Things to Pack for Winter

One of the hardest things to do when planning a travel destination to a cold country is packing well. Especially for a country near the equator, like Singapore, my first winter here in Korea was a pretty tough one, as I had no idea what I needed, where to get them and how much I should get. As the popularity and hype continues to grow, more and more people are coming to Korea for their holidays with their kids. On top of that, with the 2018 Olympic Winter Games being held in PyeongChang, South Korea, many sports enthusiasts would be looking to travel to Korea to experience the games first-handedly. The winters in Korea are pretty harsh, especially if you were to be going into mountainous regions. As such, I do hope that this article would be able to serve as a guideline for what to bring, and what to look out for when the time comes. 

Boots

Now,if you are going to a cold country with a lot of snow, be sure to invest in a pair of good boots. Of course, sneakers and shoes are perfectly fine, but boots add a lot of insulation, allowing you to keep your feet warm. On top of that,good boots give strong friction that lasts. In places where there are many people, the snow tends to melt fast, leaving a lot of water residue. After awhile, the cold air freezes the water into ice, making the roads slippery and increasing the chances of falling. A good pair of boots decreases the chances of slipping, as well as provides a good fashion sense.

Winter Coat

The second thing that is necessary is a good winter coat. My first thought when I saw the price tags of winter coats in Korea was, “Are you kidding me?” But after a year and a half here, I realized the importance in a good winter coat.An expensive one provides comfort and warmth. Apart from that, it is extremely durable and it lasts. A good winter coat not only keeps you warm, but keeps the warmth in and blocks the wind out, especially if you intend to stay outside for long periods of time. I would definitely count a good winter coat as an investment for future trips to cold countries as well.

Heat Technology Innerwear

Another thing that could save your life would be heat technology innerwear. Many different clothing brands carry these now and they are thin and lightweight.They come in different forms for arms, body and legs and it is to be worn underneath your clothes. I would definitely recommend the ones for legs because you have a coat for your body, but jeans/pants alone would not block out the wind totally. Heat technology innerwear not only blocks out the wind, but has a certain function that traps your body heat, allowing it to continually keep you warm.

Heat Pack

Coming from an eternally warm country like Singapore, seeing heat packs really intrigued me. I have never seen nor used one of these before I came to Korea.You can purchase them in almost any convenience store and they are cheap.Apparently, a heat pack has certain metal inside them that reacts with each other and heats up when shaken. So basically, you keep it in your pockets s othat you can keep your hands warm when you put them in your pockets. It lasts around 2 days and you can keep shaking it whenever you want to keep warm. If you wish to be a little more environmentally friendly, you can opt to purchase the ones that can be recharged via USB.

Scarf/Gloves/Ear Muffs

As you probably know, the parts of your body that gets cold easily are your feet, hands, neck and ears. You would need to keep them covered and warm or else your body gets cold really fast. People in Korea usually don’t wear them since they’re used to the cold anyway, but I found myself wrapped up like a dumpling during my first winter here. As you would already have a good coat and boots to protect your body and feet, you would need a pair of gloves for your hands (preferably one that allows you to use your Smartphone), a scarf that keeps your neck warm, and probably ear muffs as well to keep your ears warm and snuggly.

You would actually find yourself taking them off when you enter a restaurant and a shop because it creates a lot of discomfort and inconvenience when worn, but as I reckon, it would definitely be better to be well prepared and warm, than to be complacent and cold, because the best kind of comfort is to be warm on a cold day.

This article was written by an official college student reporter of the 2018 PyeongChang Olympic* Paralympic Winter Games, WINNERS. Some contents might be different from the official position of the Organizing Committee.