Planning to walk this next year with some friends. It’ll be a DIY trip with tents – no guides or huts. Has anyone done it or been there? Got any useful tips or info? And how busy is it likely to be in September – we’ll probably go elsewhere if it’s going to be rammed with groups of hikers. Ta for any tips.

We went to Landmannalauger this September, an amazing place. The Laugavegur trail is far and away the most popular trail there but having said that, it’s not Langdale on a Bank Holiday. There were maybe thirty cars around the campsite and car park plus people that had come in by bus.

There were a good few groups setting off on the Laugavegur but looking along the trail (we went up one of the nearby mountains) they were well spread out so to all intents each group was on its own.

Tent pegs are all but useless on the campsite at Landmannalauger, it’s basically solid rock that you are camping on. A tent that is capable of being free-standing like a dome will be useful and wrap the guylines round rocks. I imagine most of the other sites will be similar.

Clothing wise: think Scotland in winter. I.e. you don’t want ultra lightweight kit, it just isn’t going to stand up to the wind. I had a MT500 jacket which was about right. Plenty of warm clothing especially if you are going to be hanging around camping rather than in a hut. A decent inflatable sleeping mat – see comment above about ground – and a three season sleeping bag. Not sure if there are any river crossings on the Laugavegur but it might be worth taking Crocs or similar for them and keep your walking boots dry.

whitestone – thanks for this, exactly the kind of info I was after. I don’t mind other folk on the trail, just not a constant stream of them. Sounds as though we might be ok. Is camping restricted to official sites, do you know? That could be an issue – we prefer to camp wild.

You’d have to check but it seems that camping around the huts is permitted. Despite its ruggedness the landscape is quite fragile so it’s frowned upon to walk/ride/drive away from the existing tracks. There’s someone who posts on here who knows a lot more about Iceland so it might be better to wait for them to post.

No worries, thanks again. I’ll do some googling and check the hiking/outdoor forums too.

I did this with a guided group in June 2014 – Spectacular. I got quite a bit of information regarding the route and required kit. I’m happy to dig it out and send to you (email in profile).

Despite poor weather, it was one of the most memorable holidays I have had.

Felofagen – thanks for this, just emailed you.

I went with the wife a few years ago. We camped at youth hostel in Reykjavik and then at the huts along the trail. It’s busy because it’s a popular trail but you spread out over the course of the day.
The campsites along the trail are basic but very cheap (£7 ish). You could wild camp but as it’s a pretty untouched environment we decided against it. It was nice being around other hikers too and seeing the same people at the beginning and end of each day – solidarity really. There are no restocking points on the trail so carry everything you need.
We were lucky with weather and had rain only a couple of times (August). There were a couple of river crossings but nothing to worry about. The water was freezing as you’d expect!
The place is really well geared up for tourism. The buses are great. No need to book them in advance of travel. The airport bus is really convenient. We got a hiking bus pass from the bus station. This was reasonable and offered a few pick up points along the trail depending on where you want to end. It collects from the hostel too which made life easy to start the hike.
The hostel camp site has a small shop that sells gas but also has shelves where campers often leave gas before flying back so you can bag some free bits.
Next to the campsite is a thermal leisure centre which is pretty nice.
The scenery is like nothing I’ve seen elsewhere. Beautiful place. The hiking is relatively easy. First day is probably the hardest with the highest campsite of the trip at the end. It was pretty cold at altitude and there was snow even in summer.
Take waterproofs as it will rain. Not very technical so you could get away with trail shoes if you wanted.
You’ll have a great time. Can’t wait to go back!