What Did a Viking Pack?
What did a Viking pack for a long journey? Discover the everyday essentials they carried across land and sea.
Vikings were experienced travellers. Whether they were setting off to trade, explore or settle somewhere new, they knew exactly what to take with them. So, let’s take a sneak peek inside a Viking travel chest and discover some of the items they may have packed for the journey.
Wooden Chest
Before you can pack anything, you need somewhere to put it. Imagine going on holiday without a suitcase!
Wooden chests were used to store and transport valuable belongings during long journeys. Travellers could keep clothes, tools and personal possessions inside. Some people may have travelled with working equipment too. A famous example from Scandinavia, known as the Mastermyr chest, contained blacksmith’s tools as well as items for cooking and camping, showing how some travellers carried everything they needed to work on the move.
Chests also had another useful purpose. Space was limited on Viking ships, so chests were often used as seats while rowing. In some cases, journeys were not spent entirely at sea. Viking crews are thought to have often travelled in stages, sailing by day and making for land to camp overnight when possible.
Clothes and Shoes
Vikings would probably pack a spare set of clothes and shoes. Many journeys were made on foot, and travellers often measured a journey by how far they could walk in a day.
Archaeologists have found shoes showing heavy wear and tear. Some even show signs of foot problems such as corns and bunions, suggesting that long-distance travel could be hard on a person’s feet.
Most Viking clothing was made from wool and linen. These materials were warm, durable and easy to repair. Viking clothes did not usually have sewn-in pockets like modern clothing, so people often carried their belongings in pouches or bags.
Clothing also came in a variety of colours, including red, green, blue and yellow. Cloaks and capes helped keep people warm during cold weather and sea voyages. Wealthier Vikings might even own imported silk that had travelled along trade routes linking Scandinavia with the Byzantine Empire.
Games
Today, many people take a book, tablet or handheld game on a long journey. Vikings also liked to pass the time while travelling.
One popular game was Hnefatafl (pronounced nef-a-taf-el). This board game was played across the Viking world. Archaeologists have even found evidence that people played games aboard ships. One gaming piece had a hole in its base, allowing it to be secured to the board so it would not slide around in rough seas.
Dice were also popular and could easily be carried in a travel chest.
Food
Travellers may have carried dried foods for long journeys. They also packed practical items such as fish hooks and tableware.
Rock salt was useful because it helped preserve food. Some people may also have carried ginger root, which could have been used to help with seasickness during long sea voyages.
Don’t worry, though—we don’t think they packed freshly caught fish in the same chest as their clothes!
Grooming
Despite what some people imagine, Vikings were not dirty warriors who never washed. In fact, archaeological evidence suggests that many Vikings took pride in their appearance.
During the Coppergate excavations, archaeologists found combs made from antler, showing that grooming was an important part of daily life. Vikings also carried tweezers and ear spoons, which were small tools used to remove earwax. These were often made from bronze, brass or silver.
Money
You can’t go on holiday without some spending money, and Viking travellers were no different.
Archaeologists have found silver coins across Scandinavia and the wider Viking world. These coins featured many different designs. Some showed Christian symbols or references to saints, while others used imagery linked to Norse traditions.
Some coins even included the name of the person who made them. Just make sure to watch out for forgeries—you won’t be able to buy any sweets with those!
What can a Viking's packing tell us?
The things Vikings packed tell us a lot about their lives. From clothes and grooming tools to games and money, these items helped them travel, trade and stay connected to communities across the Viking world.
Whether they were crossing the North Sea or travelling between towns, Vikings needed many of the same essentials we do today. They packed practical items, personal belongings and a few things to make the journey more comfortable.
If you’d like to discover more about Viking travel and trade, be sure to visit our Summer Voyage!