Beijing Winter Essentials: Survival Items to Kick Mother Nature’s Frigid and Merciless Arse

Winter is rarely a time to relish in Beijing – hellish smog, freezing temperatures, and globules of frozen spit aren’t usually present in Santa’s depiction of a winter wonderland. But the city’s least hospitable time can be weathered with some good old preparation, and these few essentials will make it that much easier to get out of bed in the morning.

Pollution Mask (防霾口罩, fángmái kǒuzhào)
This may seem like a no-brainer, but it probably is time you get yourself a pollution mask. Beijing’s winters are notoriously bad as a mixture of increased coal burning and reduced wind means that the city is coated in a thick layer of lung gunk. By the end you’ll be saying “never again,” that is until spring rolls around and you forget it ever happened. Just remember, fit is key – 3M masks are usually a good bet.
Where to buy: 7-Eleven, Watsons, TMall.com
Price: 3M N95, RMB 10; 3M 9332, RMB 40

Heat Pads (暖宝宝, nuǎn bǎobao)
Imagine having a glowing lump of coal inserted deep inside of you by a gaggle of cherubs who have surfed snowflakes down to earth straight from heaven. Well, that’s what these feel like, minus the inevitable mess and questionable man-child relationship that this analogy conjures.
Where to buy: Watsons, TMall.com
Price: RMB 15 for 5 pads

Chap Stick (唇膏, chúngāo)
Hey, men, put away whatever qualms you have about lip care in tubes not being masculine enough, your (potential) S.O. will thank you for buying a winter’s worth of chap stick to avoid looking like your lips have been run through a paper shredder. Extra moisturizer to avoid lizard skin never goes amiss either.
Where to buy: Watsons
Price: RMB 10

Long Johns (长内衣裤, chǎng nèi yīkù)
At risk of sounding like a Uniqlo fanboy (but not of the changing room variety – keep it classy, Beijing!), there hasn’t been a winter yet where I haven’t run to the nearest store like a screaming toddler scared for its life to buy some super high-tech Japanese long johns. There’s no better way to say this: these will put you back in the womb. 
Where to buy: Uniqlo
Price: RMB 150

Electric Hot Plate (电磁炉, diàncílú)
A hot plate is one of the best items you can own during a long Beijing winter. Not only is it essential for making all types of mulled boozy drinks and hot pot, you can also boil orange or pomelo rinds in it for a make-shift humidifier-cum-Christmas scent machine, combating both nosebleeds caused by the dry air as well as the sadness of having to endure the holidays without family.
Where to buy: JD.com
Price: RMB 200

Phone Power Bank (手机充电宝, shǒujī chōngdiàn bǎo)
Have you ever seen a phone work in subzero temperatures? Nope, neither have we. That’s because the cold saps batteries like the Siberian wind sucks color from your face, which is why it’s always a good idea to have some extra juice on hand.
Where to buy: Bainaohui Electronics Market (百脑汇电脑商场), 10 Chaoyangmen Waidajie
Price: RMB 60-200

Smartphone Gloves (智能触摸屏手套, zhìnéng chùmōpíng shǒutào)
Now that your phone actually works, it’s time to use it without incurring frostbite and having to remove them while you shout over the wind that you are in fact, yes, where your Uber driver’s phone says you are. A pair of smartphone-enabled gloves is a game-changer and will help you do just that.
Where to buy: Uniqlo
Price: RMB 100

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Email: tomarnstein@thebeijinger.com
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Images: 3M, Mentholatum, HRST, Midea, Xiaomi, Uniqlo