January in Harbin is minus twenty — dress like the locals, not like a skier

Layers, a long down coat to the knee, proper insulated boots with grip, hat, scarf, gloves you can keep on. The cold here is dry, so it is bearable if nothing is exposed and brutal if something is.

Phones die in minutes: keep yours inside your coat and carry a power bank that has been kept warm too. Camera batteries the same. Indoor heating is fierce, so dress in layers you can shed. Everything you forgot is sold near Central Street, cheaply.