Q&A: Preparing for a winter trip - what do you need?

Hi guys, I have just received a really long list of question from a Malaysian guy called Kev who is traveling to the UK this winter (arriving in mid-December, staying over Christmas and leaving in early January) and I am going to oblige him with some answers. As my regular readers know, I've blogged a lot on the issue of winter wear for beginners. I suppose he is asking the kind of questions that most people who have never visited a cold country before would ask.

London in the winter: yes it can get really quite cold.

1. How windy does it get in winter ?

It really varies. We can get strong winds all year round in the UK, some days are windy, some days are still. It is really hard to predict but some areas are more windy than others. For example, cities tend to feel less windy as you are protected at street-level by the buildings around you whilst on more exposed areas like on mountains, seasides and rooftops you tend to feel the full brunt of the winds. I have a roof top garden as I live on the top floor of my building (and I own the roof, it is mine, mine mine all mine) and it is amazing just how much more windy it feels up there compared to at street level. We tend not to get typhoon-style super strong winds, it is very rare. I'm not saying it hasn't happened before, but it is so rare that you are highly unlikely to encounter it. In winter, it is really the rain you need to protect yourself from, so make sure your outerwear is waterproof so you can stay dry.

2. I know you are strongly against long Johns- but what about the heat tech material from UNIQLO? They are one of the materials that I love since it's kinda silky.

The main reason why I am against long Johns or any other forms of thermal underwear is the fact that you cannot take them off when you are indoors. If you're wearing other forms of winter clothing like coats or sweaters, you can take them off when you enter a warm place indoors. If you're stuck with thermal underwear in a warm place, you will sweat profusely and it is unhygienic and uncomfortable. Thermal underwear is really designed for people who spend extended long periods outdoors, say if you are camping in winter and it is below zero. If you are a tourist moving between indoor and outdoor areas, then layer up but do not wear any kind of thermal underwear - including those from the brand you mentioned. It is not the brand that matters, it is the fact that indoor areas are kept very warm and you will sweat a lot if you keep too many layers on indoors. It really is that simple - just say NO to thermal underwear.

Are you planning to go sightseeing or camping in winter?

3. I also would like to be fashionable with the clothing - it feels good to look nice. Is there a good chance to get fashionable winter wear in London at a really reasonable price? In Malaysia some nice looking ones I have seen are like RM700.

RM700 = £118 or S$232- that is quite expensive, what are you talking about? A sweater? A coat? The problem with buying winter clothes in Singapore and Malaysia is the fact that those who need winter wear are those who can afford to travel. Poor people in Singapore/Malaysia don't need winter wear, so retailers tend to charge whatever they can get away with, knowing that the people buying the winter clothing are generally quite rich. However, in the UK, both poor and rich people need winter clothing when the weather gets cold and you can get bargains at retailers like Primark, Matalan and Peacocks which tend to cater to the lower end of the market, but are still quite nice. Now I don't know how rich you are, but since you live in Malaysia, you are not going to need the winter clothing until your next trip so I would simply get something reasonably cheap at one of these retailers for your trip. What is the point in investing in some really expensive designer coats when you are hardly ever going to wear it after you return to Malaysia?

4. As for shoes - what kind of soles should they have?

Footwear: I have done a whole piece on shoes for winter already - here is the link. 

5. My sister in law, my niece and I get the cold rather easily - change in temperature can trigger a runny nose easily, so is there something we could wear that would help protect the nose while not making us look like Darth Vader?

Face it. There is very little you can do really in terms of protecting your nose because what is triggering off the runny nose is the cold air that you are inhaling into your lungs. You need to breathe, so even if you put say a scarf over your nose, the air that eventually makes it into your lungs is still very cold. Some people will wrap a scarf over their nose in order to warm the small area between your face and the scarf, but that makes very little difference as it will only warm the air up a little, but it will still be very cold. The fact is a runny nose is your body's natural reaction to the cold air - it is inconvenient sure, but it doesn't mean that you are falling ill. Just accept it, bring some tissues with you and after a few days, your body will get used to the colder weather and adjust accordingly. The Japanese use a surgical face mask in such situations - but it is really more to protect them against germs rather than the cold. I never use them though.

It was -20 when I took this picture and my nose was very cold.

6. Is a wool/cloth based outer jacket better compared to leather or synthetic material for the UK winter?

The ultimate test is when it is raining heavily - will your coat keep you dry? Is it water-proof? Or will it soak up the rain, leaving you feeling wet and totally miserable? This is why leather and synthetics are very good because you can get a lot of rain in the winter and you want to make sure your outermost layer is very good at protecting you very well against the rain. I think people tend to worry a lot about staying warm when really, they should worry about staying dry. There's nothing more miserable than wet clothes or shoes in winter - needless to say, wet clothes will leave you feeling very cold indeed. Always check the label before you buy anything to check it is waterproof.

7. Personally the first place I tend to sweat from is my armpits. This happens especially if I am wearing a jacket to the cinema or formal coat to a function. - how can I best protect myself with the layering to avoid embarrassing myself with odour in public?

Good question! Firstly, avoid all thermal underwear. Never ever wear thermal underwear. Do not wear thermal underwear - it is fucking evil, it is the work of the devil. It is important to dress appropriately for the weather - that means shedding your layers when you enter a warm building. Even if it is below zero outside, buildings are usually heated to around 21 degrees in the UK. That means it is pretty much the same as any air-conditioned shopping center in Malaysia or Singapore. Do you wear winter coats when you go to the mall in Malaysia or Singapore? Of course not, you walk around in short and T-shirts, it feels cool, you do not sweat but you do not shiver either at 21 degrees. That is why it is such a nice temperature - not too hot, not too cold. But if you were to wear many layers of winter clothing when you are indoors, then you will start sweating a lot and your clothes will start absorbing your sweat. Then it is not just you who will stink, even your clothes will smell very bad. Yucks. Please avoid that situation by immediately taking off your winter clothing when you step indoors. You will definitely sweat a lot if you wear thermal underwear indoors - that's why you must never wear thermal underwear unless you are sleeping in a tent, camping outdoors when it is -25 degrees. Otherwise, make sure you apply a suitable underarm deodorant to help combat those ugly sweaty patches.

You will sweat even when it is very cold.

8. I love clubbing - so what's the best way to dress for the clubs there?

Haha! I have not been clubbing for a long time as I am 40, I used to go clubbing a long time ago when I was younger. Try this link for the best clubs in the UK. But I think there are a few practical points you have to note when going clubbing in the UK during winter: clubs are kept very warm indeed. We're talking 23-28 degrees indoors, often warmer because if it is very crowded, the huge volumes of people, all dancing and sweating: not only does it get hot, it gets humid (and sweaty) as well. I suspect that they clubs keep it that way to make sure the clients spend more money on drinks at the bar - but you don't need to be a scientist to figure out that if you pack many people into a confined space and they all dance, it starts to get hot and sticky quite quickly. There is always a cloakroom (sometimes known as a coat check or vestiaire) where you can leaving your winter clothing and bags, so you are not wearing your sweaters and coats indoors when dancing in a hot room. This is never a free service though - that's how clubs make money.

I suggest that you wear whatever you need to wear to keep warm in the journey to the club, but prepare to leave every single piece of winter clothing at the cloakroom the moment you get there. Do not even retain a single sweater with you as you would regret it within two minutes once you realize how hot the clubs are. Just be warned that the cloakrooms will charge you a fee of between £1 to £2 per item, so if you leave three items there, that could be £6 just for leaving your winter clothes there. I used to check in just one winter coat to save money. I have heard of clubs charging even more for this service. Basically, they know that they can charge you whatever they want and you will have to pay - if you leave a pile of winter clothing on the dance floor, security guards will swoop in and tell you to pick it up and use the cloakroom service for very practical reasons: someone could trip over your coat if you leave it on the floor. It is quite dressed down, you can wear what you like but some clubs are quite fussy about footwear and have a no trainers rule. Don't ask me why, but all clubs will have a website where you can check their dress codes when it comes to shoes. Also, sometimes, they may sometimes have certain discount codes on their websites you can use. 

Okay, so that's it from me for now, I've answered all of Kev's 8 questions. It is the middle of summer at the moment but you guys are awfully interested in winter wear! But of course, it is winter in the southern hemisphere now.  If you have any more questions on the issue of winter wear, I'll be happy to answer your questions. Many thanks for reading.