- it should "wick" sweat away from your skin - made of silk or a polyester synthetic; easiest to find in sporting goods shops. Despite the freezing temperatures, you will likely sweat when you're wearing all this stuff (so drink lots of water! Winter air tends to be drier, too.). - it should fit you snugly. Not unbreathably tight, but there shouldn't be much room for wrinkling. - extended sleeves that go all the way down to the bottom of your fingers, and a little thumbhole on the side. Easy to tuck into mittens (but with gloves, you tuck the gloves into the long underwear *G*). They also have straps that go from the bottom of the pants cuff down under the sole of my foot, and then back up. These will tuck into your socks. - you'll want 2-3 pairs; you'll be sweating into this every day you go outside, so you'll want a rotation!
3b: Wool socks. (or a similar keep-warm synthetic) These pull up over your long underwear, calf-height if not knee height. Don't double-layer socks; it'll cut off your circulation and make your feet colder.
4b: Pants. Are supposed to be an outer windproof, waterproof shell like your jacket, but I never liked the noise pants of those material made when walking around, plus they don't look business-professional. Generally in winter, I wear wool trousers and a long coat so I don't have to worry about soaking my pants so much when I fall. These can tuck into your boots if you have to walk through snowdrifts.
4t: Turtlenecks! It took me a long time to get used to them being all tight against my neck like that. For the first couple of winters, I just bought mock turtlenecks (they don't go as high on your neck, so you don't have to fold the collar down) and compensated with the more controlable scarf element. Cotton is supposedly a nono (traps sweat and snow, which will lower your body temperature), but I never had issue with it as long as it was my middle layer and not either my outermost or innermost.
5t: sweaters! Wool sweaters are nice and bulky and will keep you warm; cashmere sweaters are nice and thin and amazingly will keep you warm. The latter are crazy-cheap in China as compared to the States (think $30USD for a twinset vs $150USD), at least in Shenzen; YMMV since you'll be much further north. These don't have to be as tight as the long underwear; in fact, they should be a little loose since they'll pull over layers much more easily, and they'll also trap warm air to keep you toasty.
6b: Boots! Fuzzy boots feel *awesome*; the better ones like you're walking on air. Check the soles; soles should be rubber and extremely grooved and patterned to minimize slipping on ice. Hiking boots and Doc Martens and snowboots will all have the appropriate inch-thick grooved soles, but may involve annoying laceups; get the pullon or zipup ones if you can.
7t: gloves or mittens. TBH, once it gets below freezing, I go for the mittens; since they pocket your four fingers together, that keeps your hands warmer. It does make it harder to use your hands dextrously, though.
8: Down jacket. Waterproof and windproof (or at least water-repellent and wind-repellent!). If you're primarily bussing/walking, go for the full-length coat (which should fall to calf-height). If you're planning to do sporty-active things, it should fall to just below waist height, but then you should also be getting the waterproof/windproof pants I mentioned earlier.
9. The scarf covers the back of your neck (and if it's really cold, it goes over your mouth so you don't hurt your lungs with too-cold air); your snowhat and the top of your coat collar should tuck underneath it.
Once it gets below 40F ...
1. Underwear.
2. Long underwear.
- it should "wick" sweat away from your skin - made of silk or a polyester synthetic; easiest to find in sporting goods shops. Despite the freezing temperatures, you will likely sweat when you're wearing all this stuff (so drink lots of water! Winter air tends to be drier, too.).
- it should fit you snugly. Not unbreathably tight, but there shouldn't be much room for wrinkling.
- extended sleeves that go all the way down to the bottom of your fingers, and a little thumbhole on the side. Easy to tuck into mittens (but with gloves, you tuck the gloves into the long underwear *G*). They also have straps that go from the bottom of the pants cuff down under the sole of my foot, and then back up. These will tuck into your socks.
- you'll want 2-3 pairs; you'll be sweating into this every day you go outside, so you'll want a rotation!
3b: Wool socks. (or a similar keep-warm synthetic) These pull up over your long underwear, calf-height if not knee height. Don't double-layer socks; it'll cut off your circulation and make your feet colder.
4b: Pants. Are supposed to be an outer windproof, waterproof shell like your jacket, but I never liked the noise pants of those material made when walking around, plus they don't look business-professional. Generally in winter, I wear wool trousers and a long coat so I don't have to worry about soaking my pants so much when I fall. These can tuck into your boots if you have to walk through snowdrifts.
4t: Turtlenecks! It took me a long time to get used to them being all tight against my neck like that. For the first couple of winters, I just bought mock turtlenecks (they don't go as high on your neck, so you don't have to fold the collar down) and compensated with the more controlable scarf element. Cotton is supposedly a nono (traps sweat and snow, which will lower your body temperature), but I never had issue with it as long as it was my middle layer and not either my outermost or innermost.
5t: sweaters! Wool sweaters are nice and bulky and will keep you warm; cashmere sweaters are nice and thin and amazingly will keep you warm. The latter are crazy-cheap in China as compared to the States (think $30USD for a twinset vs $150USD), at least in Shenzen; YMMV since you'll be much further north. These don't have to be as tight as the long underwear; in fact, they should be a little loose since they'll pull over layers much more easily, and they'll also trap warm air to keep you toasty.
6b: Boots! Fuzzy boots feel *awesome*; the better ones like you're walking on air. Check the soles; soles should be rubber and extremely grooved and patterned to minimize slipping on ice. Hiking boots and Doc Martens and snowboots will all have the appropriate inch-thick grooved soles, but may involve annoying laceups; get the pullon or zipup ones if you can.
6t: hat! Once it gets down into the low 40s/high 30s F, you will want a snowhat/tuque. Preferably one made of wool, preferably one with earflaps and that ties under your chin. It should be lined, too; mine are generally lined with polarfleece. This is pretty similar to the one I have, except mine's a higher percent wool, and the tassels extend further so they can tie right under my chin.
7t: gloves or mittens. TBH, once it gets below freezing, I go for the mittens; since they pocket your four fingers together, that keeps your hands warmer. It does make it harder to use your hands dextrously, though.
8: Down jacket. Waterproof and windproof (or at least water-repellent and wind-repellent!). If you're primarily bussing/walking, go for the full-length coat (which should fall to calf-height). If you're planning to do sporty-active things, it should fall to just below waist height, but then you should also be getting the waterproof/windproof pants I mentioned earlier.
9. The scarf covers the back of your neck (and if it's really cold, it goes over your mouth so you don't hurt your lungs with too-cold air); your snowhat and the top of your coat collar should tuck underneath it.