Patrick, have you studied the articles on the home page ("TLB Home") of this website, in the left-hand column? Reading those will let you see what most of us are using as criteria for gear. I was able to reduce my total pack weight for a week's trip from 50 lbs. (which I can no longer carry) to 25 lbs., mostly using these helpful articles. I wouldn't be able to backpack at 73 if I hadn't done this. The "27-lb., 7-day gear list" was the one that helped me the most. Please read these articles and research on this forum (be sure to check the archives, too, especially the 2005-2008 section) before investing in overly heavy and bulky gear.

I suggest that you also do a little more research before settling on a backpacking lifestyle. One you might want to check into is the "Leave No Trace" website (google it) which describes preferred practices for leaving a minimal impact on the backcountry landscape in which you're traveling. Another thing you need to watch for is rules of the agency responsible for the area in which you are backpacking. Just as an example, In the western US, fires are prohibited close to and above timberline and forbidden everywhere during the drier parts of the summer. Fire bans often include wood-burning stoves as well. That's why most of us use alcohol, isobutane or gasoline-powered stoves. There are a few stoves that adapt to use either wood or alcohol, and that might be the way to go. For winter the gasoline stove is preferred (neither alcohol nor isobutane work well below freezing, and wood may be buried under snow), but these are pretty heavy for year-around use.

"Living off the land" is generally not very feasible. Hunting is severely regulated and limited to short seasons. Both hunting and fishing require a license, very expensive if you're not a resident of the state you're in. Foraging for food is a full-time occupation--you can forage or you can hike--no time for both. At least out here in the western US, especially in the drier areas, edible plants are rather limited and some are rare enough that they should be left to grow. My own experience has been that if I count on fish to replace my food supply, I never catch any! Of course most of us "graze" along the trail during berry season--I know I do! The problem of finding sufficient calories has been addressed in other posts.

While I seem to be throwing a wet blanket on most of your plans, my intention is not to discourage you but to steer you in the direction of less weight (less stress on you) and less stress on the landscape, while still doing the multi-month trips you envision.

I can go out for a week, safely and comfortably, with a 25-lb. pack, 2400 cubic inches plus outside pockets. My pack itself (Six Moon Designs Comet) weighs 27 oz. (recent versions have gotten heavier--about 30 oz.). This is three-season, of course; for winter I'd need a slightly bigger pack and a bit more weight. However, "three-season" for me includes summer in the Rockies, where it can snow any time during the summer and almost every clear night is below freezing. Some of the gear needed to get pack weight that low is rather pricey, and as a woman (and overweight) I need less food than you do. Still, 30-35 lbs. for 7 days would be a reasonable goal for you without a horrendous expenditure. It does require a lot of research, though.

In addition to the articles mentioned above, this forum and its archives, here are a couple of other sites I've found helpful:
Mark Verber's recommended outdoor gear--note that he lists inexpensive options for each category.
Backpackgeartest.org--gear reviews

Following the sponsor links in the left-hand column here will give you some ideas, too.