How much summer clothes do I need for a holiday?

How much clothes will I need for a 5 week WINTER holiday?

• I live in Australia so I need to get some Winter clothes for a holiday to London. Please help, what kind of clothes should I get and how many?

• Answer:

  As many as for a two weeks holiday, or even a one week holiday, and do laundry when you get out of clean things. Before you leave home make sure you have a good windproof and waterproof jacket. One of the warmest fleece jackets you can find. A set of gloves, woolly hat and shawl or scarf. Bring leggings or thin trousers to wear under your warmest jeans or trousers that are warmer still. For your top half, layer T-shirt, sweater, fleece, rain jacket at least, a couple more layers are acceptable when your layers are thin. Silk is warmer than cotton, specially when layered with other layers. As buying real warm clothing in Australia is difficult and often expensive, you might want to buy extra warm clothing after your arrival in the UK. But you do not need that much. You will want to replace your T-shirts often, one per day is rather common. The other layers can be used for several days running unless you spill something. So 7 T-shirts or vests (underwear kind), two each for each other layer, one fleece and a rain jacket. Two each of thin trousers or leggings, and two each of jeans or alike. Bring your warmest shoes, hiking boots if you have them. But do not worry about bringing expensive fashion boots, those are not as warm as you might think. Good sporting shoes which are big enough for two layers of thick socks will be warmer. And a few pairs of thick socks, buy warm socks in England, cheaper and more readily available. Ask your host for addresses of cheap shops, if you stay with friends they might even have some warm clothes for you to use, like winter jackets and mittens and such.