What to Wear Dog Sledding in Tromsø 2026: Packing List

Booking choice: The Kvaløya self-drive trip, from $351 per person. Check dates Tour details

Every winter sled trip on this site lends you a thermal suit and boots, and most add mittens and a hat. Use all of it. Full Suitcase puts it well: the suit keeps you warm and keeps snow, dog hair and dirt off your own clothes.

Tromsø is milder than people expect, thanks to the coast. Sitting still in a moving sled is not. The wind of the ride and the snow the dogs kick up are what make you cold.

The quick answer

The kennel lends a thermal suit, winter boots and, on most trips, mittens and a hat. Under it wear a wool base layer top and bottom, a fleece or wool sweater, wool socks and a buff. No cotton, no jeans. In Tromsø an average January day runs from about -5 to -1°C; the Tamok valley is often -10 to -20°C.

Guests in thermal suits harnessing huskies beside wooden sleds in a birch grove — Everyone wears the kennel's suit. It keeps out snow and dog hair too.

What do the kennels lend you for dog sledding?

A thermal suit and winter boots on every winter trip, plus mittens and a hat on most. Check the list before you pack.

From the listings:

Trip	Lent to you	Bring yourself
Kvaløya self-drive	Suit, boots; wool socks, hat and mittens if needed	Warm layers, hat, gloves, socks
Short Breivikeidet ride	Suit, boots, hat, mittens	Warm layers, socks, a scarf
Tamokdalen day	Suit, boots, mittens, hat	Thermal layers, a scarf
Self-drive with lunch	Snowsuit, boots	Hat, gloves
Guided sled ride	Warm suit, boots	Gloves, hat; sunglasses February to April
Tromsø Aurora Husky	Overalls, jacket, boots	Wool layers, socks, gloves, hat
Evening sledding	Suit, boots, mittens, hat	Extra mid layer for the night
Northern lights chase	Thermal suit	Your own winter boots

Suit, boots, wool hat, socks and mittens are all on the kit list for the Kvaløya self-drive.

Check dates for the Kvaløya self-drive trip

What should you wear under the thermal suit?

Wool or synthetic base layers top and bottom, one warm mid layer and wool socks. Thin layers, not one thick jumper.

Base layer: merino wool or synthetic long johns and a long-sleeved top.
Mid layer: a fleece or wool sweater. Add a second on evening trips.
Legs: the base layer is enough under the suit. One Breivikeidet guest wrote: "Clothes were provided so there's no need to wear thick pants - thermals are sufficient."
Skip: jeans and cotton. They hold sweat, and wet cotton is cold cotton.

Don't overdress. You will sweat on the warm bus and when pushing uphill, then chill on the next downhill.

A guide kneeling in the snow with huskies, fitting gear on a black and white dog — Guides spend hours outside. Their trick is thin layers.

How do you keep your hands warm while dog sledding?

Thin liner gloves under the kennel's mittens, and keep the mittens on: the driver needs a grip on the handlebar the whole ride.

Hands go first, because the driver can't tuck them away. Liner gloves let you work a phone for a quick photo without baring skin. Put a pair of disposable hand warmers in the suit pocket; they cost little and rescue a cold passenger. Take the mittens off only when the sled has stopped.

Bring your own gloves on the Villmarkssenter self-drive and the guided ride: their listings ask for hat and gloves.

What about feet and face?

Wool socks inside the kennel's boots, and a buff you can pull over your nose. Sunglasses help from February, when the sun comes back.

One pair of thick wool socks beats two pairs crammed together; tight boots are cold boots. The kennels' boots are big and warm, so you don't need your own snow boots for the sledding. You do need shoes with grip for icy streets in town.

For the face, a buff or neck gaiter is the most useful thing you pack; Destination Tromsø asks every guest to bring a scarf. Visit Tromsø recommends sunglasses from February to April, when low sun on snow is bright. Glasses wearers: expect fog when you pull the buff up.

A black husky with snow on its face and fur — Snow kicked up by the team lands on your face too. A buff helps.

How cold is it dog sledding in Tromsø?

In town, average lows sit around -2 to -6°C from November to March. Inland in the Tamok valley, -10 to -20°C is normal and -30°C happens.

Monthly normals for the Tromsø weather station, 1991 to 2020, from MET Norway (via Wikipedia's climate table):

Month	Avg. high	Avg. low	Sledding
November	2.1°C	-1.9°C	Season starts; carts if snow is thin
December	0.3°C	-3.9°C	Polar night, twilight at midday
January	-1.0°C	-5.3°C	Reliable snow; sun back late in the month
February	-1.2°C	-5.6°C	Coldest month, longer days
March	0.6°C	-4.4°C	Bright, long days, good snow
April	4.1°C	-1.6°C	Late season; strong sun, softer snow

The thermometer is half the story. A moving sled adds wind, and the coast's damp cold feels colder than the number. The Tamok valley is a different climate: dry, still and much colder (Arctic Norway). Season dates are in the 2026-27 season post.

Colder air, drier snow: the Tamokdalen day trip lends you suit, boots, mittens and hat.

Check dates for the Tamokdalen day trip

Will my phone work in the cold?

Yes, if you keep it warm: carry it in an inside pocket, and expect the battery to drop fast below freezing.

Phone batteries lose charge quickly in the cold and can shut down near zero percent. Keep the phone against your body, take it out for a shot and put it back. A small power bank in an inner pocket helps on long days.

Photos are a passenger's job. The driver keeps both hands on the handlebar; film each other in turns. Arctic Adventure Tours has little space on the sled for tripods and lets you leave them in the equipment room, and drones aren't allowed. On the evening trip a photographer takes northern lights portraits for you.

A guest sitting in a wooden sled on open snow with mountains behind — The passenger has both hands free. That is the moment for photos.

What changes for an evening or northern lights trip?

You stand still for longer in colder air. Add a second mid layer, and bring your own winter boots on the northern lights chase.

Evening trips mean hours by a fire or on a reindeer skin, waiting for the sky. Your body makes less heat when you stop moving. Bring an extra fleece, a warm hat for under the hood and hand warmers. The northern lights chase lends thermal suits but lists boots as not included, so wear proper winter boots. More in dog sledding and the northern lights.

Guests in thermal suits sitting around a fire at night — Long waits by the fire: dress for standing still.

What do you wear for puppy training in summer?

Layers and rain gear: the kennel lends rain clothes and boots, and the trail is muddy.

Without snow there's no sledding, but puppy training at Tromsø Villmarkssenter runs through the snow-free season. Wear hiking clothes in layers; July averages a high of about 16°C, and autumn days are cooler and wet. Expect paws on your knees.