Hey Pika
The Summer I spent wandering and backpacking in California in my youth, I had a US mtn regular cotton shelled mummy bag, an 8x10 piece of plastic that I called a ground cloth that I slept under in a rain, a homemade backpack with one o'them newfangled wide waist band dealies. <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> and a coffee can and an aluminum 1 quart boyscout pan to cook in over a camp fire.

I still sometimes use a huge Kelty Super Tioga frame pack, but my lightweight tents, WM Sleeping bags, breathable shells and Warmlite Down Filled Airmattress have changed everything. I do remember when I could afford to upgrade to one o'them blue pads - boy that was luxery compared to sleeping on the ground.
Jim <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/cool.gif" alt="" />