How warm is rando-race clothing?

Dane,

When you ski wearing tights, do you use gaiters to keep snow out of boots?  What do you use that doesn't impede range of motion?

"You don't have to be all that far out to be in real trouble with an injury, lost ski, or sudden illness!"

True that.  Not that far at all.  Partners are good as well.  And knowing your own physical limitations.  There is little to compare a 7hr. round trip summit on Rainier compared to a 3 day summit of Rainer.  Your selection in gear has little to do with either time IMO.  A lot more physical effort to do it in 3 days than to do it in 6 hrs. simply becasue of the extra food, shelter and clothing required.

But carry 3 days of food, shelter and clothing and most won't be able to do Rainier in 7hrs.  Pick reasonable weather/conditions (alpinism on ski, ice or rock is all about conditions after all) and you don't need 3 days of kit to accomplish the task if you are physically able.

Same idea with what is in your pack.....or on your back for clothes.  Pick your conditions, dress and pack accordingly.  The Cascades are no different than any other mountian range...although the weather and snow  forcasting is problematic in comparison because of the Pacific expanse.

You just need to pay more attention here.  Having the ability to move quickly and safely with modern lwt gear just opens up a lot of terrian to those willing to pay attention.

You can be "well prepared" with a 10# pack just as easily as you can be with a 45# pack.  The real difference is what is between your ears prior to a trip and what you are willing to listen to and act on once you leave the parking lot.

I've spent worse nights out on planned bivies than I have on bare bones unplanned bivies.  The reason?  Not being totally aware of the conditions we would encounter.   Same place I had this fire and nothing else to spare I  was almost comforatble.  The year prior, in the same place, I spent a night in a tent, in a sleeping bag, with a stove, still shivering violently a good part of the night.  Being "well prepared" goes miles past what you carry in your pack or decide to wear for clothing.

When you ski wearing tights, do you use gaiters to keep snow out of boots?  What do you use that doesn't impede range of motion?

No gaiters yet.  But I am looking.  Depends on the boot.  TlT6 skiing with no tongue I can usually get by with soft shell pants, no gaiter.  And stay reasonable dry using just an elastic cord under tha pant.  Makes transitions slow however getting to the walk mode.    But snow in the boots can be a problem if you don't sort it out early on.  I have only found pant gaiters (lycra or soft shell)  to work really well if you chop a hole in the pant.  Painfull on expensive pants.  Ski-mo specific pants like the Dynafit Movement and RACE pants and ski-mo tights usually have some kind of pant gaiter built in that stretches over the boot tops.  No lack of ROM on those.  It is slick system if done right.   I have 3 different pieces of ski-mo lycra and all work OK to varing degrees.  The CAMP USA system is the best I have seen to date for the TLTs.  Scarpa Alien's buckle is easier to cover with pants but the boot's seal worse.   None of the race boots are well designed to keep your feet dry.  Dumb imo.  TLT5/6 is just marginally better than race boots with no tongue installed.   Talk about being prepared?!  Cold wet feet sound prepared to you?

I have also just used Costco Paragon synthetic long johns.  Just pulled the cuff down to my locking pin on the TLT6.  Boot stays dry enough that way ..usually.  They are cheap and not so painful if you want to cut them up to have a buckle hole set up.  Bigger boot/cuff sizes need not apply.

As you suspected it is a problem even with the expensive pants/suits designed to solve the problem.  Most of the race suits have it all figured out.  But holly chit they want a lot of money for the fix!

I have wrecked a couple pair of bike tights trying to get them to work over the boot tops.  Nothing easy there yet for me.  But I am still looking. 

Thanks Dane for the excellent insight!

None of this is rocket science, nor requires any deep experience to figure it out.  Simple:  if you go light with your clothing, you have to keep moving.  If you want to be warm when not moving, then you need warm (heavier) layers to put on.  If you go light and have to stop for any length of time, you'll likely become hypothermic.   

Maybe some suggestions on the lightest warm layers, or the warmest light layers, would be helpful, but that info has been out there for a long time.  You don't need the techiest stuff out there...it's just marketing BS from the people that want to sell you the latest fad...now its the Rando racing world that they think will get your attention and your money.

If they develop an extremely thin, lightweight fabric that has significant insulating properties, I'll be the first to buy it.

You can be "well prepared" with a 10# pack just as easily as you can be with a 45# pack.  The real difference is what is between your ears prior to a trip and what you are willing to listen to and act on once you leave the parking lot.

I don't buy this...the question is: "well-prepared for what?". To stay in one place in cold temps for an extended period of time? I don't think so.

I don't discount the "fast and light" fad. It has, and has always had, it's place in mountaineering.