I wear Event a lot also, I find it keeps me relatively dry compared to Goretex.

For my upper puffy layers I was thinking of a two layer approach mixing a synthetic hoody (Arcteryx Atom SV) and a down hoody under it.

I spend more time playing in the snow than actually hiking on top of it. Event lets me do that with no worries at all. Even in the 50F corn snow of late May.

As far as puffies go, my pullover is a customised version of the thru-hiker down jacket kit they sell. I made the zipper a half zip, added a hood, and removed all the pockets. The loft around my body is 5-6" total and arms and head are about 1.5-2" total. That has kept me warm down to -20F with no wind and not even the slightest chill. If you can swing it I would consolodate those down to one item. You will find out quickly that after a few gear swaps weight becomes much less important than total number of items and bulk. I have little interest in droping my winter base weight much further, I know where I could drop another 1-2 lbs but the cost isn't worth it. Instead I have been working to consolodate items and reduce bulk.

That makes sense on the bulk, I am luckily enough most of kit is fairly low bulk.

Went back and re read Allen and Mikes Back Country ski Book last night. :-)

If the base is deep enough this winter I will be bringing my splitboard and snow shoes.

Where I live in Michigan normally gets a lot of snow so hopefully will get some practice in myself :-)

Jeremy...I see you wear VBL layers top and bottom....do you normally run cold, and these help? I've done a fair amount of winter hiking in the Adirondacks, and never known anyone who wears VBL layers...maybe a few VBL socks, but that's it.
Just curious, because I am usually warm no matter what, and have never even worn a bottom base layer....

I was actually giving them a try to serve duel use. Bring less insulation and offset my lighter sleeping bag. I am normally not hot when I hike, but in the VBL I was very hot. Overall I wasn't happy with the construction quality of the Stephensons VBL system but it was a good learning experience. Those will not be worn this winter as I now live in the Sierra Mountains where the temps are much more consistent and a lot warmer than our lows on the east coast. I wouldn't recommend VBL on the east coast the temps are just way too variable. I think if I were doing a 4 day or longer trip in the interior west (Colorado, Montana, Wyoming...) where you can put money on the fact that temps will stay cold, I wouldn't use VBL.

http://www.backpackinglight.com/cgi-bin/backpackinglight/forums/thread_display.html?forum_thread_id=55433
Here is the thread that lead to my purchase of the Stephenson VBL suit.

I made shirt and pants from Stephenson "Fuzzy Stuff"

It's sort of heavy. Silvery color. Easy enough to sew.

It was comfortable enough, but I don't do extended periods and don't go below about 20 F, so non VBL worked just as good and was a little lighter.

If I did extended periods below 20 F it would probably have worked better.

I think 20F hiking temps are even too warm...

I think this is a personal temp rating for hiking in VBL. Your physical conditioning, how hot your body "runs" while hiking, what the weather is like. For me from the handful of times I used VBL while hiking last winter my temps are between 10-20F depending on how hard I am hiking and how sunny it is. At rest and in the sleeping bag VBL is all good your bag will never so dry.

I think the downsides to VBL are the smell, after only 1 day you are fairly ripe by day 3 in a trip it is disgusting. The other big issue, VBL clothing makes you lazy about moisture management, which in the winter I think is the most dangerous and easiest way to become hypothermic.

Edited by earn_my_turns on 11/03/2012 22:45:57 MDT.