Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I'm off to Harbin in China where it will be about -15C in the day and even colder at night. I've been before and was only a kid and was not properly kitted out, so froze! So, not being a skier or climber, I wanted to know what type to stuff to wear. Can ED climbers and skiers who are used to really cold temps let me know what I should take? I've already thought about leggings, but what about socks - how many pairs etc? (I'm only going to be in Harbin for three days so don't want to spalsh out on loads of expensive kit. Can you hire it?)

Either post here or PM me please. Nero

get an Icebreaker base layer, they are merino wool and can be worn casual as well as technical. Warm, wicking, odour free, machine washable. They do leggings too.

Selfridges sell them or a good outdoor shop like Field & Trek in Covent Garden. They are expensive but very high quality and well worth it.

A good base layer and then a couple of fleece layers with a windproof jacket on top. Hats and gloves essential.

I visit Sweden every year to watch the World Rally championship, and it is usually -20 something. For this i have walking boots and sensible socks (As we have a fair treck to spectate) then thermal long johns over which I wear salopets. UP to O go for layers. two t shirts, a thin jumper then a berghouse (Sp?) fleece and outercoat. HAt scarf and gloves. As the day involves walking to viewing point, then standing for 5-7 hours it does the job for me, but of you're stomping through the hills then may need something more "technical" for your base layer...


HTH and enjoy!

You cant go wrong with icebreaker, they are fantastic. You want to take layers, I usually ski in a Helly Hanson base layer, icebreaker mid layer, windproof fleece and then my ski jacket. I then keep an extra base layer and down gillet in my rucksack for extreme cold :-)


I would recomend buying silk inners for your gloves, these are avbout ?10 in Snow and Rock / outdoor shops.

echo many of the above, for arctic circle last year I found that good socks, long johns, silk inners and a merino base layer were essential, get a medium fleece over the base layer and just make sure anything above is rugged really.

Howies do some good merino stuff too, cardigan bay's third biggest clothing company, as their byline goes...well...you've got to have ambition!.

http://www.howies.co.uk/section.php/16/0

Nero, Wow Harbin, small world! amazing ice sculptures, honestly the Chinese Yuan is about ?1 to 15-18 yuan at the moment, don't bring tons as you can go to the "Friendship" store there and buy woollen and cotton leggings and thermal long sleeved tops for about 50p, or if your brave find a market and do some serious bartering to get some serious bargains. Layers are the key to that kind of cold, (skating on rivers etc.) The chinese people generally put on the cotton long pants, then woollen ones over the top, and then padded trousers, mind you they really do fear the cold a lot more than we do, but layers are best then you can peel off as you go along and it gets warmer.

Hi - another option from a motorcyclist is go to motorcyclist shop (say Metropolist at South side of Vauxhall Bridge).


Bikers know how to keep warm too, so you can get good gloves and boots and so on.

I'd also recommend along with everyone else here - lots of layers are important - but also sheets of newspaper down your jacket are also a good idea.

Don't know about where you're going but windproof materials are probably a good idea too (and newspaper helps!)

Natural fibres above polyester plastic rubbish is important.


[Comes out of garden shed...] [puts on ludicrous Birmingham accent...]

Today I am wear-eeeng M&S thermal long sleeve vest - a silk long sleeve sweater, 100% cashmere sweater, a thick cotton sweater over that, a very thick and winter lined (and - unnecessary for your trip I hope) armoured and waterproof jacket.

And

70denier thick woolly tights (Peter Jones and M&S do them) (and men bikers wear them too tho they may not admit it)

Woolley leggings over them

then thin socks

and very thick socks

Waterproof Motorcycle boots.

Thin silk gloves

Winter lined motorcycle gloves.


For a long ride in the fog.


Have a great trip though! What an experience!!

Echo Asset's comments...at least three/four layers, all man-made fabric that will wick away sweat. Beg borrow or steal a gore-tex outer jacket with a hood, wear a fleece under that and a couple of base/mid layers. if you're not moving around much (are you doing any sport out there?) then a Rab-type down jacket is great. V puffy though so not easy to move about in. Bike shops do really good thermal leggings, not necessarily expensive. Two/three pairs of socks.


Do you need to use your fingers? Mittens are warmer if not. Take some gloves as well in case you do need fingers ? get the type with waterproof outer and fleecy inner.


And most importantly a hat ? 25% of body heat is lost through your head. Sounds a bit extreme but a balaclava is a really useful but of kit. keeps your face warm, and you can just wear it as a neck warmer until it gets really cold.


Accessorize with a white silk scarf only if you want to look like the kind of pretentious traveller that gets really excited about having fancy gear. Sounds like a great trip ??enjoy.

Asset - I hired some stuff from behind Forest Hill Station, one of those shops in that short parade. They were reasonable and well stocked.. Well worth a visit if you dont fancy traveliing to the excellent though pricey Snow and Rock.. Hope you have a great time.

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
  • Latest Discussions

    • Does anyone know when the next SNT meeting is? I am fed up with my son being mugged on East Dulwich Grove! 
    • The issue must be everywhere at the moment. I was visiting a friend last week in Bermondsey, think we were walking  down Linton Rd & we dodged 7 dog poos. It was disgusting. 
    • Thanks for your message — I actually took the time to look into what CityHive does before posting my original comment, and I’d encourage anyone with questions to do the same. Yes, the Companies House filings are overdue — but from what I’ve gathered, this seems likely to be an accountant or admin issue, not some sign of ill intent. A lot of small, community-based organisations face challenges keeping up with formalities, especially when they’re focused on immediate needs like food distribution. Let’s not forget CityHive is a not-for-profit, volunteer-powered CIC — not a corporate machine. As for the directors, people stepping down or being replaced is often about capacity or commitment — which is completely normal in the voluntary and community sector. New directors are sometimes appointed when others can no longer give the time. It doesn’t automatically mean bad governance — it just means people’s circumstances change. CityHive’s actual work speaks volumes. They buy most of the food they distribute — fresh produce, essential groceries, and shelf-stable items — and then deliver it to food banks, soup kitchens, and community projects across London. The food doesn’t stay with CityHive — it goes out to local food hubs, and from there, directly to people who need it most. And while yes, there may be a few paid staff handling logistics or admin, there’s a huge volunteer effort behind the scenes that often goes unseen. Regular people giving their time to drive vans, sort donations, load pallets, pack food parcels — that’s what keeps things running. And when people don’t volunteer? Those same tasks still need to be done — which means they have to be paid for. Otherwise, the whole thing grinds to a halt. As the need grows, organisations like CityHive will inevitably need more support — both in people and funding. But the bigger issue here isn’t one small CIC trying to make ends meet. The real issue is the society we live in — and a government that isn’t playing its part in eradicating poverty. If it were, organisations like CityHive, The Felix Project, City Harvest, FareShare, and the Trussell Trust wouldn’t need to exist, let alone be thriving. They thrive because the need is growing. That’s not a reflection on them — it’s a reflection on a broken system that allows people to go hungry in one of the richest cities in the world. If you're in doubt about what they’re doing, go check their Instagram: @cityhivemedia. You’ll see the real organisations and people receiving food, sharing thanks, and showing how far the impact reaches. Even Southwark Foodbank has received food from CityHive — that alone should speak volumes. So again — how does any of this harm you personally? Why spend time trying to discredit a group trying to support those who are falling through the cracks? We need more people lifting others up — not adding weight to those already carrying the load.
    • Well, this is very disappointing. Malabar Feast  has changed its menu again. The delicious fish curry with sea bass no longer exists. There is now a fish dish with raw mango, which doesn't appeal. I had dal and spinach instead, which was bland (which I suppose I could/should have predicted). One of my visitors had a "vegetable Biriani" which contained hardly any vegetables. Along with it came two extremely tiny pieces of poppadom in a large paper bag.   This was embarrassing, as I had been singing Malabar's praises and recommending we ordered from there. The other mains and the parathas were OK, but I doubt we will be ordering from there again. My granddaughters wisely opted for Yard Sale pizzas, which were fine. Has anybody else had a similar recent poor (or indeed good!)  experience at Malabar Feast?
Home
Events
Sign In

Sign In



Or sign in with one of these services

Search
×
    Search In
×
×
  • Create New...