MANILA -- Heading to a winter destination this Christmas season like South Korea or Hokkaido, Japan?

Be sure to gear up with the right items to keep you warm and dry in subzero temperature.

GOOD OUTERWEAR

For winter trips, you need to invest in good outerwear. There are lots of options for winter coats including wool coats, wool-blend coats, padded leather jackets, parkas and down jackets which have been insulated with the soft and warm under feathers from duck or geese. Since good jackets can be very expensive and bulky, it’s best just have one in a neutral color you can easily mix and match.

Aside from choosing outerwear based purely on looks, pick items that actually have good weatherproof technology to block wind and moisture and keep you warmer longer.

Leading outdoor brand Columbia Sportswear offers “tested tough” outerwear that incorporates proprietary technology including Omni-Heat thermal reflective liner and Omni-Tech waterproof/breathable material that protects users from harsh weather and a waterproof shell, which keeps users warm, dry, cool and protected longer.

Columbia Sportswear recently launched a Columbia Cascade Retail Environment store at the SM Mall of Asia.

THERMALS

Thermal underwear are types of clothing that trap body heat to provide warmth. Worn as a base layer, these lightweight items made from specialty fabrics can help a lot to protect against cold. They usually come in basic long leggings and long sleeved shirt styles that you can wear under normal clothes. You can buy affordable thermals from Uniqlo, which come in Heattech, Ultrawarm and Extra Warm varieties.

The key is to layer other tops like fleece or knitted tops and denim jeans or thicker leggings which have superior insulation abilities.

While it can get very cold outside, most indoor areas in winter destinations are heated, so be sure your layers are easy to take on and off, as it can be a full production number just having to go to the bathroom.

ACCESSORIES

Accessories are really important for winter trips. Be sure to bring bonnets or hats, scarves, gloves, and winter socks. Different scarves can easily put a different spin on your look and keep your neck and nose from freezing.

The best winter hats to help keep you warm are those that cover ears or at least partly cover the back of the neck. Earmuffs and masks can help keep your ears and nose warm.

Gloves are vital though easily lost since you’ll be taking them on and off as you head indoors or take photos outdoors. Aside from regular fleece lined or knitted gloves, you might want to look for handwarmer fingerless mittens, where the top half can be flipped open easily without having to take the whole glove off.

Don’t forget to bring polarized sunglasses as well. Winter sunlight, when reflected off the snow, can be rough on the eyes.

WINTER SHOES/BOOTS

Walking on snow and ice can be very slippery. Your best option when traveling to winter destinations with snow is to wear high-cut waterproof shoes or boots with good traction. Go for a solid, decent-looking pair of low-frills winter boots that you wear right onto the airplane and use extensively throughout your winter trip.
It’s best to opt for dark colored shoes, so it doesn’t show stains from mud and snow. Columbia Sportswear sells a variety of good winter travel shoes made of Weatherproof Gore-Tex gear and Omni-grip technology.

Leave the flats, slippers and heels at home. Regular sneakers and rubber shoes can also work on snow, but may be too thin and slippery in some areas. To be safe, you can buy snow shoe grip from convenience stores once you get to your destination to attach to the soles of any type of shoes.

WHAT TO BRING WHILE SIGHTSEEING

While sightseeing around during winter, it really helps to have a backpack to carry all your travel essentials with you. Opt for functional daypacks like Jansport’s Hatchet backpack,
which has a very roomy main compartment, lots of internal and external gear pockets, dual side water bottle pockets to keep your thermos or water bottle handy and fully padded shoulder straps and back panel so you can carry it comfortably the whole day.

Aside from the items you’re already wearing, these are just some of the useful things to keep handy in your backpack at all times:

• An extra sweater or layer (while the weather can be pleasantly cool in the morning, the temperature can drop at night)
• Extra scarf, cap and pair of gloves (these items get lost easily)
• Heat packs (buy these from convenience stores and keep in your pockets or stick outside your base layer clothing for extra warmth)
• Reusable water bottle (to keep hydrated)
• Lip balm/chap stick/moisturizer
• Coins (to buy hot drinks and light snacks from vending machines)
• Fully charged powerbank and extra batteries (gadgets drain quicker in cold weather)