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 :)

Canterbury travel and we stayed in a cabin in Luosto.

@Newsernames are these the hand warmers you used? www.amazon.co.uk/Little-Hotties-Pocket-Warmers-Winter/dp/B015TLCJT4/ref=sr_1_5?crid=RB4SL0WSGXT3&keywords=Glove+warmers&qid=1661843976&sprefix=glove+warmers%2Caps%2C106&sr=8-5

I wore merino boy shorts they are great for cold weather. Also, pocket warmers and thermal insoles for boots.

@CaveMum yes those are the type

I'm going to Lapland too, staying for 5 days at the crazy reindeer and hopefully get some skiing ⛷
our youngest two don't know m, it's going to be a fab surprise for them.

Mountain warehouse is good for base layers - mine is merino wool. Also thinsulate hats, thin (inner) gloves, tube scarves.

Oh and ski socks

I came to mention the alcohol too we went 15 years ago and the supermarket would order you spirits to come the next day and you were given it in a brown paper bag (not joking!) We also struggled to get a second glass of wine with our dinner in the evening so if you like a drink get it at duty free!

I'd also recommend taking arnica cream and antiseptic cream - my 2 had multiple sledging crashes!

It was truly magical - still remember the glee of my dc getting towed to dinner every night on sledges!

So much on here you don’t need so don’t go mad

baselayer each
mid layer each - primary fleece pj bottoms are best as less bulky and pair with a fleece hoody and it’ll be fine under the suit provided

you don’t need ski wear as rest provided

the socks they give you are better than any you can buy but still buy some - aldi is fine

hat
snood
balaclava for kids
magic gloves for under the gloves provided
snow or winter boot
trainers for hotel

comfy loungewear for night and Xmas jumper

We are going this December too. I am SO excited!! Thanks for starting the thread OP.

@Watapalava we weren’t provided socks or gloves. Just snowsuits and boots. @FifthTimeLucky5 carefully check what you’re provided as would be a nightmare if you assumed you had gloves or whatever and you didn’t.

I went last December with Canterbury travel, it was amazing! I found the buying clothes quite stressful as it was so unlike any holiday we’d had before (plus covid meant it all felt quite up in the air till we were in the airport!)

We had to provide gloves and socks, definitely take spares as we had to swap gloves and snoods for dry ones a few times and ended up with two or three pairs of socks as it was so cold. We also had to go a size up in the boots for my DDs to fit the extra socks!

I’d recommend joining the Decathlon club as you can return purchases for 365 days. I kept the tags on extra thermals etc and packed them seperately to keep them clean, then took back ones I didn’t use.

The hotel was really warm though, for the kids party they all wore Christmas jumpers and my kids were boiling hot.

Yes, we were only provided with snowsuits and boots @Watapalava.
I would err on the side of caution and assume that this is all that would be provided.

Who are you going with OP?

we were given (TUI)

hat
leather fur lined gloves
suit
socks
boots

Ooh just found this thread! We are also going in December - with Tui and I wouldn’t have had a clue what to take!

what about evening wear? Casuals?

Evening was literally joggers and jumpers. Take a Christmas jumper for the party.

We got given boots, socks, suits, mittens.

Under that I wore silk glove liners (decathlon - they did kids sizes as well as adults), various synthetic and merino thermal base layers from ski wear places and Uniqlo, ski socks and I got something like these for a mid layer : www.mountainwarehouse.com/winter-trek-ii-womens-trousers-p17061.aspx/. Not attractive but very practical! I wore normal wool jumpers on the top half.

I usually live in jeans but heeded the advice to avoid cotton and the trousers above were perfect.

Someone above mentioned hats that cover ears. This is a really good tip. Hats that are tied or velcroed on to children are useful when they are tobogganing or throwing themselves into snowdrifts.

For the evening it is very casual. No dressing up at all! It is just not practical. Our big meal didn't happen due to covid but from the pictures Christmas jumpers are de rigeur !

We organised flights, hotel and trips independently so we needed to buy all the outdoor stuff. We got all the clothes from mountain warehouse and shoes from to max. I am from Finland so knew what kind of clothes are good in cold and snowy weather.

I got us some fleece snoods with an attached hood from Amazon. They were really warm and easy to wear under a coat hood. They stayed put when on snowmobiles etc.

I’m glad I found this thread. We are going next month.

how much spending money do you think 2 adults and one child need?

we’ve booked a full board package so I assume it’s drinks and things?

We go in 6 weeks so I really need to pull my finger out and get shopping for a kit list!

We go in 6 weeks too! Excited!!! This thread has been so helpful.

Me 😀

Mountain warehouse for base layers. They have adults and kids. We got them for Iceland. They have synthetic ones and merino. It was too warm to wear them, but we wore them as pyjamas for a couple of years after :)

Great thread! We're going in 4 weeks, think I'm sorted for base layers/gloves etc. but what's it like in the evenings? Do you just stay in your hotel and it's restaurant or is there bars to go explore? We're going to santas Lapland saariselka.