Suggestions on clothing?

Do you have some kind of rain shell to wear at all if it does snow ??
You have suggested a wind shirt but have listed nothing waterproof.
I'd want someting waterproof to take.
If you do have a shell, great. It's just not in your list.

Let us know and we can make some suggestions.

Like Stuart said you should bring along a waterproof jacket for precipitation, this can double as your windshirt if you are trying stay on the cheap. Maybe just go with a dri-ducks jacket and pants, really cheap.

With your listed clothing I would be cold sitting around in camp, unless you plan on getting right in your sleeping bag/quilt. I would pick up a more substantial insulated jacket and something to replace your long sleeve cotton shirt.

Check out Mike Clelland's video on backpacking clothes – http://youtu.be/_J4D3AHzlxQ. This is for 3-season backpacking so you might want to up the warmth a bit.

you dont need much for the temps you indicated IMO

in order of priority
– rain jacket if you dont already have one
– puffy insulating layer (100g/m+ primaloft or 3-4+ oz of 800 fill down depending on conditions)
– optional wind or soft shell if you dont use yr rain jacket as such

just bring the fleece as well … its not UL, but it wont kill you and you already have it and itll add to the warmth should you need it …

you should be able to hit it within yr budget should you shop around and not get fixated on the lightest or trendiest brand names

As others have pointed, eric's priority list is spot on.

Rain Shell: Driducks. Not fancy, stylish, or durable but for <$20 and probably the most breathable shell out there, you can't go wrong.

http://www.sears.com/shc/s/p_10153_12605_SPM5587366101P?sid=IDx20101019x00001a&ci_src=14110944&ci_sku=SPM5587366101

Puffy: Trying to stay within your $150 budget is difficult using REI. My preference is for hooded clothing since they provide more warmth for the weight since you lose so much through your skull and neck. REI currently doesn't have any deals on 100g+ synth or 800fp insulation that fit within your budget. I would check out cloudveil, apparently they have a deal right now for 50% off one item using a code (check gear deals forum for details). Looking at their products they have a 133g/m synth jacket with hood and a hoodless down jacket that will come out to $100 if the deal holds.

For more options check out backcountry.com and their outlet site departmentofgoods.com

It's not REI I know, but I've had great success through them and they've got virtually the same no questions asked return policy, it's just not a brick and mortar shop. Currently they've got some really good deals if your XL or bigger sized. Their inhouse "Stoic" brand also is usually inexpensive but can have the same attention to detail as the fancy brands.

EDIT: Costco and similar club stores usually have amazing deals on down puffies this time of year. ~$50 for very warm jackets. Not the most Ultra Light or fancy, but they work.

High of 37 means you really just need a wind shirt for active use. If you're cold while active, hike harder.

That also means it's going to be cold all the time. Fleece really won't be enough if you idle for long; what you have can supplement a puffy layer. Old Navy was just blowing some out for $30, as was Costco before that. You'll have to find a steal here.

A hardshell (i.e. waterproof "rain" jacket) is an essential safety item. If you get wet at those temperatures and don't have a way to dry out, finding a way to get warm will become your life's #1 concern quickly.

Softshells aren't so useful for backpacking. A wind shirt is lighter, cheaper, and stays in your kit year-round.

Your bottoms should be fine.

There are a few ultralight down jackets under $50. These forums have discussed them in the last month or so. Costco has/had two, I think JcPenney or some big mall store like that has one, there's a store in NYC that has one if you're in that area, and probably a couple more that I can't remember.

As far as fleece goes, I would only consider it for warmth if you need something to stay warm when it's cold and you're going to sweat a lot, and even then I might only do a vest.

Hiking faster is a great solution if you can. If you were injured and are not 100% yet, then you can't. Make sure you eat enough, or your body will fail to produce enough heat…this is a problem I have when it rains because rain makes me stop eating for some reason.

And replace your cotton shirt. You can find nice long sleeve shirts at Target for $10-15 under their Champion/C9 brand, and it's available in several weights.

Thanks for all the replies. For rain I have a poncho, Mil spec. It is a bit heavy but I like it for most of my day hikes because it will work as a shelter if it needs to. I also have an old rain shell, although it does not breath at all. Old Marlboro jacket you got with the smoke points. I an not sure if it would fit over a lot of layers. I planned bringing that too just in case. It is small enough I could pack it away without issues. I don't expect rain but if it did happen I would be covered on that front.

I checked out costco based on the threads I saw here. Nothing in my size, just the kid coats. Had not thought about JCPenny or Old Navy. I will have to swing by there an look. I have access to a Cabela's and Bass Pro but after looking at their websites I did not see much that would probably pack up small enough for backpacking. I guess maybe I should concentrate on a puffy jacket then?

Old Navy, for sure. The puffies are good deals, well within your budget. You'll want something to keep you from chilling-down when you're stationary in camp. Ditch that cotton shirt for a Target/Ross/TJMaxx synthetic long underwear or tech shirt, too. By the way, someone on here found Marmot down jackets at TJMaxx for $85…worth a run by if you've got one.

Now, are you wearing warmth on your feet? Make sure you're not in ventilated hiking shoes unless you've got some nice warm wool (ix-nay on the otton-cay here, too!) or thick synthetic socks. Think to when you're stationary and cool off. Bring a loose pair for the tent/bag, too.

Feet I have some danner Pronghorn, the insulated ones. I double up on docks too, smartwool liners with some hikers on the outside. I Have a set of polypro liners too I can wear when I am sleeping.

Hi,

What's your size? If anything except medium, perhaps you can get a Sherpa Shankar Jacket. It has 100g Primaloft one and weighs aroung 16oz, it's one the lightest 100g PLOne around (and cheapest too).

The kid coats are what we were talking about. The XXL boy's size seems to fit like a medium men's size.

Everything at Cabela's is too heavy, including their "Superlight" line.

The largest they had when I went was a large. I tried it on. I am sure a few people pointed and laughed. Was worth a shot though. I swung by target today. I found a C9 coat there. Seemed to fit fine over the sweatshirt and light fleece i had. It was only 20 bucks on clearance. I am sure it is no Patagonia but at 20 bucks it might work. I left the tags on in case I find something better before the trip. Seemed to block the wind while walking to the car. My wife laughed at me for putting it on as soon as we left the store. I was very warm on the way home. Of course it is 50 degrees out right now. I suppose winter is around here somewhere. Be nice if it would show up.

http://www.target.com/p/C9-by-Champion-Men-s-Jacket-Charcoal/-/A-13460181#?lnk=sc_qi_detailbutton

Scott, do you have a scale you could throw that jacket on? That might be a great find.

The Black XL with tags still on and one rubber band to hold to in a roll weighs 743 grams. It compresses fairly well. Much better than anything else I own coat wise. Not sure about the other down coats out there, just don't have the experience. But I am sure I can come up with a simple DIY stuff sack to compress it down.

there are quite a few places to shop … also many places might be having clear out sales … check out online sites such as STP, department of goods, etc …

since you already have a poncho … just get an insulating jacket and a windshirt/light softshell

you can even get "good" brand name stuff for your price range

while i like and personally use my cheap old navy puffy … its mostly because its functional, light enough and most importantly cost me 19$ …

Thanks for checking the weight for me. I guess that's not too bad. It might be a little heavier than some fleece jackets, but I'm sure it'd be much warmer. It's a bit heavy for me, and would still probably weigh about a pound if the sleeves were removed.

It is heavier than most of the other jackets i have looked at but it certainly is quite a bit cheaper. I will see what I can find at some other stores. But if it works it frees up cash to spend on other gear that will hopefully lighten the load. I an certainly not at the level of may around here but I am working on it. Just keep reading the posts and getting ideas to lower the weight. Eventually I will get down to a decent base weight.

Scott, that's pretty much the way to go. In the beginning you could spend a lot of money on bad purchases for later on down the road. Better to buy a bunch of cheap but functional gear that gets you into the woods, then as you learn and figure out what you like and works best, start plopping down the cash! Take it from someone who's geared his friends with bad personal purchases turned loaners ;)

That Jacket, for the price, does seem like a nice find albeit pretty heavy. I'd also question just how warm the synthetic insulation is, usually the best synths (primaloft 1) is comparable only to 600ish fill power down, so if they're using a cheap insulation you'll still be cold. Cheap down is probably a better buy than cheap synthetics, but if you can test it before your trip (walk in freezer anyone?) and it works, well it works!

Definitely check out gear swap as well. Often people sell down gear at very affordable prices, like this guy:

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=56222

I don't think anyone has mentioned thrift stores. You can find some killer deals there. I have a number of wool shirts and a down jacket my dad got me for $5 at a Goodwill. Here's how my normal layering works
1. Cheap synthetic T-shirt from Wal Mart
2. Wool Shirt.
3. Windbreaker.

That system works for me when I'm active most of the time. If I expect it to be cold all day I might add a fleece. My final layer (usually worn only in camp) is a puffy of some kind. I did spend the money for a nice synthetic pullover but thats because I sometimes hike solo in remote areas of Colorado. I used a the $5 down jacket a lot and would be fine with it except on a really long or wet trip.

Good luck Scott. Don't spend too much money now. Just get functional stuff and figure out what works for you.

Thanks for all the replies. It has certainly helped out a bunch. I have been hitting my local goodwill. Actually found a nice campmor long/short sleeve shirt for 3bucks. no luck on winter stuff though. I am hitting it every few days. I have also checked out the gear swap section. Lots of good stuff but some out of my league or size. For the most part the stuff I have has been working while hiking to about 30ish. My main concern is when I hit camp and stopped moving. I will have a fire and I have a cheap 35 degree bag. But if I am not moving I will get cold, which is where the questions came in.

I plan to go outside tomorrow in jeans and a t shirt with that jacket. Weather.com says it is going to be 34 degrees. So that will be the best test I can probably do before the trip. If it works out the tags come off, if not I keep looking. I am hopeful it works out. That way I can use my gift card to replace the bass pro long underwear top I have. I will keep if for sleeping maybe but if you sweat at all the thing stinks for the next 3 days. So I figure I might try to get some other base layer top.

How nice are hoodie base layers with backpacks? I see REI has a merino wool on sale. Wonder if that would be good as a base layer with that hood and a pack. Not sure if they will have it in the store I will check it out next week.

http://www.rei.com/product/816072/rei-merino-wool-hoodie-mens

I do have a merino wool buff I got for christmas, that thing is great. I am instantly in love with it.

I've never bought nice wool. Again I've found enough at thrift stores to get by (I mostly use a really, really ratty wool sweater). Because of the cost factor I suggest not spending a lot on new clothes at this point. If you're going to spend money I'd spend it on your sleeping bag. Also make sure you have a sleeping pad (cheap foam is fine but you want something under you). If the high is 37 you'll be wearing your warm clothes a lot of the time. That means getting something light and compressible like a puffy jacket is less crucial. I think your first order of business should be to make sure your sleeping bag will work.
Another off topic tip. It will be dark and cold for longer than you want to sleep. I might suggest a small paperback book or an ipod to keep yourself entertained.

Virtually any synthetic will stink if you sweat in it. Cocona supposedly reduces the stench, as does anything with nano particles of silver. The silver though most likely causes cancer (but I'm also convinced just living in a city causes cancer).

Merino won't stink generally. That REI hoody is a good deal, but unfortunately it doesn't zip up around the neck making it not nearly as useful as a baselayer with a "scuba" style hood. It's more lifestyle oriented than backcountry performance =/

The wool buff is amazing and is long enough to make a balaclava out of so getting a hooded merino top isn't as necessary!