A packing dilemma for Iceland & Scotland - what would you do?

If any of your flights are on European carriers, you need to check their carry on size and weight limits. You may be restricted to about 18 lbs.

For clothing, think layers. Bring a lightweight thermal layer to wear underneath in Iceland. I like 32 Degrees. They also have “Work pants” that can be dressed up or down. I wouldn’t bring any “hiking clothes”. Bring a pair of leggings, a pair of pants that can be active or dressier, a pair of lightweight trouser jeans (Coldwater Creek makes great options). 3 pairs of pants that can be hand washed and will dry overnight. Four tops: 2 t shirts, a button up, a cardigan. A black rain jacket. One pair of hiking shoes (wear on the plane), trainers, water sandals. No more.

You can buy a cooler on arrival, or one of you can use one as your personal item on the way over. Just buy a water bottle and freeze it instead of using sponges.

Apart from the graduation day, when obviously you want to dress up, I'd suggest that most of what you need for Iceland will be perfect for Scotland (even St Andrews!). I like in Skye year round and have been to St Andrews often. I've also spent holidays in Iceland. My day to day Skye clothes were perfect for Iceland in July. Layers, layers and more layers. A waterproof, windproof jacket is with me year round and yes even in summer in Scotland. Nobody dresses up for day to day business here. Just bank on layers and you'll cover all the bases.

Personally I have never needed a cooler for picnics when on holiday, although the frozen sponges is an interesting idea!

As for the tripod, only you know whether you need it. But remember it won't get dark in Iceland in June, and it will barely get dark in Scotland. So you might have quite a bit more light than you are expecting.

I’m agree that I would just pack lots of layers and keep it to more technical, outdoor clothing as it’s just more practical for coping with different weather. You have a lot of outdoor activities and planned so for the vast majority of the time this is what you’ll be wearing. If you can fit in a pair of jeans for pub evenings then do it but if you have to wear hiking pants it’s really not going to be the end of the world. You certainly don’t need to be smartly dressed, except for the graduation day itself which is usually fairly formal. The weather in Scotland in June could be absolutely anything so lots of layering options are key.

You could just aim to buy some smarter stuff once you get to St Andrews if you feel underdressed or if it’s much warmer than usual.

If your daughter has a stable address at St Andrew’s send a box with more dress up clothes ahead. You can then mail or check that box with the airline for the way home.

I wouldn't count on late June/early July being warm in St. Andrews. My husband grew up going to Fife in the summer, and many pics of him playing on the beach in the summer wearing a wool sweater. We went as a family a couple of years ago to Anstruther and St. Andrews in July and were wearing down puffer jackets when outside. It wasn't warm. You will not need a substantially different wardrobe for each place.

You can definitely get by with fewer shoes. How bad do you need hikers? Can you not just use a good pair of sneakers or trail runners for everything, then bring dress shoes for graduation, and one pair of something like flip flops or tevas for all the thermal springs in Iceland?

Only bring the technical rain jacket. You want good rain gear in Iceland, but no need to use anything different in Scotland.

I’m so pleased you asked this question: I am doing an uncannily similar trip, but returning in late June, with a final half week in a hot weather location.

I have to confess I can’t find a way to do this trip carry on only. I’ll be paying to check a bag on three of our four flights.

Still need to keep the suitcase pretty empty to save room for chocolate Hobnobs, though.

We go to Iceland quite a bit and almost always do carryon only, even in the winter, so June is a bit easier.

We have never brought food/snacks to Iceland. There are plenty of places to stop for lunch or at gas stations for snacks or hot dogs etc. Many of the gas stations do have grills in there so you can order burgers and such as well.

Don't worry about a real cooler. The most we have ever done is take one of those very thin coolers that you see hanging near the freezer section in our grocery stores. They are super thin and lightweight, and cost around $5. We only use those for things that have to be cold for the drives between our lodgings. Most of the time though, you can leave a bag of groceries in your vehicle all day long and they will be fine. I know that sounds insane as we would never do that here.

Our clothing for Iceland pretty much stays the same year round, and it is all layers. For summer trips, I do bring shorts and a t shirt, and have needed those on occasion but not often. That time of year you will be fine in either hiking pants or leggings. I take both, but my hiking pants are the thin quick dry type and the leggings are fleece lined, but not heavy. I always wear wool socks with my hiking boots, but if you bring the thing sock liners, you can rewear the wool socks several times so that saves a lot of room. I would definitely take you cargo hiking pants, just one pair, to Iceland as your plans would mean they would get a lot of use. You most likely would not need a quarter zip though. Just a good base layer and a waterproof jacket. You definitely want rain pants though, plus a hat and gloves. Scarves just blow in the wind, so they are useless there. Your idea of everyday wool and fleece is perfect for Iceland.

For footwear, I always take my regular hiking boots to Iceland, no matter what time of year, and most of the time they are the only pair of footwear I bring. Teva sandals are a great addition for the thermal river though. The great thing there is you can wear your hiking clothing to any restaurant and not look out of place.

As for a jacket, I take either my OR Aspire or my arcteryx. Length doesn't matter for Iceland. Honestly I have never even given that a thought until I read this post. I love the OR jacket because you can unzip it on the sides so when you sit down it doesn't bunch up. Both have made many trips to Iceland. Truly, just go with what you like and that is waterproof.

We don't normally bring a real camera, but on the times that we have we do take the tripod. You can still easily do this with carryon only. If you are flying on Iceland Air, they are strict with size and weight of carryon as well as your personal item.

To give you an idea, most of the time our packed bags come in right around 20 pounds. Last summer when we did Greenland and Iceland, our bags were 18#. You can do it:) Lay out what you think you want and make piles of must have, maybe etc and weigh every single item and see if it is worth the weight. Oh, and can you wear the sandals for the graduation? That would be a real space/weight saver. Wear your boots on the plane, as well as your jacket, and you can stuff that in your bag after you board. Do make sure that you have a jacket/hat/gloves in easy reach as you will want those when you get off the plane in KEF as the planes almost always stay on the tarmac after landing and you board a bus that takes you into the terminal. It can be very cold if you are not prepared.

I agree with SkyeGirl and Helen about not needing dressier clothes. I live in Minnesota, and it's very similar to Iceland and Scotland in that people just don't dress up. Most people here are more concerned about staying warm than looking good, even in the summer, and even in June it can be cold in those places. So, using layers is the best idea, and of course you have to keep in mind your carry-on requirements.

First., congratulations on your daughter's graduation and what a beautiful way to celebrate together!
I want to echo carefully checking each airline's carry on restrictions, especially if they combine your personal item for the total. For trips like this you might also need to consider your existing bags' weights. My "lightweight" July wheeled carryon is just under 5 lbs so with 2 lbs of camera equipment you're likely heading towards 1/3- 1/2 of your limit before anything else goes in. I have a 2 lb 35 liter backpack or else a duffel style that's only 1 1/2 lbs.
The idea of mailing your graduation outfit and shoes was going to be my suggestion, also. I did this for a June US wedding when I was flying onward to do the RS Alpine Europe hiking tour. (I used a prepaid mailer to send my wedding weekend clothes home but as suggested, just bring a small fold-into-itself duffel to get them home again.)
Lastly, scarves. I have a lightweight cashmere infinity style scarf/"snood" (kind of like a loose detached turtleneck) that I wear constantly for layering-type trips. It solves the issue of wind and I like it better than a beanie style hat to pull up around my ears and just use my coat's hood.
I don't own a single bright color! But with a black merino hiking top, my pretty floral silk-ish bandana style scarf can read dressier. I wear tiny gold hoops the whole trip and my mother's thin gold chain I can pull out or tuck in as needed.
Have a wonderful trip!

Thanks everyone!

• @travel4fun & @Bon Voyage, flights are mostly with IcelandAir (Economy Std.) and they allow a 22-lb. carryon plus an unweighed personal item. I would bring my RS convertible backpack (5.5 lb) as a carryon, with my personal item loaded with the camera, electronics, 1 spare outfit, and must-have toiletries. Normally, I can do a trip with a 1.5-lb. backpack and a small crossbody purse, but I gave up on that idea for this trip a few months ago. I've considered whether I should buy a lighter carryon suitcase, but I rarely use wheels anymore, so it seems superfluous.
• The one regional flight we'll take to Islay, we'll have to check bags anyway. But I could do Islay out of my personal item, if luggage got lost.
• @Laurie Ann, to mail anything to the UK right now is ludicrously expensive. But you're correct - it could be the best option, especially for my husband's much-bulkier jacket and dress shoes. In fact, this could also solve the return trip issues I'm anticipating, so thank you ! (We have a stopover in Keflavik on the way home, but the flights aren't connected - I really don't want to have to do checked bags on the way home, though normally we would. Instead, maybe we'll just mail the dress clothes, the souvenirs, and all the whisky, instead of checking it.)
• I don't like to shop for "needs" while on vacation. It would be okay with it if an emergency came up - lost luggage, broken shoe, etc. But I wouldn't plan to do shopping for stuff I could have brought. I also don't have a good body type for clothes shopping, and it's a frustrating experience even at my favorite stores. Finally, I do think it would be difficult to buy nicer things in St. Andrews. There are 5 outdoor outfitters and some golf stores, and I think only H&M besides those. It's a funny place.
• The tripod is specifically for capturing moving water well-stopped-down to get that cool blur on the sea or a waterfall. I can't hand-hold for the few seconds I'll need to get the right effect. But then... those shots have been taken 1000 times... should I just buy the postcard and forget the tripod? I had planned a midnight session on Diamond Beach and another at Reykjaladur, a blurred shot at Bruarfoss mid-day, and who knows what I'll be inspired by on the way.
• Hiking will be a huge focus in Iceland - real hiking for hours at a time, mud from the knees down, and the joy of a hot tub after hours of fresh air and real exercise. Hikers are a necessity. We can rent tall hikers for the glacier tour, but I worry about blisters in shoes that aren't my own. And it would be a tragedy to miss later hikes because I tried to save a pound of weight for a pair of shoes.
• I would not be comfortable wearing Teva river sandals for graduation - nor is it likely to be that warm. :-) And I would not wear nice leather Tevas in a river. I did consider if I could find a dressy water sandal, on the unlikely chance graduation day is warm.
• @feminaformosa recommended hikers/trainers, dress shoes, and Tevas. My main concern there is that I would have to wear ONLY the hikers pretty much every day. No relief if I develop a hot spot, and if they get soaked, thoroughy muddy, etc., oh well, that's all I've got. OTOH - maybe this is the trip I do that? Realistically, I COULD buy a 2nd pair of touring sneakers in St. Andrews - they have a lovely shoe shore there with plenty of Ecco and Taos.
• @mikliz97 - thank you!! This is a lot of great info. We'll plan to purchase a foil bag at the grocery store. And I'll leave out the quarter-zip and just do a couple merino cardigans.
• @Mardee, @SkyeGirl, @Helen - I will readjust my thinking about graduation week, and try to pare it down to maybe ONE neutrai, nice blouse for tea, late night drinks, and nice restaurants. I've never really bought into the whole "nobody notices" thing, but I guess it's time to test that idea.
  

@ScandiFan - have a great trip! Maybe we'll cross paths one day!

Celtic--Definitely bring your tripod from what you say. Bruarfoss will be mobbed during the day, BUT most people just look at Bruarfoss but there isa nice trail that goes down to several other waterfalls. Nice hike. I like to have my own photos, not just a postcard, and have done our bedroom entirely in photos of Iceland that we have taken. You sort of get to relive it that way, where with a postcard you just know it wasn't your shot. I wouldn't rent boots for the glacier hike. As long as you have stiff soled boots so the crampons can go on, you are set. Yes, any hot tub etc after a hike is so nice there! Try to find some more hidden ones as well. That is what most of our trips there entail. I have taken my good leather Teva's to HI as well as Iceland (for our camping trip there) and then worn them to nicer places at home. They actually hold up really well after that, which surprised the heck out of me. But, for a graduation I can see where you wouldn't want to chance that.

I don’t think you’ll feel great in Teva sandals at the graduation. It’s quite a formal occasion. You will want something properly smart. I see a lot of graduation days in Bristol and people do dress smartly.

Be sure to book restaurants well ahead of time because I can imagine St Andrews is a lot like Bristol where everybody wants to take their kids out for dinner after the ceremony.

Can you split your wardrobe in two? From the sounds of it, your time in Iceland is the more "adventure" portion of the trip with the need for sturdier footwear and active wear clothes while Scotland involves dressier occasions and the need for different footwear. I assume you fly into and out of Reykjavik. So could you leave your dressier clothes and footwear at a left luggage location at the Reykjavik airport while touring Iceland? Then pick up the bag when you head to Scotland. I'm unclear as to the Scotland logistics so you may not be able to leave the "adventure" bag at a left luggage location there.

One other comment about footwear. Do you really need tall hikers? I've done Iceland, Norway, the Outer Hebrides and parts of the West Highland Way in low hikers with gaiters. I would only need ankle high boots if carrying a heavy bag. Just a thought.

I won't weigh in on the clothing issues as it appears they have already been covered better than I could do. In regard to the tripod, I am a serious photographer for almost 60 yrs. I don't know what body and lens you own, but my kit is a rangefinder body with four small but weighty single-focal length lenses and in total weighs 3kg including a light Domke nylon holdall. It does not have image stabilisation (which of course would not be helpful for the dragging-the-shutter-on-moving-water shots you describe) and although I have a svelte Gitzo 1,5kg CF Traveler which fully extended plus a Kaiser mini ball head puts the camera about a foot below my eye level, I have not carried it in years due to weight restrictions on hand carry. If I anticipate needing support for a few shots I bring a folding table-top tripod (Leica make a lovely one, easily found secondhand) with a tiny but robust Leica ball head (also found secondhand). Weight under 0,5kg, stands about 6in tall. Can be perched on a rock for low angle shots, or held braced vertically against a tree or lamppost for eye-level shots.

Hikers are a necessity. We can rent tall hikers for the glacier tour, but I worry about blisters in shoes that aren't my own. And it would be a tragedy to miss later hikes because I tried to save a pound of weight for a pair of shoes.

There's no way I would skip hiking boots for hiking, that's so important - So I would take 1) lower height hiking boots like waterproof Merrills for both Iceland & Scotland, we wore our boots on the plane & 2) Packed our trainers. I would use the 3) teva river walking shoes for inside hotels, or take flip flops because they weigh little, and wondered if you could get by with 4) ballet flats for the graduation? Haha, at least I got it down to 4 pairs! I agree, wouldn't waste time shopping on an adventure trip. Good luck, shoes are such a hassle!