What to take on your hike

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What to take on your hike

The hikes on this page range from a couple of hours through to a few days. There are no amenities on any of the hikes, so you must be prepared to go to the toilet in nature and dispose of waste appropriately.

For multi-day hikes, we recommend you refer to the Recommended Gear page of our Arctic Circle Trail website.

You hike our trails at your own risk, so please make sure you have sufficient experience and the correct equipment.

Summer

For day-hikes, we recommend you wear or carry in a backpack the following:

  • Sun hat, sunglasses, woollen hat, gloves, buff/scarf. The day may start out warm but the temperature can drop quickly
  • Sunscreen. The arctic sun is brutally strong in summer, even though it does not necessarily feel hot
  • Warm layer. Either a fleece or a light down jacket. Something you can put on to take the chill off
  • Windproof outer layer (especially the jacket). A sudden wind is one of the quickest ways for the temperature to drop dramatically. Make sure you are protected
  • Hiking boots / trail shoes. Consider whether you need additional ankle support, given you may not be walking on actual trails
  • Insect repellent and head net. From June – August, do yourself a favour and make sure the flies/mosquitoes don’t drive you crazy while hiking.
  • Ample food and snacks. Take frequent stops to replenish your energy
  • 1 – 1.5L water bottle.  One of the many wonderful things about hiking in Greenland is that you can drink from pretty much any water source without having to purify first. Refill from any water course that is flowing or large lakes
  • Basic first aid kit and pocket knife/multi-tool
  • Navigation aid
  • Hiking poles (optional). These can be very helpful hiking uphill (takes some of the weight off your legs) and downhill (extra points of contact with the ground). Highly recommended
Winter

For day-hikes, we recommend you wear or carry in a backpack the following:

  • Sunglasses, woollen hat, gloves, buff/scarf. Sunglasses stop you from getting snow blindness if it is sunny
  • Base layer. Thermal top and bottom
  • Mid layer. Shirt and pants plus a fleece or down jacket
  • Outer layer. Warm windproof jacket and pants. These help cut the wind.
  • Wool socks and insulated winter boots. Consider whether you need additional ankle support, given you may not be walking on actual trails
  • Ample food and snacks. Take frequent stops to replenish your energy
  • 1 – 1.5L water bottle.  One of the many wonderful things about hiking in Greenland is that you can drink from pretty much any water source without having to purify first. Refill from any water course that is flowing or large lakes
  • Basic first aid kit and pocket knife/multi-tool
  • Navigation aid. A map or GPX tracks
  • Hiking poles (optional). These can be very helpful hiking uphill (takes some of the weight off your legs) and downhill (extra points of contact with the ground). Highly recommended