In this R.O.X. Outdoor Guide episode, photographer and guide Edwin Martinez breaks down how to dress for winter — from reading the real temperature to choosing between a single parka and a full layering system.

His first tip: don't trust the base temperature on your weather app. The "real feel" can run far colder once you factor in wind chill, sun, shade, and clouds — a reading of -6°C can feel like -14°C. Edwin sorts cold into three bands: chilly (around 15°C to 8°C, like a Baguio morning), cold (8°C down to -5°C, when fingers and nose go numb), and extreme cold (-5°C and below, the most dangerous). Since feeling cold is subjective, he says it's "better to be over-prepared than under-prepared." Skimp on cheap gear and you risk frostbite on exposed fingers, nose, and ears — or hypothermia, when core temperature drops below 35°C.

On apparel, he compares two systems. A single parka — he shows a Columbia model with a synthetic-fur hood and down or synthetic-loft insulation — is simple and warm for extreme cold, but you're stuck wearing it once things warm up indoors. A layering system fixes that: a base layer, a packable down mid-layer, and a Gore-Tex outer shell you can strip off as needed. Edwin uses layering himself — it's lighter, packs small, and adapts as conditions change. The same cold-weather hiking gear advice holds on a cold Philippine summit or a winter trip abroad. Start with Columbia's cold-weather range.