When we went hiking in the Faroe Islands it was late June. Midsummer. The Summer Solstice. Longest days of the year. On our first evening we watched many locals out and about on the beach wearing shorts and t-shirts. In coats ourselves, we couldn’t imagine how they thought it was remotely warm enough for this type of carryon, but it turned out that evening was positively balmy compared to the rest of the week we had. And everyone clearly knew it.
Summer in the Faroes: a fickle beast.
We had a bit of everything in our week on the Faroes. Sun, rain, wind, mud, sea salt, sun burn, chapped cheeks. It was an ever-changing maelstrom of dark stormy days and eerie pink nights.
Read: Everything you need to know about hiking on the Faroe Islands
So if you’re planning on visiting in the warmer months, here’s our checklist on what to wear and what to pack for hiking in the Faroe Islands:
Wear
> Ankle-high hiking boots: The Faroe Islands isn’t really the place for flimsy footwear. The terrain seems reluctant to commit to being rocky or muddy so is both by turns – either way you’ll need a sturdy, waterproof, ankle-supporting boot to wear.
We wore our Danner boots – you can read our review of the Danner Light boot here them here.
> Waterproof: Even if it’s sunny the weather on the Faroe Islands can turn in a second, so never leave without one.
Oh and here’s a disturbing tip we got from the free walking guide from Visit Faroe Islands: don’t wear nylon. Because it’s slippery. Meaning that if you slide off a cliff, your nylon-clad body won’t have a hope of skidding to a halt before you plunge to an inevitable death.
Wearing cotton instead gives you more stick. It isn’t the best breathability-wise for hiking, but better than toppling into the sea we suppose?
> Layers: Wearing layers is the type of useless, non-specific advice everyone gives about everywhere, but when thinking about what to pack for hiking on the Faroe Islands it’s mainly for warmth. The sacred trinity of a solid base layer, jumper and waterproof should do the trick.
You will inevitably get a bit sweaty regardless of the temperature so try a sweat-wicking base layer: anything with bamboo material is a good choice, and icebreaker do tops that claim you can wear hiking for a week and stay fresh.
> Trousers: look, we hate walking trousers. They’re just… well. Nell tends to prefer leggings and Luke wears whatever the hell he wants. But you probably will end up needing them (with button cuffs so you can get them over your boots). And we would say you won’t need shorts.
> Two pairs of socks per day: wearing both a thinner sock and a thicker walking sock will reduce the risk of blisters and be generally more comfortable.
> Warm hat & gloves: Standing atop an 800m+ Faroese hill. Getting wind-whipped on deck. Peering over a cliff edge down to the Atlantic crashing below. Yes, you’ll need gloves and a hat. Preferably a hat that will fit under your hood to combat that wind and rain combo. (Ie – maybe not a bobble one?)
> GPX watch: who uses GPX these days? Lots of people probably, and we’ve found the best way to both look at and map a route is with a GPX watch. We use the Suunto 9 which is excellent and we’ll be reviewing soon.
Pack
> A day pack: Here is the Millican 25l we use. Remember to take a bag cover with you.
> Route notes and maps: we used the Visit Faroes hiking brochure religiously. It gives fairly good route directions, a bit of local history/mythology and map references. The Faroes maps mentioned are very, very detailed – you can buy them in Torshavn. Make sure you keep them in a waterproof cover.
> Energy bars: bring at least two per person per day. And if you’re travelling from a cheaper country than Scandinavian ones, buy bars and snacks at home and bring a whole clutch of them with you. Easier. SO much cheaper. Better.
> Spare clothes: bring a spare base layer, a long sleeve and even a down jacket in a dry bag in case you get soaked.
> Lunch: make up a packed lunch so you can stop to eat atop a mountain – surely one of the most rewarding parts of a day hike.
> Water: Don’t underestimate the amount of water you’ll need for a long hike, even in cooler conditions. We took a 1l bottle of water each, and filled up again halfway when doing out-and-backs. You might want to take a bladder (2l seems a good amount per person for us).
> Sunglasses, sunscreen and bandana: We both got weather-beaten on the Faroes, with its peculiar mix of salty sea air, intermittent sunshine, roaring wind and outdoors lifestyle. Stay protected and if (like Nell) you have sensitive skin bring a good, soothing moisturising mask to wear at the end of the day.
> Phone: we’re not sure if we really need to put this on lists anymore, but we guess just make sure it’s charged? And FYI the number for the emergency services is 112.
> Camera: you WILL want to take photos. in a dry bag, along with any other electricals.
> Little first aid kit: with plasters, bug spray, body foil and what-not.
> Duct tape: surprisingly useful, not least for emergency mending and to reseal open packets.
Note: We visited the Faroes with support from Visit Faroe Islands. Our experiences (and opinions for that matter) are all our own.
Do you have any other questions about what to pack for hiking on the Faroe Islands? Leave them below.
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Great read, I got a ton of good info from your various Faroe posts and really appreciate the clear and concise information, we’re heading to the Faroes in August for our honeymoon. We’re from Florida and having a hard time finding adequate clothing for this adventure. Is there anything you guys would recommend that isn’t $380 for boots and $250 for sweaters? I was dumbfounded at those prices, it’s totally out of the budget for a regular couple who have been saving for a year for this trip!
You will have such an amazing time – it’s a fantastic place!
They are quite expensive, that’s true, but honestly they last for such a long time. Whereas before we would have to buy new boots and get more sweaters yearly, we will get years and years out of the more expensive purchases.
Other brands we have liked for boots: Scarpa and Iowa. And for sweaters: Patagonia is obviously a great option.
This is a great post really very informative for me. thanks