Okay, so I live in Washington state, US, and usually backpack in and around the Cascade mountains...elevation ranges from 1600 - 4900 ft. By cool weather I mean down in the 30's(possibly 20s) and 40's, warm weather I mean 70 or above. I don't plan to go hiking in extremely hot weather, as this is not fun for me. Usually I go for 2-3 days, 1-2 nights, I have a 65L backpack. Sorry for the lack of specificity guys!

I usually bring a pair of thermal underwear with me, but I am reconsidering my jeans. My friend is recommending sweatpants for when it gets cold but I'd imagine the wind would cut right through them, and from what I understand those zip-off hiking pants aren't much help either.

While I have most of the gear I need to go backpacking again, I don't have a lot of good clothing picked out other than my boots and hiking socks/liner. For my upper body I have a hard shell but I'm not sure if soft shells are worth it, if I should go for a fleece or poly-blend, and if fancy things like this http://www.mammut.ch/en/productDetail/105000020_v_0126_M/Zip+Longsleeve+all-year+Men.html are worth it. For my lower body I think those zip-off hiking pants would be a good idea in the 60 degree and up range, but when it gets cold or rainy I don't know.

J