In the period from December to March we noticed that many customers of the shop organize themselves to be able to admire the Northern Lights.
What kind of clothing should you have to enjoy this show in peace and comfort? Here are some suggestions.
- First layer: technical underwear is the most important choice to pay attention to. So synthetic or merino wool thermal shirt that guarantees comfort between -10° and + 10°. In this way we will have optimal thermoregulation during the temperature changes of the days in which you will be visiting there. Underwear is also intended for tights if you are not equipped with technical winter mountain trousers
- Second layer: the second layer, for the upper part, can be a fleece with a thickness of between 200 and 300 grams or a good wool or cashmere sweater. For the trousers, a technical mountain trousers that is elastic, windproof and water resistant (NO Gore-Tex) can be fine. If the trousers have internal padding, that's fine, otherwise we can wear tights.
- Last layer: padded and waterproof technical jacket, possibly from Mountain brands so that it is light in weight but at the same time warm. This will help breathability and ease of movement.
- Shoes: trekking shoes, better mid (a little high) but if necessary low is also fine, waterproof! You can also opt for a snow shoe, therefore trekking boot style but padded. This last choice however will tie you to the sole experience of the trip in a "place" of snow while the trekking shoe with a good thick and warm sock will do its job for the experience of the Northern Lights and then you can use it for other trips or excursions.
- Essential accessories: warm but not too bulky gloves (no ski gloves), warm technical mountain socks (with a high percentage of polyester or merino wool), warm but above all windproof hat. Headlamp. Hand warmers. Thermos can help to carry hot drinks.
These are general tips to help you choose the right equipment. Then of course, case by case, there will be more specific advice for the various needs.
For this article I asked for the participation of a BF Mountain's friend: Roberto Villani . He has faced the journey to see the Northern Lights twice. I asked him some questions about his direct experience, so that it can be useful to others too! Below is the interview:
- BF: Hi Roberto, you are among the people who have been lucky enough to see the Northern Lights! Can you tell us in which year and in which place you were able to admire the Northern Lights?
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Photo courtesy of Roberto Villani
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- A: I have seen the Northern Lights on two separate occasions. In 2018 and 2019. In both cases I went during the period known in Scandinavia as the polar night. A period of “darkness” that goes from November to March.
- BF: What time of year did you go? Or rather, what season did you find there and what kind of clothing did you equip yourself with?
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Photo courtesy of Roberto Villani
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- A: As I was saying, I went in the polar night and I chose that month in both years. Full winter therefore, but being beyond the Arctic Circle - I was in Tromsø Norway - it had already been winter for a while. The clothing was chosen using excellent advice from BF Mountain because it was the first time I went to such a cold climate and I thought first of all about the boots, with the possibility of attaching small crampons, because the ice on the roads is a danger especially for pedestrians. So a good pair of Salomon boots and the rest as you normally dress to go for a day in the mountains even here in Italy. This is because even with very low temperatures, I found it dry cold, but gloves and a hat are mandatory.
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Photo courtesy of Roberto Villani
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- BF: What would you have liked to bring that you didn't in your clothing selection? Or more generally, what would you recommend to someone who has to face this experience?
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- A: A signal light like the ones miners use. At those latitudes in the polar night it is always dark, a small flash of light between noon and two in the afternoon then the darkness that we see after 10 pm returns immediately. A light is used to see and be seen above all. I noticed and immediately purchased on the spot, some LED band lights that the locals, especially the kids who go to school, the cyclists and the elderly, put on their arms to be seen by motorists.
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- BF: What else do you feel like recommending to best admire this spectacle of nature?
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- A: Download one of those apps to check the weather and how intense the aurora will be, because only if the sky is clear can you see the Northern Lights. If it rains or the sky is covered with clouds, you will spend hours waiting for the wind to blow the clouds away. And hours in the cold because it does not always appear, because as we all know, it depends on the sun, which paradoxically cannot be seen during the day!
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- BF: Did you organize everything yourself or did you rely on a travel agency?
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- A: Today with the various platforms you can organize trips anywhere by yourself. I always prefer to do it this way. Only if I have to go to places of high danger do I prefer an agency.
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- BF: You are a photographer. What feelings did you feel photographing the landscapes of this trip and immortalizing the Northern Lights?
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Photo courtesy of Roberto Villani
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- A: Photographer is a big word, I am a photography enthusiast and I try to take pictures wherever I go. I am a lover of local markets and on every trip I go to a market to take pictures. The aurora however was worth a trip and armed with my cameras, a good wide angle lens nice and open, an f1.8 is fine but also a 2.8. But I also took pictures with the GoPro 5 for the first time. In short, if the idea is to photograph the aurora, photographic equipment designed for the place together with clothing are elements not to be underestimated.
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The BF Mountain staff thanks Roberto very much for this precious intervention and for the photos granted! We invite you to visit his Instagram page to admire his photos! Link to Roberto's Instgram page > https://bit.ly/3Iof6eq
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If you are going on this trip, stop by BF Mountain for some advice on what to wear!
