You may or may not have heard, but we are leaving Monday to go back to Scandinavia. We’re starting in Reykjavik (Iceland Air stopover), then heading to Copenhagen, Stockholm, and finishing in Helsinki. This time of year is a wonderful time to travel, it’s getting warmer but cool enough to trek around with a jacket, and we’ll be there just before tourist season.

A big mistake we made on our last trip was not preparing for rain, it poured for most of the days we were in Stockholm and I ruined a pair of nice leather boots. This time we are bringing our rain boots and jackets with us, along with a slew of other handy things we wanted to share with you.

The two rain boots on the floor we both purchased during our last trip to Scandinavia. Juli picked up a pair of Ilse Jacobsen low rise rubber boots, and I got the classic Swedish Tretorn rain boots.

From top left / clockwise

Mucu pocket notebook $15
Mucu blank notebook $14
Kuksa camping cup $85
SIWA glasses case by Naoto Fukasawa $28
Masakage Tanno business card case $165
Ruler
Pencil from MUJI
Japanese pocket tape measure

The Kenton Sorensen Dopp kit is just a classic, I take it on every trip and it only gets nicer with use. $200

I picked up a beautiful white travel electric shaver at the MUJI in Narita Airport. Honestly, I purchased it because the design is just so pleasing, but it does a pretty good job, and the size is perfect for traveling. Underneath is a soft cotton VIC face cloth I purchased from Canoe in Portland.

The great thing about going back to a place you’ve been before is that you are familiar with the city, and you don’t need to rely on travel guides to find your way around. The exception is the guide in the photo above which was gifted to us on our last trip to Reykjavik. It’s full of obscure spots that only true locals would know about.

For instance, best place in Reykjavik to enjoy the sunrise, or where to get an ice cream cone.

Juli – I’m not going to lie, I bought this gorgeous Hoi Bo purse after seeing a well-worn one on an acquaintance. And then I ran into another friend who had an even more worn-in one. These bags age so beautifully. The trip is the perfect time to break it in, because the bag is big enough to carry my honkin’ camera, a book, and a sweater.

Also pictured is the Kenton Sorenson passport wallet, which I love because it helps me stay organized. $120

We have definitely stepped up our luggage in the past few trips and replaced everything with nice Filson bags.The hat above is designed by Naoto Fukasawa for SIWA and is made by highly durable Naoron paper, which will be fine even in the rain.

We’re looking forward to start blogging on location! See you in Scandinavia!