Packing light for Norway Cold

Start with base layers. You might look at the 32Degrees brand which is inexpensive and may be available at your local Costco. If not at your Costco or you don't have a membership then go to their website. I'd get both the shirt and base layer bottoms.

I'm pretty cold hardy so this would not work for me but some people like the lined pants from Eddie Bauer.

Do you do FB? There is a private FB group called Travel Fashion Girl that you can join and there are lots of cold weather posts on there....perhaps too many, lol.

Many will recommend wool base layers but honestly these do not work for me. I am allergic even to the expensive Merino fabrics. They are expensive and if you don't think you'll wear them again I'd go less expensive. Your choice though!

Yes definitely try some merino wool before you buy (I typically know immediately if I can tolerate a fabric), but it is outstanding for warmth and even better for not smelling after a couple wears like synthetics. I purchased merino base layers for a trip to Switzerland and it ended up being record warmth, but I am a convert to merino now. Wool socks, leggings, and undershirts are vital to me, then I wear whatever on top.
Base layers are also sold in alternative fabrics like silk.
I would plan to buy a sweater while in Norway if you can. My husband went for work and got me a gorgeous wool sweater that I treasure.

You tend to lose heat more quickly through your extremities if they are not
sufficiently protected. So on top of the advice of the others, a good stocking
cap, nice gloves, and some sort of wool socks are essential. A neck warmer
would also be a good idea. These are relatively small items that can make
a big difference.

I wear fleece lined pants from Eddie Bauer. I wear tights under them for another layer. I can easily wash the tights and wear the pants day after day after day. If you want to be a little warmer, you can wear fleece leggings instead of tights.

Around my neck I wear a gaiter from EB (I have 3 to choose from). A warm hat is important.

I wear a long sleeved shirt with either a wool cardigan or a vest over it. I have a WIHOOL LS shirt from Amazon that is very warm. I would wear a heavy hooded coat.

I stand outside for an hour every week and it is my hands and sometimes, toes, that get cold. The Hot Hands products work well for this problem (I'm just too cheap too open a package for an hour). Warm boots are a must. I wear wool socks all year round, but my best socks for the cold are fleece lined wool.

Pam, Valadelphia and Shoeflyer, Great information. I will be checking out facebook for Travel Fashion Girl Tand all the other companies you all suggested.

Thank you so much for the great advice!

Roxane

Mnannie, Again great information. I have several wool socks from Ireland. Love them! We are going in May so it will be cold but not the dead of winter. I plan on layers.

Thank you again for the info,

Roxane

I forgot, you could also invest in hand (or foot) warmers; the pouches that you crack to
start a chemical reaction that releases heat and lasts for a few hours.

Example:
Hand Warmers

This blogger shares her packing list for a fall cruise in the Arctic.

Cold Weather Packing List

In addition to all the good advice above, add a pair of gloves liners. And you can always wrap yourself in a blanket off your bed for shipboard viewing.

Also, be mindful of interior comfort. We were on a Hurtigruten ship in 2023 and inside the ship was t-shirt temperatures. Be sure your layers are easy on/easy off.

For thermal undies, the Heattech range from Uniqlo is great too.
They are very thin, but very warm.
And not Merino, which itches me too!
There are different types for lower temperatures.
You may have a shop near you being in California.

When I went to Iceland one winter, I bought men’s pure wool sweaters in a thrift shop at home first for $2-3.
I don’t need them where we live, so wasn’t going to spend hundreds on them!
I donated them back afterward.

When I went to Iceland one winter, I bought men’s pure wool sweaters in a thrift shop at home first for $2-3.
I don’t need them where we live, so wasn’t going to spend hundreds on them!

They are so heavy! I have my grandmother's sweater from Alesund, but it is too warm for me to wear even in northern Minnesota.

No, they weren’t heavy….they were fairly thin merino mix.
Big enough to be the top layer over my other layers.
They were warm though!

Hi Erin,, neighbor south of us,
My husband and I were on tour on the Hurtigruten early March last year, and sailed from Bergen to Kirkenes and back to Bergen. I agonized over what to pack because after the tour, we went to the Netherlands and Belgium so we needed to pack light. We took 2 carry-on sized suitcases, but also took a 32 liter packable duffle bag. The weather wasn't as cold as we anticipated, except for a couple of blustery days onboard the ship.
What worked for me: Layers! From Costco, 32-degrees long-sleeved tops, a lightweight fleece jacket, a lightweight raincoat, + a very warm down ¾ length coat with hood from LL Bean, rated for cold. I then could wear 4 layers on top, if necessary.
Bottom: From Costco, 32-degrees bottom as well as Eddie Bauer fleece-lined pants & rain pants.
Accessories: wool headband + ski cap; fingerless gloves (so I could access my phone easily for photos), + gloves. I took a neck gaiter & a scarf. And...I also took hand warmers and toe warmers which we bought from Costco.
Shoes: I purchased Oboz waterproof shoes (brand recommended by Mardee), which were very comfortable and kept my feet warm and dry. I also took several pairs of SmartWool crew socks. I used the hand and toe warmers, but my husband never felt the need to use them.
We also bought ExoSpikes from REI, but chose not to use them because they are not allowed on the ship nor in any store/building in towns. They worked well when we tested them during a February snowstorm at home, but they were hard to put on and take off, so we chose not to use them.
We are used to hiking with trekking poles, so we took those along and there were a couple of times I took my trekking poles for shore excursions if I thought it would be icy on-shore.
The items I took worked well for me, but I could have gotten along without my rain pants. We also hand washed our clothes almost nightly...and the day before we docked, we did a couple loads of wash on board the ship.
And...as others have mentioned, temperature onboard the ship was very comfortable. Hope that helps.
We really enjoyed traveling to Norway and seeing the northern lights and would do a repeat trip if possible.

I have not been to Norway in the winter, but we go to Iceland often and have done 4 winter trips there so far, with another coming up.

Wool socks are key. My husband needs toe warmers as well though, or his heated socks. Those are worth the money.

On one of those trips we found that toe warmers stuck inside a wool hat works wonders to keep your head warm. We stick them to the area of the hat that is near our temples.

Hand warmers are great too, and there are rechargeable ones now. Go to Amazon to take a look.

I love my Cuddleduds for base top and bottom, and for pajamas. They weigh less than the 32Degrees ones. I bought mine on Amazon.

I have several Icelandic sweaters, and they are bulky, but are amazing! We wear ours on the plane.

Some nice warm pants also from Amazon that I love are these. I have a couple pairs in different colors. IMO they run long, so even the shorts are long on me, but I am very short;)
https://www.amazon.com/dp/B09BC6R65M?ref_=ppx_hzsearch_conn_dt_b_fed_asin_title_6&th=1&psc=1

You might like a puffer under a waterproof jacket. That way you can avoid a big parka. Waterproof is good for rain of course, but it also blocks the wind. The pants I linked above really block the wind too.

No, they weren’t heavy….they were fairly thin merino mix.
Big enough to be the top layer over my other layers.
They were warm though!

That is good to know! I did see some in the gift shop at Iceland that did look nice.

Mine is a Husfliden from Alesund and weighs a pound and a half. I've thought about felting it and making a purse.

Thank you all for your thoughtful & helpful suggestions !

Check with your cruise line to see if they provide any winter gear. I am currently in Lapland, Saariselkä Finland at a winter resort. They provide a snowmobile type of suit, socks, boots, heavy mittens and balaclavas, everything except a base layer. I wonder if your cruise line does something similar. We’re doing some touring outside of time at the resort so we brought our own jackets, boots, hats, and mittens and use the resort gear for the coldest activities like snowmobiling and ice fishing.

Look into rechargeable hand warmers. Amazon has several varieties.