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Preparing to see the Northern Lights in Rovaniemi, Finnish Lapland in January, I always knew it was going to be cold.
For this reason, I would have to ensure I was packing more than enough thermals.
But I ended up being there in a particularly cold snap, where the temperature had plunged to a brutal -35°C (-31°F).
It was so cold, in fact, that when I later returned to London, I discover one of Finnish Lapland’s two airports – thankfully not the one I flew from – was forced to shut, leaving thousands of Brits stranded.
It was even too chilly for the huskies – that was the disappointing news we were given when we arrived at Apukka Resort for our GetYourGuide husky-sledding experience, although we still got to play in the snow with them.
But, thanks to having the packing essentials, I didn’t feel the cold too much in my five layers – even when I was whizzing around on a snowmobile – plus all the outdoor experiences I did included thermal overalls.
What I did make a mistake with, however, was packing my £200 Doc Martens boots – which, it turns out, are not built for snow, as I was slipping and sliding everywhere walking in them.
Here’s what to pack for your next cold adventure holiday – including the cool vaccuum gadget that helped me fit such bulky clothes into my hand luggage…
Dare2B Women’s Wander Padded Jacket
For my jacket, I took this water resistant one from Dare2B.
It was one of the only winter coats I could find that was actually stylish, while also keeping me warm with tons of padding.
It comes in loads of colours, and the hood zips right up keeping a lot of my face out of the cold too.
Was £180.
Berghaus Unisex Lumley Down Jacket – Black
My husband also needed an excellently warm coat so opted for this one from Berghaus.
This waterproof jacket’s padded with Hydrodown® to keep you toasty warm in any weather, and there are plenty of pockets to keep your essentials in.
It also has a removable hood, although he had it up constantly in Finland – and, of course, it’s waterproof.
Ocoopa UT3 Pro Magnetic Rechargeable Hand Warmer
There were times that even my thermal gloves couldn’t keep my hands warm – so i put one of these in each pocket of my coat.
The rechargeable hand warmers have four levels of heat up to 58 degrees and between six and 15 hours of continuous heat.
Even when I put them on full blast, they lasted me all day.
Merino Wool Boot Socks Thermal
These unisex thermal socks are made from merino wool, and kept my tootsies so warm.
As well as being really soft, they have great temperature regulation and excellent moisture control to keep feet fresh and odour free.
They come in packs of three in a range of colours.
I was worried about how I’d fit such bulky clothes into my hand luggage – especially as I didn’t want to wear them all on the plane and overheat.
For that reason, this vacuum kit from Aerless was a life saviour.
You can get around 15 items in one bag, and save up to 60 per cent on space – and my carry-on case easily fit two of the bags.
The kit also comes with a compact rechargeable pump which I packed so I didn’t need to find a vacuum cleaner to repack.