On the winter ML last year everyone wore gortex. Everyone was wet. Everyone was cold. Apart from Paramo Man. After 2hrs digging a snow hole he reckoned he was dry/comfortable enough to sleep in his gear. I researched the 'no shell' approach and decided to go back to Buffalo and concur with the glowing testimonials on http://www.buffalosystems.co.uk/. Buffalo is for filthy weather - goretex is for High Street Mountaineering.
- always wear buff next to skin
- do rucsac belt up through handwarmer pocket
- always put the belay jacket on for tea-breaks
- buy mardale bivi-boots to boost bottom end of 4s outer buffalo bag: http://www.mardale.com/
- pay the extra £18 or get busy with a sewing machine and put arm zips in the 4s outer for cozy camping
- stop whingeing about the extra weight/bulk of the buffalo bag and ditch your 800g goretex bivi bag
- if you still can't carry a buffalo bag ditch your heavy sac (1.3kg) and buy a golite (700g) then trim off the ice-axe loops and the inside back panel
- now you've saved 1.4kg sleep in the 4s outer in the (damp) salopettes and mountain shirt (and belay jacket) and wake up warm and dry
- line the inside of your rucsac with your karrimat (or thermie) and stuff your gear down inside
- get rid of the daft little stuff bags that manufacturers supply to make their products look compact in the shop
- dachstein mitts £23 from http://www.needlesports.com/ - bomb proof even when iced (in fact they are warmer when iced or caked in snow) - keep your hands warm enough to buy sufficent bare-hand time to get crampons on, use a compass or set-up a belay
