik early Friday morning and Paul just before noon the same day. Once Paul arrives we will head over to Geysir to pick up our trucks. Unfortunately, yesterday Steve and I booked the rentals and discovered that the Russian-made Lada Nivas that we were looking forward to renting were not available so we had to settle for the Suzuki Jimny (known in the States as the Suzuki Samurai.) When built up, the Jimny is a great 4×4 vehicle, but I must admit that I’m a little concerned about how well they will do as a stock vehicle. Will they have the necessary clearance? How well will they handle fording fjords? My biggest concern is their tires. I’m almost certain they will be street tires and not fit to wheel on. If that’s the case, we may need to purchase a couple sets of tires to use instead.
After getting the cars we plan to split into two groups and get whatever equipment and provisions we will still need. Food wise, I have a feeling we will be eating a lot of fish, lamb and cheese. I wouldn’t be opposed to doing some fishing while we are there and supplement our diet with fresh fish instead of the dried or pickled options we will need to buy. Hopefully Josh will remember to ask about fishing licenses and their cost when he talks to the tourist bureau.
Friday night will be spent in Reykjavik. I’m sure, despite our jet lag, we will be exploring the local hot spots. We may even try to hook up with my Iceland friend Klaus so he can show us around.
I’m assuming that we will plan on hitting the road early Saturday morning. From Reykjavik we will travel east until we reach Hella and from there we shoot off on the 26. The 26 is where we will start our trek to the north and east on the Sprengisandur Route (Iceland road F26). Ideally we will reach Nyidalur on where we will find a “hutte” and stay there the first night. The next day we can either stay on F26 or branch off to the far more challenging F910. If the Jimnies prove to be reliable off road, we will probably go with the latter option.
From that point on, the trip is somewhat up in the air. We know that the first day’s drive will be long, but fairly easy. Sunday should provide us with much more technical driving, numerous river crossings and only Thor knows what else may lay in store…
I seriously cannot wait to go on this trip and I know the others can’t either!
Oh, I almost forgot to mention. It is looking promising that Luke will be joining us on this adventure. He was a part of the original list, but dropped out due to health reasons. Now, he’s getting fighting the good fight and says he wants to do this! We are all excited about that news and really hope he continues on his path to wellness and is able to make the trip.
Well, here we are, 18 weeks (126 days) from the departure date for Iceland. Time is both flying by and crawling at the same time.
Since I last updated, I have received the tent I ordered and was able to test it and the insu-lite pad in similar temps as we should be experiencing when in the land of Fire and Ice. The tent worked beautifully. It set up easily and provided me with the necessary headroom to actually sit up when inside, something many tents in its class lacks. Hopefully I will get a chance to test it in some heavy winds as well so I will know what to expect. I have a feeling that Iceland will not always have the best of weather conditions.
I was also able to test my old mummy bag and the new insu-lite pad. The pad provided relative comfort when sleeping on the ground and the bag kept me fairly warm in through the sub thirty-nine degree night. I will note that my feet never warmed up. I will have to test it again while sleeping with socks on before the big trip. I am a bit worried that if the summertime temps fall below the thirty-nine degree mark that I will be slightly uncomfortable during the few hours of sleep we will be getting during the short Icelandic nights.I will likely look into getting a new bag before the trip. I have my eye on a piece of military equipment that is rated (and thoroughly tested) at -30 degrees. Overkill? Probably, but at least I’ll be nice and toasty.
After my previous Iceland update, my good friend Jayson Olson of Cocktail Confessions posted a comment where he suggested purchasing a small “FLIP” style video camera for the trip. The two he mentioned were the Sony Bloggie and the Kodak PlaySport. Both offer HD video options. The Sony is readily available on the market and has been out long enough to get some decent reviews. Unfortunately the Kodak doesn’t release until April, but thanks to the PMA trade show last weekend, I was able to get one in my grubby little hands and play with it while I was at the show. I really liked the Kodak and the fact that it’s waterproof up to ten feet gave it a leg up on it’s competitor. Needless to say, I came home that night and pre-ordered one. I can’t wait to use it and see if I can figure out how to upload video to my site so that I can share my trip with you.
We still haven’t added another new member to the crew, but Steve still assures us that his brother will be joining us on the trip. If it’s only the three of us, I’m not sure what we will do. I’m guessing that we will have to rent a second vehicle and split the total rental cost three ways. Having a second truck really does add a lot of safety and security to the equation. If we don’t have two, I will be pushing to get the Land Rover Monster that Geysir offers. I’ll probably be out voted though. That thing is damned expensive to rent for two weeks!
All I have left to do is continue saving money and possibly getting another sleeping bag. Beyond that, I have most all the camera gear I plan to take and the video gear just needs to arrive. I will probably pick up a few spare batteries for the Kodak camera as well. I have a feeling that electricity will be scarce while we are wheeling in the tundra and Highlands…
Well it has been a little over a month since my last update and I’m happy to say that the trip is starting to come together. Current count has us at 20 weeks until the trip, 141 days to be more precise. The time just can’t move fast enough!
Not too much has happened over the past month, but a few things worth mentioning have. Spert and I have had a few talks about the trip, covering a variety of topics. Necessary equipment, truck rentals, books, maps and GPS routes to name a few. The rentals will be through Geysir Rentals. Their rates seem high, but after checking around they are right in line with their competitors. We decided to go with a Russian made SUV called a Lada Niva (Lada for short.) The Land Rover Defender “Monster” we had originally planned on renting was just too much money. The Russian Lada is much more affordable and, from what I’ve read, is a very capable off road vehicle. Hopefully the reviews are correct.
We also confirmed our third traveler, which was very exciting. Yesterday Josh called as he was researching flights. He booked his tickets shortly after we hung up. It is very exciting to see things starting to take form. We still don’t know who else will be going, but Steve says his brother is still in. I doubt the same can be said about the others mentioned in the prior post.
With some help from Klaus Jensen, a friend (who lives in Iceland) I made via Facebook, I was able to get an idea of how much some basic camping gear would cost once we arrived. With decent sleeping bags starting at $180 American, we decided to pack as much as possible and just pay the airlines. It will be cheaper in the long run. I actually found Klaus while I was searching for pictures of the Icelandic Highlands. Back in May of last year, Klaus was invited by some of his friends to ride along and photograph one of their 4×4 outings. His photos and blog about their trip made for a good read. I look forward to meeting him in person once we arrive. I definitely owe him a meal and a couple beers!
The decision to take camping equipment with us made me inventory and assess the gear I own. Keep in mind, when I camp, it is usually done at the end of a fun day of four wheeling. I drive to where we make camp and I drive everything back out when we leave. Little consideration is given to weight and size. I pack what I need and off I go. Now, all of a sudden, I am having to think more like a backpacker and less like an off-roader. Needless to say, my assessment brought me to the realization that I will be making some purchases before the trip. The old four man tent is looking a little big and the new eight (yes, I said eight) man tent Shea and I recently purchased just isn’t gonna cut it. It’s way too big and heavy. Instead, I will need a much smaller tent of the one-man variety. After loads of research and many reviews read, I decided to go with the Eureka! Spitfire-1. It was considerably cheaper than many of the tents in its class and was a bit roomier as well. Couple that with the great reviews and it was a no-brainer.
My good cold weather sleeping bag is also too big to take along. Luckily I still have my old mummy bag from back when I actually was a backpacker. I didn’t know if I would be able to fit in it so tonight I dug her out and tried her on. Fortunately, after losing just shy of a hundred pounds, I was able to get her zipped up with some room to spare.
One more item I deemed necessary was a good, inflatable, insulated pad that was also compact and light weight. Tonight I found what I was looking for at the local Sport Chalet when I discovered the Pacific Outdoor Equipment Ether Thermo 6. It’s about half the price of its main competitor, twice as thick when inflated, and it packs down to about a third of the size.
Now that I’ve put together the basic gear, I will need to try it all out and this weekend’s trip out to the Mojave will provide me with the perfect opportunity. The winter temps in the local deserts are very similar to those of Iceland in the summer; mid to low forties at night, upper sixties in the day. If ‘m not too lazy, I’ll do a write-up of that adventure when I return.
I just noticed the time. The good news is that it is now tomorrow which means there’s only 140 more days until the trip.. The bad news is that it’s now tomorrow and there’s STILL 140 days left…
Title: Iceland Adventure
Location: Various Points, Iceland
Description: A 4×4 adventure around the volcanic island of Iceland.
Start Date: 2010-07-01
End Date: 2010-07-13
PRELUDE
About six months ago, my friend and 4×4 buddy Steve Garcia (aka Spert, Spertierra) asked if I’d like to join him on a trip to Iceland. Having seen and heard of some of his other adventures, I immediately answered with an enthusiastic “HELL YEAH!”
From there we started discussing some general plans.. Who else we would want to join us, what we want to do while we are there, what vehicle rentals will be available. Things of that nature. We decided that we would like to have between six and eight others join us on our adventure which would give us three or four trucks in our 4×4 group. The Icelandic terrain is rough and very desolate. Having more than one vehicle is not a want, it is a necessity and possibly a matter of life and death. When off roading, the old axiom “there’s safety in numbers” definitely rings true.
Our general plan is pretty simple. We will off road and camp two or three days then find a hotel so we can all sleep in a comfortable bed and shower. While in town we can see some touristy sights as well as seek out where the locals like to hang out and get a feel for how people live. After a day or two of comfort, it will be back to the trail we go for a few more days of camping and wheeling. Rinse and repeat.
Next on the list was talking to the few people we want to join us. Spert had a couple people in mind that I’ve never met, including his brother and a guy living in Louisiana. We also wanted to invite a few mutual friends; Joshua (aka Josh, Jeshua or Jesh), Rick (aka Rico or Rico Verde), Luke (aka Radrod – see also the Radrod and Kokopeli Canadian Adventure) and Piper (aka Piper.) Josh was immediately interested as was Rico. Piper, not so much, but when his wife Trish heard us talking about it, she wanted in. Luke wasn’t able to commit, but if he’s up to the trip, I’m sure he will make it. Since then, Rico had to back out and since we haven’t heard anything from Trish, I’m assuming she has as well. Josh is still planning on going (he’s 95% sure he will be able to afford it) and Luke is as he was. I’m not too sure about Steve’s friends, but I think his brother will likely go.
Skip ahead to late October. Some unforeseen family issues pop up and try to keep me from the trip. In all fairness to Steve and the others, I let them know that I may have to back out. Josh is still not 100% either and there’s has been no word from Rico so sometime in mid November Spert sends out a text announcing that he purchased his tickets for the trip and filled us in on his itinerary. Boy did that light a fire under my ass! It was time to shit or get off the pot. A few weeks later, Steve and I was talking on the phone and I made a commitment to not only go on the trip, I would have my ticket purchased by the end of December. On December 18th, I made good on my promise and booked my flights to and from the Land of Fire and Ice. The first obstacle has been skirted!
The next thing I need to focus on is saving between three and four grand which is roughly what we think the trip will cost. Truck rental will run us at least $1000 per person and we will have to purchase most of our camping gear when we get there. With airlines adding new luggage restrictions daily, as well as most now charging for even one checked bag, we won’t have enough room for two weeks worth of clothing let alone camping equipment. I may look into some compact and light-weight gear options from REI, but I still think our best bet is to just buy the needed equipment once we arrive.
That’s all I’ve got for now. As the trip draws closer and things start coming together I will undoubtedly be updating this blog. And of course, once we are actually in country, I will be updating when I can and I can guarantee there will be some incredible and stunning photography to go along with it!
