What to pack for Seoul in December

Lows around 23°F. Goes under the shell when the wind picks up.

Wear one, dry one. Cotton stays wet all week here.

Lows drop to 23°F and wind runs 15 km/h, so exposed skin loses heat fast.

Fingers go numb in 23°F without insulation.

Sidewalks ice over and boots rated below 23°F keep your footing.

Only 9.6 hours of daylight means glare off snow and ice hits hard when it's there.

UV index sits at 2.9 and reflected snow can burn skin.

Check ankles and, if there's a dog, paws and ears every night.

Slips on ice happen fast in December Seoul.

This country runs on Type C or F. Get one with USB-C so you're not fighting over the single outlet.

Nine hours of daylight means your phone dies before sunset if you photograph much.

Set it up before you land. Signal drops for long stretches outside cities.

Dark by 5:10pm. Every campsite chore after that is a two-hands job.

Overhead bins fill fast on routes into Seoul, so carry-on matters.

Fifteen kilometers of urban walking per day needs a pack that doesn't strain your shoulders.

Fits the overhead on every airline that matters. Skip the checked-bag line entirely.

For the passport, the chargers, and the one dry pair of socks.

Snow melts and refreezes, so regular gloves soak through and fail.

For the mornings and the nights.

Wind at 15 km/h cuts across your face and neck on urban streets.

Snow falls in December and wet socks mean frozen toes by afternoon.

Treat the clothes once and it lasts weeks.

Tap water is safe but carrying your own cuts down plastic waste in the city.

One brick charges the laptop, phone, and camera.

Hotel and cafe wifi is shared with everyone else in the building. A VPN keeps your banking and email to yourself.

International airports and crowded winter markets make bag tracking useful.

Winter clothes compress poorly, so rolling duffels hold more than soft bags.

Rolling duffels hold bulky winter gear better than soft bags when space matters.

Checked suitcases protect clothes from snow melt and salt spray near the coast.

December cold means fewer laundry days, but five rain days add damp clothes.

Lows around 23°F. One blanket that packs small covers the car, the campsite and the beach at sunset.

Subway noise runs constant and winter daylight ends by 5 PM.

Snow works into your boots where pants meet ankle.

Five rain days plus snow means wet hands and surfaces everywhere.

Winter insects don't bite much, but the cold itself needs relief cream.

One outlet at many guesthouses means short cables beat long tangled ones.

A few phrases go a long way. Ten minutes a day before you leave is plenty.

Seoul is international and passport checks happen at entry.

Checked luggage passes through multiple hands on international routes.

Thick winter gear takes up half your luggage space.

Humidity sits at 63 percent and bathroom ventilation is poor in older guesthouses.

Hands stay in pockets but hand warmers work when you're sightseeing for hours.