What to pack for Seoul in November

Lows around 36°F. Goes under the shell when the wind picks up.

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

The layer you'll wear more than any other.

Lows of 36°F mean exposed ears go numb in the 15 km/h wind.

Fingers stiffen fast when the temperature drops below freezing.

The 10.2 hours of daylight reflect off wet pavement and water.

Mosquitoes linger into November when humidity sits at 70 percent.

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

Uneven sidewalks in urban terrain cause twisted ankles and scrapes.

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

Daylight ends by 5 p.m., so your phone dies before the day does.

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

Dark by 5:20pm. Every campsite chore after that is a two-hands job.

One bag fits the overhead on flights here and avoids checked lines.

Ten hours of daylight means you explore all day with what you carry.

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.

For the mornings and the nights.

Wind gusts across the coast and your neck needs a barrier.

Six rainy days soak through regular socks, so thermal ones dry faster.

Treat the clothes once and it lasts weeks.

Tap water is safe but carrying your own bottle saves time.

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 train stations move luggage fast and far.

Packing cubes compress clothes in humidity that swells fabric.

Six rainy days mean wet clothes pile up faster than they dry.

Lows around 36°F. One blanket that packs small covers the car, the campsite and the beach at sunset.

Trains run frequent and fast; headphones block the noise.

November highs of 52°F require layering that packs small.

Seoul's markets and transit are crowded; germs spread fast here.

Bites itch worse in cold weather, and scratching breaks skin.

Multiple devices charge slowly from one outlet in budget guesthouses.

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

Passport checks happen at entry and at most hotels in Seoul.

Luggage passes through many hands between the airport and your room.

Humidity at 70 percent makes toiletries sticky and mold-prone.

Planes to Seoul are long and the airport hotels are loud.