Taking advice from me might seem ridiculous, but, I definitely know how much is needed and how much isn’t. So technically, I can be your bench mark :)
Unfortunately, those who will be going to other parts of the world for exchange, namely Europe, you don’t get the same luxury.
No - you will not be able to survive on Primark clothes and it is not as cheap as what you can get in the U.S. when they have sales.
I’ve survived cold winter temperatures (AND SNOW!) , and I have a sufficient amount of clothes to have 2 weeks of different outfits.
*P.S. I coerced Jerald into helping me for this article, and we had a discussion about it on a train ride to Venice. You can trust Jerald. He is one super organised, mildly OCD, intense person when it comes to packing things.
Fashion/Clothes Related
BUY THIS IN SINGAPORE. Its cheaper than in Europe (UK).
Girls: 2 long sleeves & 2 Tank tops (or short sleeve, but i personally don’t fancy the short sleeved ones), 1 leggings, 1 tights.
I survived 25 days with 1 long sleeve and 2 tank tops, but It would be a lot easier if i had 2 long sleeves. HEATTECH dries REALLY quickly, so for those who have to deal with 20days on end of snow, get 2 long sleeves. For those who are going to London/western europe - some days I don’t even need HEATTECH.
Guys: 2 long sleeves, 1 short sleeve (if you fancy - for slightly hotter days), and 2 bottoms
for tops, you should consider the v-neck options which hides better under button shirts
You definitely don’t meet more than that list above.
Jerald taught me the trick of layering your heat tech, and It really works!
I must EMPHASIZE the importance of this.
Girls: 1 black, 1 denim wash of your liking, 1 other more interesting colour (I say maroon or army green)
Guys: Dark Coloured Jeans - 1 Black, 1 blue, 1 dark blue
** Note: Consider bringing jeans that give you sufficient space(?) to wear your heat tech inside. Get jeans that are more elastic. Dressing up for winter doesn’t mean that you have to look like a tight dumpling.
Girls: 1 pair of Sneakers/comfortable walking shoes (If you’re into sports - sports shoes), 1 pair of flats, 1 low ankle boots, 1 winter boots (buy there), 1 pair of Slippers.
THAT IS MORE THAN SUFFICIENT REALLY. MORE MORE MORE THAN SUFFICIENT. I have 7 (or more i don’t remember) pairs of shoes, but i wear my black leather ankle boots like 5x a week. When i have labs I wear my converses. Thats it. Get neutral coloured shoes, e.g. black/brown. You probably will never go wrong with it, and it will match every outfit. That gold pair of shoes that will supposedly “enhance and add personality” to your cute outfits - LEAVE THEM AT HOME.
Guys: Honestly, you don’t really need so many pairs of shoes. The basic requirements will probably be 1 pair of boots/waterproof shoes that can stand the cold, 1 pair of sneakers (must be comfortable for walking —> Europe has many cobble floors and uneven grounds).
Jerald and I are split on how many undergarments people need.
He thinks you should bring as many as you can . To quote him: “Many socks and underwear. Must at least change inside haha.”
But, I think a 1 week supply is enough. I probably brought like ALL my undergarments - or as many as I could. This is the main reason why i can go on for more than 2 weeks without washing clothes. I do my laundry when I run out of underwear.
Truth be told, 1 week suppy is really all you need - so you do your laundry every week.
On clarification, jerald’s definition of a lot is at least 10 pairs. So yes. 1 week supply. Same goes for socks - 1 WEEK supply.
Girls: 1-2 long Winter Coat, 1 Short Coat, 1 Leather Jacket/Parka (or one each if you wanna be a #fashionista)
Guys: 1 Long Coat, 1 waterproof coat
Should you invest in a down jacket? I think its unnecessary. I don’t have one, i survived layering 2 of my furry coats, and layering HEATTECH. Jerald gets cold very easily, and he thinks the down jacket will be very useful. Point is, don’t bring more than 2. If you don’t have it, BUY IN EUROPE.
P.S. If you’re doing an exchange in the UK - Get a coat with a hood. Unless you enjoy walking in the rain. Thats what i always end up doing because the weather is so unpredictable.
Girls: 1 set of Jewellery / Accessories (IF YOU MUST…. )
I brought none. I don’t wear too many accessories, plus you can’t see them during the winter. So one set - i.e. compliments ONE outfit is SUFFICIENT.
1 bottle of Perfume + Deo
Again, i over pack, so i brought like 3 bottles of perfume. But i only use 1. Sometimes i switch to the others. For the same reason i mentioned in point 2. Anything more than 2 is VERY UNNECESSARY.
Guys: A watch.
1 Pair of leather gloves, 1 regular - touch screen if you can get it!
Girls + Guys: 1 back Pack, 1 going out bag.
(Girls you DEFINITELY don’t need more than 2 going out bags - trust me! I brought 4 but have only used 2.)
So after packing all the above you’re left with tops. And for girls maybe dresses (DON’T BRING MORE THAN 3, REALLY) Having a mixture of styles for Tops gives you more flexibility when it comes to mixing and matching = no repeating outfits
Girls: 1 months worth i.e. 5 Sweaters 10 Other Tops MAX. My definition of 1 month worth is NOT 30 tops ok. (Fine it WAS prior to this exchange. BUT NOT ANYMORE. Like i said, don’t end up like me with ONE LUGGAGE OF VACCUM PACKED CLOTHES taking up space.)
Guys: 2 Long sleeve Cotton Tops, 2 T-shirts, 3 sweaters, 3 buttoned shirt.
I take note of what jerald wears, and when he told me the above list i went “you don’t even wear that many clothes” apparently he brought more. But those are what he wears regularly and i quote him “I’m thinking for the guys who want to dress up.”
- I was reading an article online on wardrobe cleaning. It said to make sure every item you bring can match 3 other items already in the luggage. I believe this rule should apply now. Bring solid colours, more neutrals, and a range of types of tops instead of just T-shirts - BUT KEEP IT TO 15 ITEMS.
- Girls: For every dress or romper your bring (what for I don’t know, ok i do know, because “You’ll need it in summer” Thats what i told myself) reduce 1 Top.
- Don’t bring too thin tops, BRING those that can be LAYERED.
I have this theory, 1 top and 1 sweater combnationi. The top will take you well into summer, and the sweater you can wear over a top if its cold or alone if its warmer.
- I met an Australian guy when I was in Berlin who could survive the -1 deg celsius by layering a T-shirt under a WOOL button up. You could consider investing in ONE wool sweater/button-up if you think your stash is lacking.
You really don’t need more than what is listed here. IF YOU DO Run out of clothes, TELL ME. I’ll give you my clothes.
This would probably take up 15kg (ok i suck at weight estimation, but def. less than 20kg) and not much space in your luggage. Make better use of the 46kg STA gives you and bring FOOD. Food is really very important. Unless you’re super good at cooking. Even then, you might have issues getting the necessary food items, BUT maggie mee NEVER FAILS - somedays you just have no time/have no energy to cook.
Don’t make the same mistake I did and save more of that space for FOOD items you’ll miss when you’re away - trust me the missing of food from home kicks in under a month and gets more intense with each passing day, especially since we’re so used to the variety we have back home in Singapore.
a) You have enough outfits for a month - you can have your own fashion show.
b) You won’t freeze, because these should be sufficient to keep you warm - even when it snows.
If the temperature is anywhere below -15degC, i think you’ll need thermal on top of the heat tech. I haven’t gone to anywhere with such a temperature, so i really don’t know. Sorry!
Save the money for buying asian related food supplies (its quite pricey here, but your cravings have no mercy) or for traveling - YOU MUST TRAVEL when you’re on exchange. Otherwise its like getting a cake and eating just the sponge/base of it. Filling, but not Satisfying.
(Mostly Jerald's Tips)
1. Don’t bother to bring condiments
Condiments such as soy sauce, oyster sauce or chinese cooking wine etc. can be purchased at asian supermarkets that are usually located in the Chinatowns of cities. Of course, you might want to check with friends/school mates that have travelled in the area to make sure of this. Those who love to eat Chilli - Bring your own. You should also bring some pre-pack seasoning (bak kut teh chicken rice, curry chicken —> recommend prima taste) they sell these in Asian supermarkets but for double sometimes triple the price.
2. A Rice cooker is important.
A rice makes cooking rice really foolproof. Furthermore, it can be used to make soups and porridge! It is debatable whether we should buy a rice cooker from Singapore or just purchase one when you arrive overseas. Well, the best thing to do is to check online or ask friends/seniors if these are available overseas. Note that most rice cooker overseas are huge, perhaps cook rice for a group of 4 to 5 people. So if you are travelling overseas alone, it’s probably better to get a smaller one from SG. I recommend you guys to check out Mustafa as they have a huge range of rice cookers available. the one I got was small and could easily fit into the luggage. However, its capacity wasn’t compromised and can cook 2.5 cups of rice (sufficient for 5 people!).
Hope this is helpful to you and that it goes up in time for those preparing for their winter exchange!
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