[Kurokun] I told my Swedish friend to bring layers. He brought one jacket. It was not enough.

Kurokun

Hey all — Kurokun.

My friend Erik from Stockholm visited Beijing in November. I told him: "Bring layers. Chinese buildings have aggressive heating but outdoor temps drop hard."

Erik, being Swedish and therefore believing he is immune to cold, brought one jacket. A stylish wool coat.

Day 1 (Indoor):
We enter a restaurant. The heating is cranked to 26°C. Erik keeps his coat on because he's polite. Within 10 minutes, he's sweating. Removes coat. Fine.

Day 1 (Outdoor):
We leave the restaurant. It's 2°C outside with wind. Erik puts his coat back on. But now his shirt is damp from sweating. The wind cuts through him. He shivers for 20 minutes until we get to the metro.

Day 2 (The Metro):
Metro is 28°C. Packed with people. Erik is sweating again. Gets off at our stop, walks into 2°C air. Instant freeze.

By Day 3, Erik bought a ¥90 puffy jacket from Uniqlo. He wore it everywhere.

"In Sweden," he admitted, "we just stay cold outside and warm inside. We don't do this... temperature whiplash."

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Kurokun's packing advice for China in autumn/winter:

• Base layer: Light, breathable. You'll sweat indoors.
• Mid layer: Sweater or fleece. Easy to remove.
• Outer layer: Something windproof that you can stuff in a bag.
• The key: You will put on and take off your jacket 8 times a day. Plan for it.

Also: Chinese offices, metros, and malls are aggressively heated. Dress for the indoors, then add layers for the outdoors.

Erik now calls Beijing "the city that broke my Swedish pride."

Anyone else underestimated Chinese indoor heating?