Just so you know--this is a lightweight backpacking forum. If you wish to carry a lighter load, check out the articles on the home page of this site, left-hand column.

I am glad you are ditching those jeans (and all other cotton) in favor of synthetic fabrics. Cotton, especially heavy cotton jeans, absorb moisture readily, are extremely heavy when wet and are slow to dry (what's the last item out of the clothes dryer?). They are therefore a sure ticket to hypothermia in cool, damp weather. My daughter went into the beginning stages of hypothermia while wearing jeans in wet brush with temps in the low 60's. By the time the rest of us realized what was wrong, she was already incoherent and would not have been able to help herself.

While you haven't given us an idea of your location (as earlier requested), you do mention Big Sur. Before building any campfires, please check local campfire regulations. I know that California, where there have been many devastating fires, is particularly strict about banning campfires in times of high fire danger, as is the Forest Service in Washington and Oregon. In other places, campfires are often banned above a certain altitude (due to impact and lack of fuel) or in heavily used areas. I've found a lightweight stove so much more convenient that I have not built a campfire in many years, except in designated car-camping campgrounds or at the beach below high tide line.