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DannyMilks
4557
Jun 27, 2016
@Rinji - You pose some great questions and you're working with a common issue - budget. I think so far you've gotten some helpful responses, like questions about you typical camping conditions, get a scale and start weighing everything, and first lighten your load before you downsize your pack. I'm happy to give you my two cents, but I'd be very interested to hear specific gear recommendations from other ULers. ( @newguy @JerkyKen)
Your cooking setup is good as is. You could go a bit lighter with an alcohol stove, but it sounds like you usually camp with a partner so I'd stick with your existing setup.
Your pack is actually not terribly heavy, and this would be the last thing to change, as already discussed. So that's good news for you.
The first thing I would suggest is a lighter sleeping bag. You have a killer winter bag now, so your next one should be a 20-35° bag or quilt. You can get something for 1-2 pounds less that will take up a lot less volume in your pack. There are a range of options around $100-250. Kelty and Klymit make the most affordable down bags in that range, and Enlightened Equipment has the best quilts.
Your tent is on the heavier side, but you might be able to lighten it up a few ounces by changing out the guylines and stakes, and this would cost $15-30. Also, you have the option to only take the mesh inner if you know you won't get rain (an option in California), or only bring the fly if you're worried about rain but not bugs. But eventually this would be the next piece of gear to improve. You could try tarp camping, which is cheap and light. But if you're looking for something a little closer to a tent, I would suggest a tarp tent - usually a single/double wall hybrid. My personal favorite is the TarpTent Double Rainbow - 2.5 lbs for two people, plenty roomy, and possible to set up in freestanding mode. Big Sky Soul x2 is another good option, and has a more traditional design.
You can get a more comfortable insulated air pad, but it wouldn't be as light or affordable as the Ridge Rest. So, I guess this is one area where a lot of us have decided it's worth the weight to have a better night's sleep.
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TarpTent Double Rainbow in Tierra del Fuego, Argentina.
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