I've come back and re-read what you wrote. Is a hammock really comfortable? Isn't it like sleeping in a barrel? I sleep on my side, with a leg over something, and hugging something. I can't imagine...

I may try an alcohol stove. I saw one that i like. it makes sense, as i'll bring alcohol to start the wood stove i'm building, to clean bear bites, etc... I don't like the idea of the Pocket Rocket because I don't like the idea of fossil fuels.

I've always thought hiking poles looked stupid and WERE stupid. But I'm starting to think maybe I could use the help on hills, and for sure for my tarp.

I once went on a hike with some elitist hikers whose leaders openly held me in contempt for wearing running shoes and having a tarp instead of a tent. On one day of the trip it rained all day, hard, and we stayed in our camp. The leaders stayed inside their little tents all day, and the rest of us stayed in my tarp which I had set up as a rain shelter with an open view of a beautiful valley and mountain range in front of us. We watched the weather rolling across all day as we snacked, ate, read to each other, and generally fooled around all day. It was great fun. The leaders were isolated in their tents all day, and of course they wouldn't come over to socialize with the rest of the group, because of the tarp. Everyone thought that was funny. And the leaders hated me even more after that.