Manileno's guide to winter wear in Sapporo (and other cold places) part 2

We've officially entered the "ber months" in an otherwise bizarre and sad year.  Hitting September has most of us nostalgic over travels of not so long ago so just wanted to get up this entry on my guide to winter wear, Manileno style. 

Full disclaimer: I've not not been to every conceivable location in the world but I have done some travel in autumn, late autumn, winter and spring so here are some tips I've pieced together for those of you looking to build wardrobe for the cold weather in your next trip.. whenever that will be.

Part 2 of a two part series, after going through some basics, we can get down to more specific pieces I've used, tried out or maybe just seen in stores for our options.

Manileno's guide to base layers:

Uniqlo Heattech (status: purchased)

I've used Heattech for almost all of my trips, running the gamut from warm to ultra warm 

Here’s an approximation of ranges for each level 

HT Warm: 10-20 (degrees Celsius)

HT Extra warm: 5-15

HT Ultra warm: 10 degrees and colder

Pros: Decent warmth with varying levels to help you customize. readily available and affordable

Cons: none really but I wish they had an even warmer level. The ultra warm takes long to dry out when washed though 

Price range: P790 for warm, P990 for extra warm, P1290 for ultra warm

Verdict: 

Buy it. Relatively affordable while offering decent warmth. Readily available in MNL 

Under Armour cold gear (status: purchased)

I've used UA cold gear in US winters and during a trip to Kyoto in early December

Pros: warm, lightweight with great ventilation (less sweaty) and dries quickly after washing

Cons: not readily available in the Philippines, relatively expensive if you source from abroad

Price range: not readily available in MNL 

Verdict: 

Buy it if you can, but hard to source in MNL

Decathlon Wedze (status: purchased)

Used a pair of these during a trip to Sapporo (-5 to 10 degrees), both the basic and premium versions

Pros: cheaper than Uniqlo and UA

Cons: poor ventilation (I was sweating), was very itchy especially for the "premium" version

Price range: P280 for basic, P500 for middle market, P700 for premium 

Verdict: 

Don't bother. If you're on a budget, buy 2 or 3 Uniqlo HT Warm and simply wash them

Manileno's guide to insulation layers:

Uniqlo Ultra Light Down Parka (status: want it)

I have the version without the hood (Uniqlo ULD jacket) and I find it invaluable since you can pack it away into your backpack and bring it out when you need it. I keep one in my carry-on luggage and I’ve whipped it out upon arrival during winter trips to Milan and Sapporo. I do wish however I got the parka version, given that it has more down content and comes with a hood!

Pros: instant extra warmth and pack-able into a tight ball (picture below) for convenience 

Cons: Warm but not super warm all things considered. 

Price range: P3,990 

Verdict: 

Buy it! Warmth on demand.  

How I've used it: Pack it in your carry-on luggage and bring it out upon arrival to keep you alive until you can access your heavier jacket in your maleta. Won't stand up to extreme temperatures so don't go charging into subzero conditions with only this unless in tandem with other pieces.

Uniqlo fleece zip  (status: purchased)

Bought it as an add-on insulation layer to match with other pieces to build a system

Pros: Provides modest warmth and can act as 1st layer of insulation

Cons: None really except that fleece doesn't have good ventilation so I tend to sweat sometimes

Price range: P990 to P1,290 

Verdict: 

Buy it. Easy to mix and match with our pieces. Affordable

--On top of these examples you can also use an assortment of wool and fleece sweaters to act as additional insulation layers--

Manileno's guide to outer layers:

Uniqlo's Blocktech parka (status: tried it out in store)

I've tried this out in the store and it claims to have excellent wind and water protection

Pros: Water and windproof 

Cons: Almost no insulation, does not allow "volting-in" with other Uniqlo insulation layers 

Price range: P2,990 

Verdict: 

Consider it.  Affordable outer shell in case you want to pickup a jacket with good wind/water protection.

Notes: Several reviewers have said this jacket tends to run small, so you might want to get a size bigger than your usual. 

Uniqlo seamless down parka (status: purchased)

Used in Tokyo (5 degrees) and Sapporo (-5 degrees) in late December. Not stylish and surprisingly did not hold up well in terms of warmth!

Pros: Down jacket, water repellent material

Cons: Disappointing in terms of warmth. Bulky, so jacket was hard to pack! 

Price range: P7,999

Verdict: 

Don’t bother with this. Expensive and doesn't pack a lot of heat. Oh did I mention it's hard to pack??

How I've used it: Had to augment with a Uniqlo fleece zip shirt given lack of insulation power.  A better alternative to this jacket is to get a 1) ULD parka and 2) pair with a fleece hoodie, cost will be lower at comparable warmth with more flexibility.

Uniqlo reversible parka (status: purchased)

This jacket pairs a water repellent layer with a thin cotton lining that technically is "reversible" but I generally use it with the cotton layer on the inside.  The jacket is easy to pack away and has been designated as the "PPE" jacket for our flights.  The jacket will be perfect for airport temperatures and on the airplane but at best can be used as an outer layer for early fall.  

Price range: P1,990

Verdict:  

Buy it.  Versatile and affordable.  

Notes: Relatively inexpensive jacket that you can use as PPE on the plane. Can also be used as a light jacket in early Autumn and double duty as a rain jacket in Manila.    

Manileno's guide to "System Jackets"

The best jacket for me is one that pairs a waterproof shell with a warm insulation layer with the two usually able to "volt-in" by way of zippers.  This also allows you to use just the outer layer as a windbreaker/rain jacket or the warm insulation layer as a stand-alone sweater, making the system jacket a versatile and must-have piece in your winter wonderland wardrobe. 

Premium system jackets such as the "Interchange" jackets from Columbia or the Tri-climate jacket series of North Face's provide excellent wind protection with an insulation layer for even the coldest trips to Sapporo or the Nordics. These system jackets only need to be augmented by an additional sweater for subzero temperature and I believe you'll be good to go.  

Columbia's Park Run Jacket (status: purchased)

An "Interchange" system jacket that features a water and windproof shell paired with Columbia's down insulation layer.  Special technology found on this jacket is Columbia's patented Omni Heat, which "reflects" heat back to your body.  My best purchase so far. 

Tested in -10 degree winter in Sapporo and held up well.  

Pros: Water and windproof shell, very warm down lining. Omni Heat is a game changer.

Cons: Pricey and this particular interchange jacket is only available in Japan

Price range: not available in Manila but there are alternatives available in PHL like  Columbia's Whirlibird interchange jacket at Zalora or at the Columbia Store in Greenbelt 

Verdict: A premium jacket but there are other decent alternatives available in MNL

Uniqlo's hybrid down parka (status: purchased)

Used in Europe in late November (8-15 degrees) and also in Tokyo early in December (10 degrees). Not very stylish (a tad bit boxy eh?) but gets the job done

Pros: Water repellent shell. Has a zip-in down lining so can be used in early winter. Hooded

Cons: Won't win any style points vs a Zara wool coat. Down lining is very thin, you'll need more layers of insulation for deep winter.  Outer shell is water repellent but not waterproof. 

Price range: P4,999

Verdict: Consider it.

Notes: Affordable system jacket, but you'll need to augment with more layers if you're planning on using this in frigid temperature.  Hood is not lined so make sure your additional insulation layer has a hood. Water repellent shell offers modest wind and water protection but will not likely hold up well vs harsher climates.

Manileno's guide for peripherals: bonnets, socks and mittens

I've tried three brands for peripherals and I would suggest to either stick with Uniqlo if you're on a budget or go all in with Columbia.  

Uniqlo offers a good range of Heattech gear at decent prices but you may have to sacrifice some heat retention as most offer only modest insulation with little or no wool content.  Verdict, they won't offer much resistance in subzero temperatures so plan to use these for not so harsh climates.  For example, I used Uniqlo's HT gloves in subzero temperature in Vienna and Sapporo and the cold went right through. I had to buy a pair of gloves onsite.   

Meanwhile, higher-end brands like North Face and Columbia usually utilize wool and offer other technologies, like Columbia's Omniheat reflective material which for me is a game changer in terms of staying warm.  They may be a little pricey but if you're heading off the Arctic circle, you might want to invest in some of these pieces.   

On the low end of the spectrum would be stuff from Decathlon but almost all of the gear I've used from there offered poor heat retention and had terrible ventilation.  

Verdict: Best bang for buck will always be Uniqlo but if you go extreme temperatures, don't expect them to hold up very well. 

Parting shot: the DIY system jacket

System jackets like the North Faces and Columbia will be the perfect piece for any winter wonderland wardrobe given their versatility and performance but they are on the pricey side (roughly Php15,000 to Php18,000).  However one can always whip together a DIY"system jacket" based on pieces from Uniqlo. Here's are some examples for system jackets

Option 1: High end

Columbia's Bugaboo/Whirlibird interchange or NorthFace's Arrowood/Thermoball Triclimate (P13,000-18,000) = waterproof shell + moderate/excellent insulation layer.

Outer shell: Water and wind proof 

Insulation: 

Fleece: Columbia Bugaboo and TNF Arrowood (moderate) 

Down: Columbia Whirlibird and TNF Thermoball (excellent)

Verdict: Consider it although a bit pricey

Notes: Great wind protection and inner layers "volt-in" to the outer shell. Technologies like Thermoball from North Face and Omni-Heat by Columbia set them apart. Expensive though.

Option 2: The "Deluxe" Uniqlo DIY system jacket #1 

Uniqlo (Blocktech parka) + (ULD parka) + Optional-(wool sweater or zip fleece) 

Total cost: (P2,999 + P3,999) = P6,998

Outer shell: Water and wind proof

Insulation: 

1st layer: Moderate warmth. ULD parka offers decent but not great level of heat retention

The insulation for ULD won’t be too warm so you can add a 2nd layer if you’re facing colder temperatures 

Optional 2nd layer: For light winter- Uniqlo middle gauge mock but for harsher climates use Zip Fleece jacket

Total cost: (P2,999 + P3,999 + 1,990) = P8,998

Verdict: This DIY version is as warm as DIYs go.  Decent wind protection and modest insulation could be good enough for subzero temperature granted you have very good base layers and full set of peripherals (bonnet, mittens, socks). 

Notes: The Blocktech parka has limited to no lining so augment with a ULD parka (the one with hood).  For not so cold climates you can tack on a merino wool cardigan/Middle gauge mock sweater during light winter but for sub zeros you'll likely need the zip fleece as 3rd layer. This will get a little bulky so you might want to oversized the outer Blocktech Parka layer.

Option 3: The "Lite" Uniqlo DIY system jacket #2:

Uniqlo (Hybrid down jacket) + (Zip fleece)

Total cost: (P4,999 + P1,299) = P6,298

Outer shell: Water and wind repellent

Insulation: 

1st layer: Marginal warmth. Very thin layer of down, equivalent to ULD compact jacket

2nd layer: Modest warmth. Fleece jacket should help augment insulation 

Verdict: This setup is an affordable system jacket (you can "volt-in" the down lining into the outer shell) but you will definitely not get close to the performance of the North Faces and Columbias of the world.  Use this DIY system jacket in autumn or at most early winter as this will not likely hold up well in very harsh or subzero conditions.

Notes: The down lining is rather thin so the 2nd layer is a must. Add on Uniqlo Zip fleece hoodie to increase insulation.  The outer shell is water repellent and NOT water proof. This is the “Lite” DIY version so if you do want to use this in deep winter or subzero temperatures, do compensate with very warm base layers, maybe an extra merino wool cardigan and the best available peripherals of bonnets and mittens.

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So hope that you were able to get some good tips for shopping and building your winter wonderland wardrobe and good luck on your snowy adventure, hopefully in the not so distant future!