Winter clothes - Beijing

[imron]

Depends on the thermals. If you have nice thick ones then yes. If you have thinner ones, then possibly, depending on your tolerance for cold.

[WestTexas]

I wear thermals in Beijing in the winter. It depends on how much you go outside, particularly at night. If you are going to walk straight from your apartment into a taxi or the subway, it might not be so necessary. If you are waiting on a bus, however, you would definitely want thermals.

It's worth noting also that Beijing is extremely windy in winter. I met some people from Chicago in Beijing and they said it was considerably windier than Chicago, to the point where they felt like Beijing was actually colder.

Anyway, like others have said, if you aren't over 1.9 meters or very heavy, you can probably buy stuff here with no problems. The thermals they sell here are cheaper and much higher quality than the crap they sell in Texas, although I suppose in parts of the US that are actually cold they sell better thermals.

Also, your build and how much body hair you have do make a difference. A stocky European with hairy legs and a full beard isn't going to need as much clothing as a thin Asian guy with little body hair. On that note, I feel like I actually wear less clothing than the locals in the winter, although some of them do crazy stuff like play basketball outside when it's -15 degrees.

[liuzhou]

I can see the tropic of whatever the northern one is from my window (nearly) and even down here we dig out the thermals. But then again, we don't use heating much.

As soon as October 1st arrives, the locals put the thermals on and don' t remove them until May 1st. No matter what the actual conditions. (They may wash them from time to time.) In the National day holiday, every supermarket and department store is full of sets of thermals.

In Beijing, I'd certainly wear them, although on my first trip to the Wall, I was warned that it was going to be really cold, and of course it turned out to be the warmest February day since the Warring Kingdoms. Climbing up that wall was hell.

Next day Deng Xiaoping died. I'm not surprised!

Many years earlier, I lived in Moscow and that is where I learned that it isn't necessary to be cold. Going without thermals may be good for your machismo self image, but it's pretty stupid. As the Russians say, "Man who doesn't wear a hat is a frigging idiot" {Loose translation}.

[WestTexas]

The locals put the thermals on on October 1st and remove them May 1st. No matter what the actual conditions.

Yeah. And if you wear sandals after October 1st they will all ask you "Aren't your feet cold?" Then in the summer, if you wear boots, "Aren't your feet hot?"

[jirbau]

thanks for the info! will probably buy thermals and try out if I could wear just denim jeans on top of it. hopefully I don't freeze to death.

[ez2easy]

yes jeams will do. i have been living in beijing for 2 yrs. thermal + jeans + big jacket + gloves is what i will do.

winter in Beijing is kind of like winter in Seattle except that Beijing is much less humid during winter.

[ccyjie]

Absolutely, 羽绒服，down jacket. The thicker the better.