1. Thick winter jacket

First rule of winter, COVER UP. In places that is just cold with no snow – like Australian winters – thick, woolen coats suffice. In places where there’d be a possibility of a blizzard, you may want to find something waterproof. A good place to start would be North Face. Their jackets are made of down, and can withstand strong winds and snow. They’re not entirely fashionable, but they keep you warm. I personally prefer jackets with hoods ‘cos they provide extra coverage where beanies and scarves couldn’t provide.

2. Wool beanie

You’d need to keep your ears warm, and when the gust of icy cold wind blows through your entire being, you’d be thankful for that beanie on your head.

3. Scarf

Your neck is one of the places you’d really want to shield from the bitter cold. I’d go for thick, wool kinds or cashmere during the height of winter, and knitted ones during the warmer days. Scarves are my favourite to wear because I get to pick bright, fun colours to contrast against my boring black jacket.

4. Gloves

I don’t know how some people’s hands can be so warm in winter. Mine is forever cold. One of my favourite things to do is to place my fingers on an unsuspecting Ummar’s neck. His neck is warm, my fingers icy. He hates it. I’d usually go for leather gloves, but I have this annoying habit of misplacing them. And they’re more expensive than the woollen kinds. One of the best inventions ever made are hooded fingerless gloves. Fingerless so you can actually do stuff with your hands… like you know, text. Then when the tips of your fingers start to get numb, you can hide them inside the hood. But leather gloves are still the best. I was totally jealous of Derrick who wore a pair and had no problems with bits of snow sticking to the bits of wool.

5 and 6. Papaw ointment and chapstick

Your lips tend to get really dry from the winter air, so spam that lip balm! Sometimes your normal lip balm just doesn’t cut it, the papaw ointment on your chapped lips does wonders. Oh and be liberal in applying moisturisers for your face and body too. My go-to body moisturiser is Nivea’s Express Hydration body lotion. It’s light, absorbs quickly into your skin and does its job.

7. Layers and thermal wear

I’m too cheap to buy waterproof pants. But I’ve survived with my jeans thus far… and layers and layers of Heattech clothing underneath. I went on a binge shopping spree for heattech wears at Uniqlo and GU (the sister store of Uniqlo, available only in Japan). They were on sale at less than SGD10 a piece, and comes in two level of insulation: Orange and Red. Orange for warm, and Red for extra warm. I went straight for reds. I’d wear a minimum of three layers under my jacket, no less. I don’t care if I looked like a puffy snowman, I just like to be warm.

8. Boots

Walking in blankets of snow can be a dream, or a nightmare if you don’t have proper shoes. Snow might seep in and you’d have to walk around with damp socks and frozen toes for the rest of your day. You might also want to get boots with proper grip. Icy roads are your worst enemies. My friends suggested crampons but those aren’t necessary unless you’re doing some ice climbing. I was a little apprehensive about the capabilities of my Timberlands before the trip. Their grip on smooth, marble flooring wasn’t exactly top-notch. But they surprised me. Mine were the boots with anti-fatigue insoles, and it was a breeze walking in them the entire day. Just don’t walk on icy patches on roads, unless you want to land ungracefully on your ass.

9. Wool socks

Wear layers if you must. Because when your toes start to get numb, all you think about is soaking them in a basin of hot water. When your toes get numb, warming them up hurts. Believe me, I’ve suffered through it.

10. Heat packs

No need for fancy schmancy hot water bottles. The 2 bucks/pack heat sachets in Daiso are godsends. There are the stick on kinds, and those you slip into your pockets. Get them all. I stock up on them for they’re so cheap and bloody useful when you’re out in the cold in the middle of the night. Tip: Put one in each shoe to keep your toes warm. You’re welcome.

Special mention: Hot Beverage

After hours of being out in the cold chasing the lights, you’d definitely need a mug of hot something. We underestimated our stock for packets of coffee and hot chocolate because they were the first ones to be depleted. My personal favourite beverage to drink on a cold night would be a piping hot mug of chocolate tea. It’s ridiculously difficult to find those things anywhere else. Or try steeping peppermint tea in Milo or any hot chocolate. Trust me, you’ll love it.