Ultra-Minimalist Packing List for the Eastern European Winter (Part 2)

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Disclaimer: I have not been paid for mentioning any brands, these are genuinely my clothes. The prices given are based on what I paid and should be taken as a rough guideline only.

You should probably start at part 1.

So what else is needed to keep warm? Once again, I have spent a little bit of extra money for high quality materials. For Eastern Europe in winter, I only pack one hoodie. This one is from Craghoppers and cost me £37.50 ($50). It is 100% polyester so shouldn't stink for ages. With a tshirt underneath, it very rarely has to be washed so I just throw it in the machine with my jeans.

Once again, it's black. Firstly, I think black looks cool. Secondly, it means I can spill coffee or food on it and it doesn't matter too much. The hi-vis zippers are also a nice touch. This is a really thin jumper, but a surprisingly warm insulator. It was just made for travelling, but I think for a pretty affordable price and it doesn't look out of place in a city bar.

The next item is the one really expensive item. I got it online for £120 ($159), but it's usually available for closer to £200 ($266). The plan is that this piece of clothing will last a good decade or more and it really is unbeatable in functionality. It's from Patagonia, perhaps the king of reputable and ethical travel clothing, and it's the Nano-Air Hoody.
 
This guy is basically waterproof due its special water-resistant coating. It's 100% polyester with 100% nylon insulation, marketed as "put it on and leave it on". So whether you're resting in the cold or exercising hard it will regulate your temperature. Combined with the Craghoppers hoody and base layers, it protects from cold winds and is as much warmth as you need. And when you don't need it, it packs down really small and weighs almost nothing. It even has hand warming pockets, so you might be able to do without gloves.

This provides warmth, protection from the rain, breathability and mobility. I also think it looks pretty good combined with the Lee jeans. The only downside is the price. Previously I had three separate jackets (a packable rain coat, a thick winter coat and a lighter jacket), but this combines all three functions in one. So from that perspective it's reasonably affordable.

For extra warmth, I'm bringing a thermal base layer from Nike and a pair of gloves. I've had the Nike tshirt for years and can't remember the price but you can pick up something similar for £10-£20 ($13-$27). The gloves were about £15 ($20) from H&M.
 
Gloves are just gloves. I've never washed them. Arrest me.

The Dri-Fit long sleeve base layer from Nike is a real dream for travelling. It's an athletic item once again, so it will wick away sweat and regulate temperature. It also provides an essential layer of insulation, adding a huge amount of warmth whilst taking up very little space in your backpack. It also means that the rest of your upper body clothing is protected from odour.

You won't need to wash your tshirts if you have this on underneath. So each night, you'll probably be washing a pair of underwear and socks, while washing this base layer every few days. It takes five minutes and they will all dry overnight. While they are drying you can wear the other pair of underwear and socks. So you'll always be clean with just these clothes.

Continue to part 3.

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