There Are Pandas, and Then There Are Pandas.
And this isn't either of them! The Pandas we're talking about here, are watches, not bears. And what got me thinking about them (again) was a link posted this morning by @cm.rook who pointed a few of us to the very attractive (and not terribly priced) Yema "Rallygraph" Panda which, in it's most traditional arrangement, looks like the one on the left, but can also be had in the version on the right: The model on the left is a true Panda, while the model on the right is called a reverse Panda. The reason for that distinction is clear--Panda bears, only come in the first arrangement. Now at this point, everyone should be thinking about the most well-know Panda, The Rolex Panda, which is actually a Daytona, and among Rolex Daytonas, the most famous of which is the Paul Newman Daytona, which was famous first, because it was Paul's, and second because it sold at auction for $17.8 million (US Dollars). The story of that auction is well-known so I'll only...
Nov 8, 2019
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.