In Kiruna, can I rent coats and similar clothes for cold weather?

Question

Is there any place in Kiruna where they rent clothes for the cold? I'm planning to travel there in March 2024.

Answer 1

My guess is that the answer is no.

Remember that Kiruna is a provincial town servicing a large iron ore mine. It is not a typical tourist destination as such. It has a city center with a number of stores tending mainly to the local population, a smallish university, hospital and so on. In the city center you could probably buy stuff, but check opening hours first. It is not typical to rent cold weather clothes as everyone has to have them for the full winter so not much of a market.

Remember to dress for cold weather already on arrival, winter temperatures are often -20 degrees Celsius, and can go as low as -40 degrees Celsius. If you haven´t experienced this kind of weather before it will come as a bit of a shock. Depending on how you travel from the airport you might need to walk a bit from the terminal and a bit to your hotel - it quickly gets very cold. But do check the weather reports, winter weather changes day to day and hour to hour.

If on the other hand you are travelling to a ski area or some kind,say "Riksgränsen" or a larger travel lodge, a good bet is to contact them well in advance and check the situation there. You will probably be able to rent ski equipment and some outerwear stuff.

Rental underwear? Never heard of it in Sweden.

My suggestion is to visit a largish sports outlet in your home country and get a full set of clothes there. This will allow you to do a bit of shopping around to reach better deals.