Iceland with a Camper Van- Ring Road in 66 Hours

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Join us as we Explore Iceland via the famed Ring Road with a 4×4 Camper Van in Winter Conditions on a quest for Northern Lights.

Time of Year: Mid November
Aurora Borealis season in Iceland is roughly September through the end of April.

Camper Van Info

  • Rented from: GO Iceland Rentals
  • Make and Model: VW California 4×4 Automatic
  • Trim Level: “Beach” (seats 5, sleeps 4)
  • Engine: Diesel , 44.8 mpg
  • Auxiliary Heater system for night time heat.
  • Came with: Wifi hot spot, cookware, utensils, flatware, two types of camp stoves, potable water container, 4 sleeping bags, table.

Notable Locations Shown Day 1 (and night before)

  • Arrival at Keflavik International Airport.
  • Northern Lights sighting outside of Reykjavik.
  • Our favorite Icelandic meal – gas station hot dogs.
  • Goðafoss waterfall
  • Grocery shopping at a small grocery store in northern Iceland.
  • Mývatn lake and wetlands region.
  • Mývatn Nature Baths (hot springs)
  • Hverir Geothermal Area (bubbling mud and steam vents)
  • Dettifoss waterfall in Vatnajökull National Park
  • Northern Lights sighting near the town of Vik on Iceland’s eastern coast.

Notable Locations Shown Day 2

  • Diamond Beach / Jökulsárlón Beach
  • Random, unnamed (from what we could tell) waterfall that we spotted from the road.
  • Hiking in the Skaftafell wilderness area, within Vatnajökull National Park.
  • Svartifoss waterfall.
  • Fjaðrárgljúfur Canyon (or as Sara and Ashley call it, “Sweet-ass Mossy Canyon”)
  • Lasagna at Primo Ristorante
  • Downtown Reykjavik and Laugavegur street.
  • Lebowski Bar for a beer and the notorius Coco-puff cocktail.

Notable Locations Shown Day 3

  • Blue Lagoon Hot Spring
  • Some final hot dogs at a cool little hot dog and ice cream stand called Skýlið on the way back to Keflavik airport. It kind reminded me of a Dairy Queen back in the states.

It should be pointed out that this is certainly not the ideal way to do a Iceland Ring Road trip, or to see Iceland in general.  But life is unpredictable, and this is the experience we had.  This video should not be seen as an endorsement of trying to see such a vast and unique place in such a short time-frame.

Beyond the obvious sightseeing reasons for avoiding such a tight schedule, there is the even more important factor of SAFETY.  The wrong combination of unfortunate weather, the wrong vehicle choice, and a simple mistake could make for a very uncomfortable or unsafe situation.  Weather in Iceland can change on a dime, and winter conditions can make those changes even more extreme.  In our case we had the right combination of events occur to allow us to safely complete our Ring Road experience.  However, things could have gone completely differently.  We were willing to keep an open mind and had several contingency plans.

There is a very real chance on a schedule this tight that you could end up missing your return flight home.  While that would be terrible, it is a far better alternative than taking unacceptable risks and getting yourself or others hurt.  Please be safe and realistic when planning your own adventures!

Handy Links and Resources for those planning their own Iceland camper van adventure

Snow Shovels for Winter Camping & Backpacking

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Thoughts on Snow Shovels for Winter Camping & Winter Backpacking Trips.

Items Seen / Discussed in this Video

I’m not sure if they make the actual Camp brand snow shovel seen in this video anymore. That’s why I linked the other brand above which looks similar and appears to have solid reviews.  But I did find a new plastic version by Camp that weighs in at only 9 oz. I’m sure it’s not nearly as resilient though, as the blade is made of polypropylene, as opposed to a coated aluminum.

Mail Call – Viewer Comments, Iceland, & 2017 Deer Camp Vid on the Whiterook85 Channel

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Discussion of various Hiking, Camping & Backpacking tips / topics. I guess it’s kind of like a low budget Backpacking Podcast using viewer mail and comments to pick the talking points. Or something like that.

Topics Discussed on this Episode

  • Where I’ve been the last few weeks.
  • 2017 Deer Camp Cabin Video out now on my dad’s channel, Whiterook85
  • Our recent trip to Iceland with a camper van.
  • Incorporating viewer comments into Mail Call episodes.
  • Carol gives us some life advice.
  • Various playlists available on the Sintax77 channel homepage.
  • People want to see cheeseburgers.
  • Two Bobs on YouTube
  • EDC Knives?
  • Thoughts on Hiking Poles / Trekking Poles for backpacking and hiking.
  • Hiking Poles for 3-Season vs Winter / Snowshoeing Trips
  • Water containers for backpacking water filters.
  • New Sawyer Micro Water Filter that came with my Saywer S3 Water Filter.
  • Gravity water filters vs smaller personal use filters.
  • Michael L. loves the sound of my voice.
  • Proper use of carabiners, Dutch Clips, etc when setting up hammock suspension straps.
  • Subs vs Hoagies?
  • Bringing “real food” on backpacking trips for your first meal or two.
  • Winter Ultralight Backpacking?
  • Gear List Videos
  • Finding Trail Maps
  • Some viewers think I quit making hiking / backpacking vids? (nope)
  • Using the “Subscription Bell” to get notifications for my new vids.
  • Winter Survival Topic – Beer Strategy
  • Never wear a Pittsburgh hat in Philly
  • 2 liter bag options for Katadyn BeFree (HydraPak 2 & 3 liter wide mouth bags)
  • Snowshoeing and courtesy to cross country skiers.
  • Dealing with “mono-rails” on winter snow hikes.
  • Doing a winter summit in 80mph winds (my High Winds Hiking Video)


Items Seen in the Video

Want a free sticker? Send a SASE to my PO box:
Sintax77
PO Box 8163
Wilmington, DE 19803

Gear samples for Sintax77’s Mail Call may be sent to my PO Box as well.
Business Inquiries: Sintax77.biz@gmail.com

Camping the Abandoned Air Force Base

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Haunted by the need to Camp in an Abandoned Place, Mike and I decide do a Backpacking Trip to the Abandoned Lyndonville Radar Station in the Remote Woods of northern Vermont.

Lyndonville AFS, also known as the North Concord Air Force Station, was a cold war era radar base that functioned as a ground control intercept and warning station from 1956 to 1963.  Built as a defensive measure against the ever growing threat of a Soviet nuclear attack, it’s mission was to provide the Strategic air Command with 24/7 data on aircraft approaching the eastern US.  Roughly 25 miles from the Canadian border, near the town of East Haven, Vermont, it’s location was chosen due to it’s far northeast orientation, under the assumption that this would be a likely attack vector for soviet nuclear bombers attacking major metropolitan areas on the east cost, including the US capitol itself.

Today the base sits abandoned on the remote ridge of East Mountain, with all of it’s radar towers still standing as a reminder of the post WWII escalation that almost brought the world to it’s end.  On the upside, the views are fantastic.

Notable Gear

Mike’s YouTube Channels:

Hiking the Dix Range Pt 2 – Adirondacks 3 Day Backpacking Trip | Hammock Camping

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Join Sara and I for 3 days of Hiking & Hammock Camping on a Backpacking Trip in the Adirondack’s Dix Mountain Wilderness.

For this backpacking adventure, I’ll be breaking the hiking trip into two parts. Hiking the Dix Range Part 2 is comprised of mostly hiking and summits, as we ascend from camp up onto the Dix Range to hit the Beck-Horn (a subsidiary peak of Dix Mountain) and the summit of Dix Mountain itself.

The previous Dix Range Part 1 covered our hike in to camp, setting up our base camp with our two person hammock camping system, and some campfire chat while we made a campfire, camp chores, and cook some backpacking food.

GPS Data for this trip is available on the Trip Data Page or by clicking this link for direct download: Adirondacks Dix Range Backpacking Trip 2017 – Sintax77

Trailhead and Parking Location

Elk Lake Trailhead Parking Lot, 675 Elk Lake Rd, North Hudson, NY 12855
44°01’15.0″N 73°49’40.9″W

Topics discussed and things that happen in this episode

  • A quick breakfast and discussion on where we get our Cook-in-Bags for preparing our morning oatmeal.
  • Hitting the trail towards the Adirondacks Dix Range (full trail log below)
  • Some night hiking on the descent.
  • A backpacking food taste test of AlpineAire Guacamole.

For more details on trails used for Day 1, see our Adirondacks Dix Range Part 1 Blog Post.

Trails Used Day 2

  • Set out from camp and continue north along the nearby Elk Lake to Dix Mountain Trail.
  • Get some views of Dix Pond along the way.
  • At the junction, head right (east) to ascend the Dix via Beckhorn Trail.
  • Tag Beckhorn (a subsidiary peak of Dix Mountain) for some amazing 360 views of New Yorks Adirondack Mountains.
  • Continue a short bit and tag the official summit of Dix Mountain for another round of views.
  • Begin a steep and rocky descent via the Hunters Pass Trail.
  • Rejoin the Elk Lake to Dix Mountain Trail at the junction from earlier
  • Return to base camp along the Elk Lake to Dix Mountain Trail.

Dix Range Adirondacks Day 2 Elevation Profile – Sintax77

Day 2 Total Mileage:  7 miles
Day 2 Gross Elevation Gain: 2,913 feet
Day 2 Gross Elevation Loss:  2,913 feet

 

Trails Used Day 3 (hike out)

  • Break camp along the Elk Lake Trail, after the Lillian Brook LT and just before the large bridge crossing Lillian Brook.  As of 9/14/17, this site had a yellow “Camp Here” disc, designating it a fully legal spot, despite it’s proximity to a small stream nearby. The stream is probably a convenient water source when flowing good, but we opted to get our water a 100 meters or so down the trail by the Lilian Brook bridge.
  • Head south on the Elk Lake to Dix Mountain Trail
  • Pass the Slide Brook Lean-to . The Slide Brook LT and camping area makes for a popular base camp for hikers hitting the Dix Range. We chose to push on a bit (under 2 miles) to the lesser used Lillian Brook lean-to area, which as some nice, legal campsites that are a bit more secluded.
  • Return to the Elk Lake Trailhead Parking Lot.  This is a decent sized lot along a gravel road on the way to the Elk Lake Lodge.  If the lot is full, you may park for free at the Elk Lake Lodge, a bit further up the road.

Day 3 Total Mileage:  3.6 miles
Day 3 Gross Elevation Gain: 354 feet
Day 3 Gross Elevation Loss:  559 feet

Full Trip 3 Day Grand Total Mileage: 14.6 miles
Full Trip 3 Day Grand Total Elevation Gain: 3,900 feet

Notable Camping / Backpacking Gear Seen on this Video

Our Dog’s Backpacking Gear

Backpacking Food