Jim, maybe it's my fat layer (I'm short and squat, definitely not petite). I've used the clothing I described to well below freezing and in snow without problems. While I'm a short-day hiker (start late, stop early), when I'm in camp I do a lot of wandering around to explore the area, fuss with gear (air it out or whatever), admire the sunset, play with my dog, etc. In other words, I'm moving around rather than sitting still for most of the time I'm awake. That may be why I am plenty warm enough while out of bed but at the same time am a cold sleeper. If it gets too miserable even with all the layers on, I can always crawl into the sleeping bag, and with that I'm good for close to zero. One of the reasons I won't rely on clothing to supplement a less-warm sleeping bag is that I really don't want to take wet or dirty clothing into the bag with me, and I want some margin should I fall into the creek with my insulating clothing on. (After falling during a creek ford last summer, I don't find that scenario too far-fetched!) Another is that with the considerable temperature differential between inside and outside the bag on a frosty morning, I really want to save that nice warm Thermawrap jacket for when I get out of bed! (On the other hand, I'm very apt to wait until the sun hits the tent, unless there's no morning sun. Backpacking trips are, after all, for pleasure!)

I'm still working on the footwear. I've been a longtime advocate of boots instead of shoes. After last summer's trips, though, I've given up on boots, especially goretex-lined boots. Once they get wet inside, it takes 3 days (and those were sunny, dry, breezy Colorado days) to dry them out! I'm trying both trail runners and light-weight mids (high-topped version of the trail runner) (hard to find the latter without goretex, though). So far both have worked fine, with the edge to the trail runners which have far more support for my pronation problems. I haven't yet tried the acid test of a 25-lb. pack with them, though. That is coming up shortly, depending on how soon I can shed this horrible cold that has had me laid up the past couple of weeks. I will take plastic bags to use (inside shoes, on top of socks) to keep my feet dry if it snows. I also use two layers of socks (both merino wool) because the thicker socks are more comfortable for my feet. I've found that the trail runners dry really fast even if I've walked through a creek with them. They actually provide far more support for my quite deformed feet than did the boots (even with orthotics) and are far more comfortable. I've tried deliberately turning my ankle in the trail runners and haven't been able to do it, something I can't say for the boots.

One of the things I'm really looking forward to on the TLB Forum backpack in September is the chance to compare gear!

Lori, I've found cold and heat tolerance really interesting. When I first moved from eastern Washington to the Portland, OR area 20 years ago, everyone else would complain of the heat when it got into the 80's, while I would just barely begin to feel comfortable, being accustomed to daytime temperatures in the upper 90's or higher. That's not quite as true as it was 20 years ago, but I still have less problems with hot weather than do most residents of western Oregon or Washington. However, after spending most of my adult life in the Pacific Northwest, I really get the shivers at the thought of facing a Wyoming winter--if it weren't for that, I'd probably have retired there! I far prefer Wyoming (where I grew up) to any other state I've lived in, but only in the summers, thank you!

To Ellis, I'd say that if you add warm hat, warm gloves (with waterproof overmitts or plastic bags to keep them dry) and an insulating layer and lightweight wind/waterproof shell for your legs, you'll be fine. I personally would rather have a lot of thin insulating layers (your inner shirt, the Capilene 3 and the 200-weight fleece are close to what I have), that I can fine-tune to keep my body warm without sweating, than one thick one (the down). If you add another insulating layer, consider a lightweight fleece, down or synthetic fill vest. If you do that, you might consider ditching the (probably heavy) softshell, unless your rain jacket is not breathable (in that case, consider a lightweight wind shirt). Should you be able to get up in the Sierra in the current storm (or if a similar one hits) with your gear, that would be a great test! You don't mention footwear; whatever you wear, I'd suggest at least one and maybe (for safety's sake) two extra pair of hiking socks. I love my fleece sleeping socks--they're really soft and loose and my feet sigh with gratitude when I put them on--but they are a luxury item. They do mean that no matter how wet the weather, I always have dry socks in bed.

The other precaution is to keep your insulating stuff (clothing and sleeping bag) dry! Pack them inside waterproof bags (ordinary stuff sacks are not waterproof) or (cheaper and probably lighter) use a plastic 2-mil trash compactor bag (available at supermarkets--just make sure they're not perfumed) as a pack liner. Part of keeping your insulating clothing layers dry is not to sweat into them--remove layers as needed to keep from sweating. Especially don't pile on your insulating layers under your rain wear while you're hiking, because it will be a sauna inside, no matter how breathable your rain jacket. You may need to pile everything on under the rain jacket when you stop (don't let yourself get chilled), but you'll want to take it off again when you start hiking). I call this the "onion" principle, and it is a bit of a nuisance, but far more comfortable both when hiking and when sitting still. Learning to fine-tune your body temperature when outdoors is an art well-worth learning; it could save your life!