Lapland - what do we need?

[FifthTimeLucky5]

I think I am possibly more excited than my DC to be going to Lapland in December! This is likely a once in a lifetime trip and I want to make sure we all enjoy it and are prepared for the cold but I don’t really know where to start.

Boots, snowsuits and gloves are provided but can anyone who has been, recommend what layers we need underneath, what to buy and where from? Anything you’d wished you’d taken or took but didn’t need? Having never been on a snowy holiday, living somewhere where it rarely dips below freezing and being generally a person who feels the cold I want to make sure we are all warm enough to enjoy it to the max.

thank you :)

I'd say thermal underwear is a good shout 🤗

We took fleece tops, hats that cover ears, scarves and gloves. I think the girls wore tights under their trousers. A warm jacket.
We wore two thin pairs of socks, I think one was thermal.
Its a fabulous place. If you’re just going for the day it’s knackering. We stayed at the airport the night before, I wish we’d stayed the night we hit back too. In fact I wish we’d gone for a couple of days.

We took thermals - long sleeve tops and the legging style long John's.
A good tip was that aldi do their ski wear special buys before December and that's when I stocked up for us.
I took joggers rather than jeans, and took gloves and a snood and wooly hat. Layers were the key because when we were indoors it was boiling. I have photos of us in t shirts and leggings inside.
Also, Lapland is a different kind of cold to the winter here. Our winters are damp where as there's are dry if they makes sense?
Have a brilliant time. I loved it !

Also - wore boots and my biggest winter coat for the airport etc and then we were warm when the snowsuits were returned. Think my son had water proof trousers etc as he was quite young. And snow boots (all aldi)

We’re going in December too! I’ve been told Decathlon is a good place to shop for base layers - silk sock and glove liners, merino wool tops and leggings.

www.decathlon.co.uk/browse/c0-sports/c1-skiing/c2-ski-wear/_/N-7ne86y

I’m pretty sure I read not to buy cotton layers as it doesn’t wick away moisture.

We went last year. Took thermals from Amazon and Aldi. Thermal socks are hugely important! We took battery packs for phones because the cold kills the battery quick and used them loads for photos (wasn’t necessary but they’re small so worth taking!). I got some hand and foot warmers from Tescos, they were great but they get very very hot so don’t put them into shoes or directly onto skin (learned that the hard way!)
our hotel was full of people in personalised family t-shirts and hoodies, if you’re into that type of thing, it’ll be worth getting them! We put on Christmas jumpers and hats for the gala night, almost everyone was dressed up for that. We took ski jackets for the plane/coach ride to the hotel. You’re mostly on a bus, but the airports are small so ski jackets for kids are useful for before you get the suits/after you’ve given them back!

Snoods or scarves you can tuck your face into are really helpful. It’s a different kind of cold to when it freezes here, it’s sparkly and more pretty, so you feel it less. The suits are amazing but a pain in the arse to get into and out of! I wore uggs and they were fine for walking around the village on an evening, and much easier than the clumpy snow boots they gave us

You need base layers…. Merino wool or polyester leggings and long sleeved top
fleece layer - fleecy jogging bottoms and a fleece jumper top
you can add another top under the fleece if needed but that was fine for all of us last December
socks wise you need thin thermal socks then thick fluffy snow socks
gloves you need a thermal gloves then waterproof outer gloves
snood, one to wear and one in your bag as they can get frozen quickly
we got everything from decathlon except the fleece joggers and jumpers which I think I picked up in Tesco.
Happy to dig out the specific links if that would be helpful!

Thanks so much everyone, that’s really helpful! Time to get stocked up :) we are going for 3 nights and staying in a cabin - cannot wait!

I’m so jealous…one of the most beautiful experiences I’ve had 😊
Take multiple pairs of gloves - especially for the kids…get silk liner gloves for you to inside and woolly ones inside ski gloves for the kids if you can’t get kids sized silk liners. If you are going with Canterbury you get snow boots but I’d recommend buying the kids a pair too - Decathalon ones are great - as they get wet and cold and you can rotate in. Basically keep feet and hands dry and warm is key. Ski
socks, salopettes with the attached fleecy top are great (get from eBay) with layers. Don’t bother with jeans for you I’d say - just wear leggings as jeans under a snow suit are not comfortable. You’ll have an amazing time!

Just to add the Primark Fleece lined leggings are absolutely the best! I use them as ski under layers and prefer to my expensive merino wool ones!

YY to what people have suggested here - we got a lot of our stuff from Decathlon including a discounted snowboarding jacket that DD wore for three winters in the UK so it was v worth it. Wore a base layer (either thermals or just a long sleeve t-shirt), a roll neck then a fleece over the top plus coat. Hat try at covers ears, two pairs of gloves and socks.

Also agree on the dry winter - the snow is so powdery your can barely make a snowball out of it. It just crumbles into fluff.

We had a fabulous time.

So glad you posted this as we are going this December too! I think the difficulty I’ll face is prying the jeans off DH

Shamelessly placemarking as we are also heading to Lapland this December!

I’ve made a start since posting this thread! Definitely going to get snow boots for DC and multiple pairs of gloves as suggested.

spotted this on H&M website the other day so have ordered it for DD www2.hm.com/en_gb/productpage.0976821001.html

and also have some mountain warehouse merino base layers coming for her via Amazon. DH and DS are in London this weekend and I’ve instructed them that a trip to declathlon is needed :)

I have a friend who slid regulsrly, and she recommended Decathlon for the under lsyers.

I think most things have been covered, but it is absolutely essential that the gloves are waterproof.

Skis not slid.

Wool, fleece or silk layers. Avoid cotton as it absorbs moisture and then gets cold. More layers does not necessarily mean more warmth.

When I went I bought myself kids merino base layers from Mountain Warehouse. I’m a size 8-10 and didn’t even need the largest kids size. They’re great and a fraction of the price of adults ones.
Merino socks are great too.

@Kiitos thanks that’s a great tip, I’m a size 8-10 too so will check out that option.

The suits they give you are amazing and we normally only needed one layer underneath. The temp ranged from - 8 to - 25 when we were there. My son wore a fleece onesie as well as thermals when it was very cold. Our bodies never felt cold just hands, feet and face. Hand and foot warmers were very helpful on them cold days.

To add to the recommendations above, do not wear cotton pants.

Microfibre pants are good, or silk if you've got a bigger budget.

How much daylight will you get in December?

When we went in February I was very glad that I had remembered my sunglasses.

A couple of hours of greyish light, sunglasses definitely not needed!
Get on Amazon and get a big box of those hand warmers that you unwrap and they go hot, take a few out with you every day in back pack and you can use them to warm extremities but also dry socks/gloves etc,
Essentially once something gets wet that’s it, it will become freezing and painful. So if snow gets in snow boots your socks will freeze and that will be it for you for the day. Take a pair or two spare socks/gloves and snood with you to take out every day.
If you want wine or any alcohol in the cabin, take it with you!! You cannot really buy alcohol there to have in your own accommodation other than weak beer/cider, and it’s wildly expensive.
it’s knackering with very little downtime especially if in the cabin as you spend a lot of time walking to and from the restaurant esp with kids throwing themselves into snowdrifts the entire time. But it’s absolutely brilliant.

Wool, fleece or silk layers. Avoid cotton as it absorbs moisture and then gets cold.

I agree with this. Most base layers are made from man made material that wicks moisture away from you.

Very helpful @Newsernames which company did you go through?