How to choose a tent for hiking in Iceland?

Iceland is famous for its harsh weather - there are very strong winds and rains. Therefore, if you plan to live in a tent while traveling around Iceland, then it makes sense to choose a more durable model. The main requirements for such a tent:

• metal frame
• a large number of guy ropes
• high-quality, waterproof awning

Let's start with the tents that are NOT suitable for the tour of Iceland. This:

• cheap single-layer tents (i.e. without an awning)
• all kinds of “self-folding” and “automatic” tents
• tents with plastic poles

Products of this kind are most often sold in supermarkets or hunting stores. They may have a very tempting price tag, but extremely low durability. I have seen many such tents in Icelandic campsites, broken and torn by strong winds, although I have also seen many that have survived. This means that even with the flimsiest plastic tent you have some chance of getting through. But is it necessary to tempt fate?

If your tent breaks down in the middle of your trip, you will have to urgently buy something on the island. And the prices there are very high, so a new tent can become “golden”, despite the fact that there will be no question of any conscious choice.

It is much wiser to spend a few days at home, study the assortment of stores, interview friends, ask a couple of leading questions to the tour organizer (i.e., me) and still get a normal tent. Just send me links to the tent you like and I'll tell you if it's suitable.

In fact, there are no special secrets or super requirements there. Most tents from normal tourist shops will be suitable for Iceland. Just remember a couple of rules:

• metal arches are stronger than plastic ones
• the thicker the arch, the stronger it is
• the more intersection points the arches have, the more reliable the design
• hub structures are more vulnerable than classic separate intersecting arches
• you need to take all the available pegs and guy ropes, plus a couple of additional guys and ropes to make it easier to tie the tent to the boulders
• if the “inside” of your tent is 80% mesh, then it’s better to take a winter sleeping bag on your trip
• "snow skirt" will help protect from the wind, but will not be a 100% panacea
• watch how the instructor does it and learn from the experience

Kirill Yasko, December 27, 2019