Planning winter packing -- on the hottest day of the year

Hi Laura. Get thee to the big box store and buy a set of 32° underwear to layer under your great outerwear. And, don't forget those smartwool socks they are stocking (pun intended) now. Do you have pair of leather boots to wear that you can waterproof? I bought a cute pair of Clarks that I wore in Ireland in June and look forward to wearing here at home this winter.

I know I felt kind of crazy here in June when I was packing for 60° ireland and it was 100° outside at my house...

Meanwhile I am here in VT with frost advisories last night! I say take the knee length parka. The GoreTex should keep you dry in the rain. Personally, in winter I would rather be too warm than too cold. The packable rain coat with serious underlayers could do for the rainy cities. Does the GoreTex parka have a hood? Even if yes, I would say bring a warm hat (hat hair be damned in winter) some fleece lined mittens, and warm boots with wool socks. If your head and feet are cold, you will never be warm! Wear all the heavy stuff on the plane.

Mona, sorry to disagree about the boots, but even waterproof leathers with wool socks will not keep your feet warm in Dec/Jan in any cold climate. Some sort of insulated apres-ski boot would work. LLBean has or had some. I am sure REI or other outfitter would as well.

Wait until it cools off to get into the spirit. I think we were 110 degrees yesterday, so thinking of cool/ cold weather seems like a dream. Just sit in front of that fan with a cool scarf thinking about a nice pool to relax in and wait on the packing thoughts until it cools off!

Cbrochu30. I've had no trouble with cold feet in a snug pair of leather boots and good light wool socks in several December trips to Northern European destinations. I've spent hours walking outdoors including in snowy, slushy puddles. I guess it's just a personal thing.

Thanks, all. Yes, wool socks from Costco (worn double on really cold days), fleece cap under parka hood, leggings under jeans or wool trousers. I also pack a few sleeveless tops to wear as a first layer in case I find myself in an overheated restaurant and have to strip down to keep from fainting.

Debating on shoes/boots, but whatever I choose will have thick soles to insulate against frozen sidewalks.

Now go get a cold icy drink and try to cool off! We are headed in to SF tomorrow where hopefully it WILL be cooler.

...knee-length GoreTex down parka....

If you can walk wearing knee length jacket it would be too loose around your legs to be effective. A quality hip length jacket would be a more efficient use of material, weight and volume in providing body core insulation. Your legs would be better served with a quality base layer and wool pants. That and protection of your extremities (head, hands, feet) keeping them dry and warm.

Key word is "layering". Do a search for "layering for winter" and you will be inundated with advice such as: https://www.backpacker.com/gear/layering-for-winter

Mona, I am guessing it is and my cold feet issues probably have much to do with getting cold feet when I was a kid. To this day, I can only wear sandals on the warmest day of the year. Otherwise my feet get cold and I will be cold! I do wonder what leathers you wear that keep your feet warm in slush and snow. Can you share? I have felt lined boots that won't keep my feet warm if I am not active.

It could be a circulation problem too. I wear sandals all year round, even in the winter in the house. This may change now that I've moved to Northern California. But in the past, with a kid glove soft pair of good leather boots with a treaded sole and a little heel I've managed to keep toasty warm feet. I've spent hours standing and walking in 0° temperatures without getting cold feet. I personally think the snugness of the leather helps. I prefer it over a poofy apres ski/bulky boot. My current boots are Earth Origins/by Earth but there's a soft Teva style I'd try too.

PS I went to graduate school in Wisconsin and walked across the frozen lake to classes in the winter and managed to have warm feet. I think it is kind of an individual thing and circulation plays a big part.

I took my knee length down parka and snow boots on our Christmas market trip. Heavy gloves and hat also:) I was very glad I had all of them as when you are visiting Christmas markets you are outside for hours. - Oh - and the long underwear is advisable also!

We are in SF too. Dying. This heat is crazy completely ridiculous. Ugh.

Anyway, we did the markets last year in Munich, Vienna, prague and Berlin. Dec 17-31. And it was. COLD. I had a long jacket - quilted under layer, raincoat type over... gore Tex I think. I wore thin long underwear under jeans.. sometimes with another thin fleece layer under.. quite a few days is was in the 20s. I had a thermal undershirt from uniqlo that I loved, and usually then long sleeve t shirt, wool sweater, then my jacket. Scarf, hat and gloves. A couple days when it was slightly warmer like high 30s in Berlin, I just removed some underlayers.

I took my big sorel boots and another dressier pair of boots.... but I wore the sorel the whole time. Smart wool socks.

We were toasty and warm! It made all the difference. :)

I can't even imagine thinking about wearing a coat right now.... I am praying for the fog to
Come back tomorrow!!!!

Wow - thinking about winter clothes already?

I have been to the Christmas markets in Berlin and Budapest for the last two Decembers and I wore a mid thigh length down coat plus scarf and thermal hat and gloves. My coat has a detachable hood which is useful. It gets cold at night there and I wasn't too hot during the day. At night, I also put on a thermal base layer including a thin polo necked jumper. It was needed.

Leather footwear isn't the best solution if it rains or snows. Wear a good pair of trainers/sneakers with a reasonably thick sole as you will be doing plenty of walking and hanging around the markets plus thick socks.

You seem to be covering my Christmas markets trips for the next few years in one trip! Wear the thick/heavy items for your flight to Europe, don't pack them.

As long as my socks are wool, I'm good too, and much prefer thick leather soles, (not skimpy as sold in CA.). One of my favorite purchases in Europe is fur inserts (sheep)to put in your boots or shoes, which you can get at a shoe store, open air market vendor, or shoe repair in Europe. As for the jacket and conserving heat, I'd go with anything Edgar says, as he's the mountain authority.

with that itinery you should be packing for being inside planes and trains! And what is your checked baggage allowance because your list is adding up.

and note that most christmas markets end by Christmas Eve.

I hate hot weather and to be planning your winter weather packing when it's a horrid 100º sounds like a reprieve!

You'll wear your longer down coat and warm, walkable boots on the plane so you won't have to worry about taking up precious space in your luggage. The packable raincoat with the "squishable" down jacket sounds like they belong in your luggage. You don't need bulky sweaters. 1-2 thin merino sweaters (one in black) should do the trick. To vary your look in the same sweater, wear decorative scarves. They are ultra lightweight to pack and take up practically no space. 3-4 base blouses you roll tightly will be good. Leggings are also a great space saver. Roll them too.

I wear a mid-calf length down coat in Europe in the winter. I want my backside well-covered. It is not GoreTex in my case, but that is only added benefit. I usually wear jeans, my go-to in all but the hottest weather. Base-layers are nice under jeans, and I make use of merino wool sweaters as they are both light and warm. SmartWool socks cannot be beaten. I am also a fan of packing a very small umbrella.

Thank you to everyone who commented/advised -- this third-generation Californian doesn't do winter well.

Yes, it sounds like a lot of places to visit (and a lot of trains) but we will be gone six weeks so not a breakneck pace. And the last "markets" stop is Vienna, where the markets are open through New Year's -- after that, it's just "winter" travel.

But at least it won't be hot!!