Iceland Divide 2024: need advice on tent, sleeping mat and stove

[bonzo_bcn]

This has been a dream since 2016! Now that my son is old enough, we've decided to do it together in 2024.
We are new to bikepacking (or any camping activity) so we don't own any tent, mat or stove.

The idea is to do a few trips before Iceland to get some experience: we'll probably do a first short trip sleeping in a camping, then longer ones wild camping, all in the UK.

I've spent countless hours researching/learning about tents, mats and stoves (we will make our own quilts) but I still have some doubts:

We are both tall (1.85m or 6 ft) and I think we'd want a 25" mat, so I guess I have to look at 3 person tents? I was almost settled on the Helsport Ringstind but it's not wide enough.
Should I look at 25" mats and bigger tents or stick to 20" mats and smaller tents? I don't really care carrying extra weight if that means a better sleep.
I'd like a quality that doesn't fall apart if he have to face strong winds in Iceland.

For the sleeping pad I think we'll go for the BA Rapide SL as it seems the most comfortable, just need to decide on the width.

Lastly, in regards to the stove, if we're going to have just porridge and dehydrated food, would something like a Jetboil make the most sense?

Many thanks.

[rollindoughnut]

You've certainly come to the right place to ask. These guys helped me loads in the beginning.
What I have learned is that nothing can replace the knowledge gained by many nights out in remote places. I only have time for short trips but even single nighters teach you something each time. Purposefully going out into a gale and setting up a tent in the dark with numb hands and a sense of panic is very different to more benign conditions.
Definitely take advice on kit and buy good quality stuff. If you buy cheap rubbish you'll only end up replacing it. Then log a whole bunch of mini adventures before tackling Iceland. It'll make your ride so much more enjoyable.

[Bearbonesnorm]

Mats / tents - have you thought about using tapered mats and sleeping top to toe? That will often allow two mats to be placed side by side in a smaller tent?

Stoves - Jetboil is something of a one trick pony and is heavy / bulky for what it does. If you've decided to go the way of gas (and nothing wrong with that), then a smaller stove like the Alpkit Krakue(sp) or BRS plus a wider rather than taller pot will likely be lighter, pack smaller and be more adaptable.

Don't underestimate the effect extra weight can have. Peoples sometimes seemingly obsessive quest to reduce it isn't just willy-waving bravado but a hard lesson learnt through experience? It's always a balancing act but usually, the less weight you're drying to move about, the easier time you'll have.

[Lazarus]

Welcome.
1. All set ups are personal and none of us have the exact same set up so what works for you is what you meed to find. Some use a tarp , some a tent and some are John climber and take a chair . I have a Sierra design sweet suite 3 man and my advice here is have a tent with two entrances . Mine is only 1.6 kg and no idea if they still make it but fairly storm proof ( tent survives but can hit you( does not hurt) as it gets blown flat )
2.mat whatever width you need I found 50 cm width narrow but got used to it.personally a good nights sleep is worth a weight penalty. Nonexperience of those mats inuse a thermorest neo air exped are the other popular choice on here.
3.NO NO AND NO. It boils water fantastically quickly but you cannot cook with it and it's relatively heavy and large..my soto windmaster , titanium mug and 100g gas weighs less than the jetboil mug alone and you would likely still need a pot each to eat out of ( pouches can be used to save weight)
4.experience is the best thing. Get out there and see what suits you both and what i will tolerate for 2 days is not what i would tolerate for 14 days . The longer i go the more i take . For 14 days I would have an mp3 player, change of cycling clothes, proper waterproofs , probably a puffer type jacket and not a meths stove. Enjoy getting to know camping and your kit either list
5. Weight is never worth carrying as its harder to move you and 10 kg than you and 4 kg.everyone of us carried far too much first time and then got lighter. How far you go is your choice. Dont carry too much water ( rarely have more than 500 ml day time and i get an extra 500ml for near campimg time)either as its heavy but don't run out either as that is deeply unpleasant/ dangerous. Uk is very wet though no idea about Iceland. Most of us a water filter of some description ( less need if above farming heights but YMMV)

[boxelder]

At 6'4" I've never had problems with 3/4 length mats, but get an insulated one.
Think carefully about pedals and shoes/boots for Iceland.

[johnnystorm]

While I get the weight/bulk issue if the OP is only going to be rehydrating stuff then a jetboil that does the job of boiling very well with no faff isn't such a bad idea.

[whitestone]

We've been once and it's a brilliant place. The weather can be anything really but be prepared for wind!

Tent: a free standing one that you can put up outer first (or as one with inner and outer together), you need to be able to put it up in horizontal rain

Mat: most on here have settled on either one of the Exped Synmats or the Thermarest NeoAir series. As Stu notes tapered models let you sleep top to toe to make the best use of floor space. Worth noting that inflatable mats take up quite a bit of headroom in a tent so take that into consideration when choosing a tent.

Stove: as others have said, the Jetboil (and clones) is a one-trick pony. For convenience I'd go with gas, for bomb-proofness I'd go with an MSR multifuel stove like the Whisperlite.

Training trips: you don't say where you live but I'd look at doing autumn/winter trips in the North of England and Scotland to be closer to Icelandic conditions.

Gian (Alpinum) has done a lot in Iceland so he'll have a lot of tips and experience to add.

[Lazarus]

jetboil that does the job of boiling very well with no faff isn't such a bad idea.

Yes it would work but there are more adaptable, lighter / less bulky and cheaper solutions which will boil and cook.
Told you everything was personal and we all have different solutions to the same problem
Free standing tent is a great call ( but please note they can blow away when empty so always make sure one if you is in it or you have hold of it.( learnt that the hard way)

[benp1]

I had a Jetboil and now have the Primus version. I actually reckon it might be ok for this trip

It only boils water, but it sounds like that’s all you want. It is heavier than a meths or lightweight gas stove set up but it’s also far more windproof and if you’re stuck in a tent porch in windy conditions, it’s a lot easier. You can boil water while holding the canister or mug in your hand

I’ve not used mine bikepacking but have done for the off walking trip. Mine lives in the van because it’s so convenient and so damn quick, I find it’s a tad safer too as the stove and pot can’t separate.

[fatbikephil]

A friend of mine did a lot of bike touring around Iceland and her goto tent was a Terra Nova voyager. She has just bought her second one after about 25 yrs of use. Spendy but bomb proof and plenty of space for two. On one trip I went with her I used a vango nitro - no longer available but plenty similar things - straight two hoop tunnel tent. Fine if the wind is on its rear but not if it changes and hits it side on. The TN could take anything from any direction! Looking at the various vids going around of Iceland trips , wind is your biggest consideration when choosing a tent and I'd be thinking of forgoing TLS in favour of strength.

Thermorest neoair will be ideal.

As noted, make a big effort to get out in all weathers at all times of year between now and then to refine your kit. Normal gas stove and a good windshield would be my pref.

[Shewie]

Tent: a free standing one

^ This ^

Pegging can be tricky so a free standing design would be a wise choice, something with decent fly coverage to keep the windblown ash out too

[bonzo_bcn]

Mats / tents - have you thought about using tapered mats and sleeping top to toe? That will often allow two mats to be placed side by side in a smaller tent?

We actually tried it a bed that is 100cm wide , it didn't feel too good to be honest. We are both side sleepers so we kind of had to be in sync to have enough room.

[bonzo_bcn]

Think carefully about pedals and shoes/boots for Iceland.

We will ride our flat pedals (DMR Vault) and five ten shoes, one pair is the winter version. I will also bring water shoes for river crossings.

[bonzo_bcn]

We've been once and it's a brilliant place. The weather can be anything really but be prepared for wind!

Tent: a free standing one that you can put up outer first (or as one with inner and outer together), you need to be able to put it up in horizontal rain

Mat: most on here have settled on either one of the Exped Synmats or the Thermarest NeoAir series. As Stu notes tapered models let you sleep top to toe to make the best use of floor space. Worth noting that inflatable mats take up quite a bit of headroom in a tent so take that into consideration when choosing a tent.

Stove: as others have said, the Jetboil (and clones) is a one-trick pony. For convenience I'd go with gas, for bomb-proofness I'd go with an MSR multifuel stove like the Whisperlite.

Training trips: you don't say where you live but I'd look at doing autumn/winter trips in the North of England and Scotland to be closer to Icelandic conditions.

Gian (Alpinum) has done a lot in Iceland so he'll have a lot of tips and experience to add.

I've been there twice (not camping) and the second time the flight was cancelled as they couldn't open the hold due to strong winds.

We live in south west London, so I guess Wales is our best option for bad weather and quick trips. We'll definitely do a long one in Scotland.

[JohnClimber]

Iceland is a fantastic country but very fickle with its weather.
Expect, plan and train for riding into an all day head wind full of rain and hail.
And if you get a good weather window it will be a bonus

[dlovett]

Alpkit Kraku is a good bet as a light weight gas stove. Mine has been reliable over the years.

Gas should be easy to pick up when you get there.

I keep my stove, a few waterproof matches, small lighter, hot choco sachets and gas canister wrapped inside a couple of j-cloths, fitted inside a 500ml ti mug/pot. I have a windshield on the outside of the mug, all fits into the mug's mesh bag.

[whitestone]

I've been there twice (not camping) and the second time the flight was cancelled as they couldn't open the hold due to strong winds.

We live in south west London, so I guess Wales is our best option for bad weather and quick trips. We'll definitely do a long one in Scotland.

It's more having to set up camp where there's no option to hide behind a hedge to get shelter. Just anywhere exposed will do. We camped out at Landmannalaugar and the "field" was basically a flat area of rock and everyone just used football sized boulders as "pegs" One option for a tent might be to go to a three man version just to give you more room if you get delayed, doesn't add much extra weight - we've a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 and the 3-person adds about 350g to the weight (1270 up to 1630g)

Remember that you aren't just dealing with weight when bikepacking but bulk as well and that's really the limiter.

I'm assuming that it's this route https://bikepacking.com/routes/iceland-divide/ you are looking at? From the notes it doesn't appear that there are many (any?) resupply options on the route so, allowing for a bit of weather delay, you'll be heading off with nearly two weeks' worth of food, even using dried food that's going to be north of 10kg each. I'd definitely go with that article's recommendation of fat bikes, we had 3" tyres on ours and they were just enough for the lesser travelled trails, I think John Climber went with fat bikes on his trip.

[bonzo_bcn]

I've been there twice (not camping) and the second time the flight was cancelled as they couldn't open the hold due to strong winds.

We live in south west London, so I guess Wales is our best option for bad weather and quick trips. We'll definitely do a long one in Scotland.

It's more having to set up camp where there's no option to hide behind a hedge to get shelter. Just anywhere exposed will do. We camped out at Landmannalaugar and the "field" was basically a flat area of rock and everyone just used football sized boulders as "pegs" One option for a tent might be to go to a three man version just to give you more room if you get delayed, doesn't add much extra weight - we've a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL2 and the 3-person adds about 350g to the weight (1270 up to 1630g)

Remember that you aren't just dealing with weight when bikepacking but bulk as well and that's really the limiter.

I'm assuming that it's this route https://bikepacking.com/routes/iceland-divide/ you are looking at? From the notes it doesn't appear that there are many (any?) resupply options on the route so, allowing for a bit of weather delay, you'll be heading off with nearly two weeks' worth of food, even using dried food that's going to be north of 10kg each. I'd definitely go with that article's recommendation of fat bikes, we had 3" tyres on ours and they were just enough for the lesser travelled trails, I think John Climber went with fat bikes on his trip.

Yes that's the route, no resupply options, so yes, we'll have to carry food for around 11-12 days.

I'd love a fat bike, but this is going to be expensive enough and I don't want to add the cost of 2 bikes, we will ride 2.8" tyres.

On the first trip I'll use panniers as I already have Vaude Aqua that I use for commuting, if that works, we'll have both bikes with panniers plus framebag if we need extra storage.

I had the Copper Spur as an option, but then a guy who cycled in Iceland for 3 months, who had both the Copper Spur and the Ringstind, recommended the Ringstind hands down,

[rollindoughnut]

I've got a copper spur. Love it but there's no way I'd be taking it to Iceland.
South Downs are great for exposure. Any decent storm on a convenient night, ride down there after work. You'll arrive knackered around 10pm +. Perfect experience

[bonzo_bcn]

I've got a copper spur. Love it but there's no way I'd be taking it to Iceland.
South Downs are great for exposure. Any decent storm on a convenient night, ride down there after work. You'll arrive knackered around 10pm +. Perfect experience

Did that route with my son a few years back, we had lovely weather though!
That's a good option as it's quite close.

[Specialist Hoprocker]

Hi, I'm based in Farnham so not far from you. I've got a couple of adventures planned around the south east which is closer than Wales/Scotland! Drop me a msg if you want to come along to test out any kit.

[Alpinum]

The Icelandic Highlands, through a part of which the "Iceland Divide" goes are currently with temperatures around freezing (eg. Askja and Nyidalur).
Make sure to be dressed/have kit to keep you warm at single digit freezing temperatures. Not just warm enough sleeping bag, but of course also warm enough riding clothes.

I'm 182 cm and have always used Mid tents on all 6 Highland traverses, but are on the rather short side.
Lightway and Locus Gear make strong mids in extra sizes. Make sure to bring a mix of pegs. You'll want some pins for hard grounds and some eg full sized MSR Groundhogs and eg some strong V pegs.
Perhaps check hiking forums too for advice on long tents.
For a good balance of weight, size and comfort check out Exped 3 series.
https://www.exped.com/en/products/sleep ... 0445454506
Warm enough even if you plan on riding the route in March.
If it's the two of us during the warmer months, we use a lightweight remote gas stove (125 g) a 1.3 L ti pot (again about 120 g) and tight fitting aluminium foil (the sturdy one, eg to cover the oven). I'm only a fan of Jetboil when it comes to mountaineering. Never used it for bikepacking. You can get snow in any of the summer months in Iceland, but it melts fairly quick and will not be deep enough to require snow melting for water, which is where pots with heat exchangers are strong and actually help you save weight due to carrying less fuel.
For solo trips in August - September I used a self made meths stove (forgot meths on the first leg, so had to "crotch cook" for about 6 days ). I only see multifuel stoves to be of benefit on winter trips across Iceland - low temps, all water from melting snow, usually slow pace, so many days out. But I guess if you were planning to go in winter, you'd not be on here asking questions.

For most of my trips I went between mid August and mid September and believe it's the best time during "summer" months to visit. No snow melt, less glacier run off (easier fords) and storms (extratropical cyclones) can be forecasted many days in advance, so you know when those silly wind speed will hit (give or take half a day). You'll still want a strong tent, which doesn't mean heavy (see above mentioned brands).
The polar willow will be in full autumn colours at that time of year, it's quite something to behold.
Nights are dark enough for Northern lights.
Once you ride off the Highlands in the SW, you'll be with the tourist masses, which are still huge in September, but way less than June - August. Busses eg from Landmannalaugar to Reykjavik usually run until the second weekend in September, which may come in handy.

Get in touch again next year, I can offer some very specific info/improvements on the route since I traversed the Highlands 6 times. Also alternatives to see you across safer if the weather turns against you.

Yeah, quite the place. Make it happen.

[Alpinum]

Tent: a free standing one

^ This ^

Pegging can be tricky so a free standing design would be a wise choice, something with decent fly coverage to keep the windblown ash out too

I like to say that every tent is just as strong as its pegs. I've been in tents where the fabric tore, but this was because of snapped poles which snapped because the pegs pulled from the snow.
Any high quality tent which has a taught pitch, wind shedding design and many tie outs will withstand high winds if...
the pegs are bomber.

I'd love a fat bike, but this is going to be expensive enough and I don't want to add the cost of 2 bikes, we will ride 2.8" tyres.

During my 2nd & 3rd traverses in Aug-Sept I ran 2.4" and on my 4th & 5th 2.6". Was absolutely fine and would do it again. When I traversed the Highlands the last time (6th) it was March. That's about the only time you really need 5".

[Alpinum]

Yes that's the route, no resupply options, so yes, we'll have to carry food for around 11-12 days.

Are you planning to walk all of it?
You have more than one year time. Enough time to train so much, you could ride it in 3 days if you wanted.

Train a bit March - August and you'll easily be able to ride the route in 5 - 7 days. With 11 - 12 days you can plan in some detours to see more.
You can get food (not really stuff handy for camping) at Goðafoss, there's a bistro.
More food at Hrauneyjar.
Then at Landmannalaugar you have the "Mountain Mall", they sell food handy for camping. You'll also get gas cartridges there.
If you plan on riding it in 11 - 12 days, you don't really need food for all of it.

I rode 2 traverses with my girlfriend who had done almost no training at all and at the time didn't ride very regularly.
We mostly covered 70 - 80 km fairly easily.

[bonzo_bcn]

The Icelandic Highlands, through a part of which the "Iceland Divide" goes are currently with temperatures around freezing (eg. Askja and Nyidalur).
Make sure to be dressed/have kit to keep you warm at single digit freezing temperatures. Not just warm enough sleeping bag, but of course also warm enough riding clothes.

I'm 182 cm and have always used Mid tents on all 6 Highland traverses, but are on the rather short side.
Lightway and Locus Gear make strong mids in extra sizes. Make sure to bring a mix of pegs. You'll want some pins for hard grounds and some eg full sized MSR Groundhogs and eg some strong V pegs.
Perhaps check hiking forums too for advice on long tents.
For a good balance of weight, size and comfort check out Exped 3 series.
https://www.exped.com/en/products/sleep ... 0445454506
Warm enough even if you plan on riding the route in March.
If it's the two of us during the warmer months, we use a lightweight remote gas stove (125 g) a 1.3 L ti pot (again about 120 g) and tight fitting aluminium foil (the sturdy one, eg to cover the oven). I'm only a fan of Jetboil when it comes to mountaineering. Never used it for bikepacking. You can get snow in any of the summer months in Iceland, but it melts fairly quick and will not be deep enough to require snow melting for water, which is where pots with heat exchangers are strong and actually help you save weight due to carrying less fuel.
For solo trips in August - September I used a self made meths stove (forgot meths on the first leg, so had to "crotch cook" for about 6 days ). I only see multifuel stoves to be of benefit on winter trips across Iceland - low temps, all water from melting snow, usually slow pace, so many days out. But I guess if you were planning to go in winter, you'd not be on here asking questions.

For most of my trips I went between mid August and mid September and believe it's the best time during "summer" months to visit. No snow melt, less glacier run off (easier fords) and storms (extratropical cyclones) can be forecasted many days in advance, so you know when those silly wind speed will hit (give or take half a day). You'll still want a strong tent, which doesn't mean heavy (see above mentioned brands).
The polar willow will be in full autumn colours at that time of year, it's quite something to behold.
Nights are dark enough for Northern lights.
Once you ride off the Highlands in the SW, you'll be with the tourist masses, which are still huge in September, but way less than June - August. Busses eg from Landmannalaugar to Reykjavik usually run until the second weekend in September, which may come in handy.

Get in touch again next year, I can offer some very specific info/improvements on the route since I traversed the Highlands 6 times. Also alternatives to see you across safer if the weather turns against you.

Yeah, quite the place. Make it happen.

Many thanks for you advice, really appreciated. I will definitely contact you when the time comes

I was thinking of a gas stove as gas canisters seem to be widely available in Iceland, not sure about meths, if I can get meths and it's lighter/better then I'm happy to give it a go.

We are planning on doing it in the second half of August, there is a non profit trip being organised in FB, I'd rather do it alone with my son, but being new to bikepacking I feel 'safer' in a group, at least for the first time in Iceland (all going well I'd like to ride there avery few years, I love that island). They plan 11 days, I assume that there are a couple of contingency days, I read that when wind gets nasty it's better to wait in the tent until it clears (fitness won't be a problem as we're both keen cyclists and in very good shape).