Arctic Ready - A Packing and Travel Guide for Aurora Chasers
This guide distils my firsthand experience chasing the Northern Lights in Abisko—everything I wish I’d known before stepping into -35°C darkness.
For my first time visiting the Arctic Circle to witness the famed Northern Lights, as the travel dates drew closer, I found myself looking for the best packing tips and travel hacks. I had to go through several websites to even get a first level understanding of it. So, this post is aimed at bringing all that knowledge and my personal experience into one place.
Where and when to visit
I had been looking for the perfect place for viewing this once in a lifetime wonder for over a year, I zeroed in on visiting Abisko National Park in Northern Sweden as I came across something called the Blue Hole. This is essentially a weather pattern that provides Abisko with more clear nights than any other place for Aurora viewing. I signed up with Lights Over Lapland for it and they were the most spectacular hosts and guides I could have asked for.
The best time to visit the Arctic is during the Polar Nights, when the North Pole is engulfed in 6 months of darkness, making the Aurora Borealis visible. The season generally starts from October and ends in March each year. I decided to visit in early January when the nights are the deepest and the weather the coldest.
Stay and Food
My stay was arranged at the cozy STF Abisko Turiststation. The hotel also serves as a hostel (Keron Hostel) for travellers looking for an economical stay with shared dormitories. There is a beautiful cafeteria on location that allows you to have meals looking out at Lake Torneträsk. Breakfast and lunch are buffet spreads, however for dinner seats need to be reserved and orders placed in advance. This is due to the remote location of the hotel and supplies need to be managed.
There is a coffee/souvenir shop which also serves pre-prepared meals like sandwiches and coffee. The hotel has various nooks, corners and lookouts, with fireplaces which are perfect for spending time with a hot cup of coffee and books. Food is usually meat based in Sweden, although vegetarian options are available, they are sparse.
Weather
It is the Arctic, so it goes without saying that temperatures can hover around -20°C to -25°C. The day I arrived, in early January, it was -25°C during the daytime and nighttime temperatures dropped to -35°C. Frozen would be an understatement, so proper clothing is key to being able to enjoy the Northern Lights.
Tickets (flight and train) and Visa
For anyone reading from the Global North with some of the strongest passports need not even worry about the administrative hassles of visa application. For people like us from the Global South, it’s important to first secure your flight tickets well in advance and then move on to the visa application.
From the Arlanda airport, there is a direct train to the Stockholm central station. Tickets for both ways can be bought at the kiosks or at the counters. At the train station there are self-service luggage storage that can be used by making a payment at the facility. I found this particularly useful as I had a 4-hour layover and I was able to explore the city without having to lug around the suitcases.
In order to reach Abisko, there is a night train from Stockholm. The tickets for this train open 3 months in advance and can be booked at Vy here. My personal experience is to book this as soon as possible since the tickets sell out fast during the season. The train has an option for choosing women-only coupe. The journey is overnight, so it’s best to choose a sleeper coach as opposed to a seater (which are cheaper).
Known as the Polar Express, the sleeper coaches provide a very comfortable ride with all amenities. Sleeping kits (pillow, sheets, duvet, towels) are provided for each seat along with drinking water. The food carriage has a good selection of food and coffee that can be refilled twice. However, this carriage gets disconnected midway and the coaches are attached to another train, so ensure to return to your coach before the change if you do not want to reach the Norway border. There are luggage stows available at both ends of each carriage.
Clothing
The most important thing to remember is layers, layers and layers. This is the only way to not only survive but also enjoy the biting cold of the Arctic. I will link the products I picked up which worked like a charm, but it may or may not be available in all countries (albeit there should be similar options).
Thermals: This should be the very first layer. Ensure to get only merino wool thermals as they are thin and lightweight yet provide superior warmth by locking in the body heat. These also do not smell of sweat despite multiple uses and therefore reduce the need to be washed frequently. I picked up topand bottom from Decathlon.
Warm fleece/sweater: This should be the second layer. A good quality fleece or sweater helped in providing the warmth and thickness needed to keep the cold out. I picked up the top from Decathlon and the bottom from Amazon. The bottom also helped during the train travel as a standalone.
Down jacket/Insulated pants: This should be the third layer. The down jacketneeds to be at least with a 600 down rating which will provide ample cover from cold and acts as a windbreaker which is needed for the icy gales that sweep the poles. I picked up a size bigger since this was a third layer and needed room to accommodate the other two layers. The trousersneed to be fleece lined inside and water repellent outside – much like a ski pant.
Gloves: I picked up a glove linerwith a touchscreen option to be able to operate gear without completely baring my hands and a thick ski glovefor heat lock and added warmth.
Socks: Again, merino wool socks are an absolute must to protect from frostbites. Since these are thin, they can also be easily layered. I picked a set of merino wooland another set of warm socks.
Hat/Neck Buff: A good hat is needed to cover the head from the cold and I additionally picked up a neck buffwhich I could pull up to cover my nose and face.
Snow proof shoes/insulated boots: During this time of the year, the Arctic is covered in snow, sometimes 2-3 feet deep. A good waterproof snow shoeshelped navigate the terrain throughout the day and during the night, I rented insulated boots from the hotel. It’s very important to get the correct size of the boots as I found out the hard way on the first night out. I had taken a size bigger and it left my feet numb within hours with the cold seeping in and I was unable to walk towards the end as my feet were on the brink of a frostbite.
Insulated overalls: Even after all these layers, during the night when the temperatures drop, an insulated overall is needed to tuck in the body heat which can very quickly dissipate. I rented the overalls from the hotel which were more than enough for the protection. It’s best to rent these at the location as they are bulky and will have no use outside of the polar regions.
Hand and feet warmers: As an emergency measure, I had carried instant hand and feet warmers, which came in handy on the first day itself when my feet became inoperable. It is definitely a good to have item.
Cash or card?
Sweden is a 100% cash-free country and the 100 Euros that I carried as emergency funds returned in whole with me after the trip. All places, including the train café coach, accept all major cards, both debit and credit. The service staff in Sweden are extremely well paid so there is no tipping culture.
Reading the Aurora
Whenever people talk about the Aurora Borealis, they tend to use the term KP-index. I learned during the aurora chasing that it's of little practical use in the field. The KP-index is merely an indicator of how far along the equator the lights will be visible. So, if the KP-index is 2 or 3 it means the activity will be limited to the polar regions whereas if the KP-index is 10 or 11, it will be visible beyond the earth’s equator in regions that do not normally get to see the auroras.
Some of the things that do help in identifying the possibility of the Northern Lights making an appearance is Magnetogram. This is a far more reliable metric which is updated every 30 minutes and gives an accurate prediction of the auroral activity. The Auroral Oval is another good way to know if the region you are in will have a chance of the lights or not. And of course, last but not least, ensuring that you time your visit during the solar maximum rather than solar minimum increases the chances that much more. The Sun goes through the cycles of solar maximum and minimum every 10 years or so.
This is good resource to learn more about it.
Preparation is key—the Arctic cold is unforgiving (unless you’re a weirdo like me who thrives in it). The better equipped you are, the richer your aurora-chasing experience will be.
