See, that doesn't work for me...even a perfect day up there has to be in the teens, and probably below zero. we're talking 10300ft, that is positively polar.
When working, I can see being in a light jacket (better not to sweat), but the minute one is still, like when on belay, or whil waiting on point, or even just at rest stops... The minute one would stop moving, one would get cold REALLY fast.
Lightly equipped would include layered personal warm-wear by necessity. It might preclude a bivybag, stove, less rope, etc...
-Bruce
Over at the cascade climber forum a rescue worker said that given what was found it seems the climbers had a choice. Either to keep moving or start dying. In other words, the climbers knew that either way there was not much of a chance that they would survive because the weather had turned treacherous. So in regards to this thought, it could be, James chose to stay behind. Not to sound gloomy but perhaps he wanted his body found for the sake of his family. His wife was interviewed by Katie Couric tonight and without coming out and saying it, in the last conversation with him, it seems his wife knew and he knew, he would not make it. And she said something about the position of his fingers. When the rescue worker removed James glove to get a look at his ring, James had made it easy to be identified by the position he put his ring finger in.