Gear and equipment forum

Lisa

Cold all depends on your body reaction. I've been rugged up (here in Oz) and see people swimming or walking along the beach with a stiff breeze with hardly anything on. Phew!!!

I plan on taking a polypropelene thermals (top and bottoms) - and can layer those with a singlet, T-shirt and long trousers.

Not a bad idea, but I wouldn't take any more than a t-top and thigh length bottom.

I'm in a quandry as to whether or not I would need to also take:

* a pair of sneakers and socks

Yes, take because the sneakers (but light ones). They can act as boots (no more needed) and can help keep the chills away (esp. if you get the sneezes, etc.)

* a light-medium weight polar fleece jacket (do I REALLY need this? It's bulky!)

* a polar fleece cap (small and thin)

Neither - you won't need them. The thermals will get you thru if you arrive at the wrong place at the wrong time, but I doubt you'd need anything more.

I was in SaPa in April when it was really cold. I had a cotton t-shirt, and I merely put a casual shirt on top. I always wear long pants, and so I put a pair of socks on under my sandals. I was fine.

Cheers

"You never know, we might even be able to arrange a travelfish pissup on Bali"

Hey, I'd be in to that! Somtam - pls send it (and/or send mine on to SBE).

Thanks for the replies, guys.

I started to worry about this after reading an old diary I wrote when travelling through Rantepao in 1994. I had made a comment about how cold it was - but I don't REMEMBER it being cold.

"Cold all depends on your body reaction."
The problem with me is that I get VERY hot as soon as I start moving, and get cold very easily when sitting still and at night. So the concept of layers definitely works best for me.

Lisa

I suggest that if John(MAC) wasn't off dancing in BKK, he'd be suggesting that if you're prone to getting "cold very easily when sitting still and at night" he'd be suggesting you go dancing.

Cheers

Posted from within Vietnam.

busylizzy

I am in Da Lat now and have been to Sapa withing the last 3 weeks. Temp in Da Lat now is 18/19C at 9pm and I am now wearing a thin fleece. After spending 3 months in SEA this feels cold to me (temp has been between 24 & 36 C during the day and rarely below 20C at night thus far).

Before comming out here I have almost exclusivly been to cold climate countries, Norway\ Canada etc so my concern was dealing with the heat, which I'm adusting to slowly. I also found in Sapa that I was fine wearing 2 (If I was still cold with one) T-shirts and the thin fleece to keep me warm, but thats me. As for a hat I have just been using my sun at in the evenings which has been perfectly adequate.

I can only relate to Sapa & Da Lat but in my opinion thermals would be overkill.

Take it easy & enjoy your trip.

That's good advice from Bruce. Went dancing at Xperience in Bangkok on Soi 55 in Sukhimvite. Excellent venue.

As for cold - winter definitely gets nippy here during the night. If you are on a bike it can be cold.

"Well, now you have introduced a new dilemma for - which dancing shoes to bring?!?! Maybe I can get some 'strap-on' heels for the Tevas...?"

I don't think that would cut it, but you can try. I actually do pack dancing shoes whenever I travel.

There is a model of tevas with heels you know. maybe get those?

Hi everyone,

does anyone know how cold is cold on the Bolevan plateu, places like Attapeu and similar in December, at daytime and at night?

Cheers
Thomas

Good catch Mac, I go long periods without reading.

I do remember wearing a jacket mid day up on the plateau but I haven't spent that long up there to know if it's a regular thing or not, that was December. Another day hiking I remember as being very warm.

The provincial capital Attapeu is actualy down off the plateau and very comfortable. The same with Sekong and Salavan. The only town people seem to go to up on the plateau was Paxon, the roads mostly run in a loop around the plateau.

I envy you Thomas

In Mukdahan it gets cold. Not below freezing, but nighttime on my chopper I need a jacket. Two years ago it was around 6 degrees Celsius. During the day it's usually OK, but nighttime can get pretty cool. I would expct the Bolovens to be a touch cooler still.

Dellman
Stay in a hotel that has blankets and you'll be good to go. Humping around a sleeping bag - now that's bulky.

It's funny to see one of my old threads resurreccted - from over a year ago.

Thought I'd post a follow up that might be useful to anyone new reading this, in terms of what I actually did in the end.

For starters, I didn't make it to all the planned places. I ended up taking a super-thin merino top and a polyprop top only; not thermal leggings. The merino top was good on the planes - it was a cross-over type one that worked well over a Tshirt.

I definitely didn't need anything warm in Bali/Lombok/Flores - a Tshirt was more than adequate when things 'cooled' off.

The only time I felt cold was in Hue , Vietnam (in December). It was drizzly and just slightly cold-ish (maybe 19-20 degrees??). That would be comfortable back in NZ, but after a few months in SEA, I was feeling the cold. I wore a Tshirt, the polyprop top and the merino top - but this was primarily when I was on the back of a motorbike, early in the morning. I stripped off layers off as I needed to during the day.

I didn't bother with shoes in the end..... just wore jandals/flipflops and teva's - they did the job. I also had a pair of cheap socks given out by the airline that I carried around and used in Hue in the room at night.

The other night I went to Norees and it was freezing! Had to be somewhere around 8 or 9 degrees. I had my jacket on, shoes, socks... I was still freezing. I ended up huddling around a small fire with a couple of the waitresses there. The ride home was bitter cold. Man, I hate winter!