Quote Originally Posted by ScareBear View Post
I still didn't see any alternative to cowboying it when it rains? You are going to need to factor in at least a tarp, line and maybe stakes. Or a bivy.

Sure, everyone can nitpick your list with suggestions to lighten your load. It's what we do...

That said, there is always a financial cost to lightening your load. But, let's look at some things that will lighten it and not cost a ton...
Jetboil-lose it. Go with a lighter(3oz or less) burner and a 4 ounce or less pot. If you hate to clean, get anodized aluminum. Its also a buttload cheaper than titanium, which is a luxury not a necessity. New burner and pot=$20-50, weight savings 10 ounces...
Retro 0 degree bag- Something is wrong here. 3 pounds for a 0 degree down bag is about as light as it gets with modern bags, unless you are going to spend more than $700!!!! Go weigh that bag and check it's rating again. No REI down bag EVER was rated at 0 degrees and only weighed 3 pounds! Go with a lighter down bag at 20 degrees rating. That will be around 2 pounds. I know this is a big expenditure, but it will pay off in comfort and weight savings. No "vintage" bag is going to perform nearly as well as a modern bag. $150-200, but around a TWO POUND weight savings...over a real vintage 0 degree bag, which should weigh in at no less than 4 and more likely 5 pounds! For comparison, a new Western Mountaineering 0 degree down bag(widely regarded as the best light down 0 degree bag) weighs in at 43 ounces and costs 600 bucks! So, that's kinda how I know your weight or temp rating is way wrong on your REI vintage sleeping bag!

I know you want to rock your vintage x-frame pack. But, looking cool and being cool are two very different things. There is nothing cool about schlepping a ridiculously out-of-date and way-too-heavy pack for a few thousand miles. You can get a GraniteGear VC60 for $160 bucks on sale right now and save yourself 2 to 3 POUNDS.

So, just there, I've saved you 5 pounds or so and you only spent $350 bucks. My personal target is no more than 10 bucks per ounce of weight saved. I just saved you 90 ounces for $350. It doesn't get any better/cheaper than that!!!!! Trust me, that will be the BEST $350 you have EVER spent. Unless you've been to Amsterdam. YMMV...just sayin...
I'll consider that. The reí bag definitely weighs 3 pounds and I definitely wouldn't want to be in 0 degree weather with it. As far as the pack goes, you know how if you load a pack wrong it pulls you back and feels much heavier? Well I think the way my pack sits it makes up for it's weight as it makes carrying heavy loads easy while I would imagine a ul pack would make carrying 2 gallons of water a living hell, but then again I could be very wrong.