Ok, it sounds like you have enough experience that your money should be well invested.
You bring up a good point. I may not be as cold natured as I thought. I used to get cold real easy, and I still do. In the winter however, I train regularly when it is cold out to try to acclimate to the temperatures. That seems to help a good bit. I still have trouble getting cold when I am sleeping though.
You’d be surprised how warm some of the insulated clothing is like the Micropuff. I don’t know what it’s rated at (I know 35 degrees was thrown around, but I’m sure that’s subjective and would vary based on the person), all I can tell you is that wearing it with a couple of shirts underneath and the precip jacket keeps me warm when it’s snowing. Add the insulated pants to it, cover up the head, neck and face, and one can stay pretty warm. I wouldn’t say that I am toasty warm around camp, but there’s a tradeoff. To be toasty warm I might need to carry another couple of pounds of weight, and it’s just not worth it. As long as I’m not freezing I can deal with it. Plus, when it’s cold it’s just not that enjoyable to sit around in camp (at least for me). So when I hike in the winter I usually try to find stuff to do to keep warm or just go to bed early.
Anyway, I would also take that into consideration. If you plan to spend most of your time at camp then carry extra clothes and be comfortable. If you plan to hike most of the time, and won’t spend too much time at camp other than to eat and sleep then perhaps camp comfort can be slightly compromised. It’s just something you’ll have to work out as you get some cold weather hikes under your belt to see what works best for you. Oh yeah, and don’t be surprised if you change you mind a few times…I know I have.
