Yes, OM, I heartily agree that the gear must suit our needs and something more practical may weigh a few more ounces. When deciding to get back into the sport this fall we needed a tent upgrade so we went with a Kelty Salida 2 for $122. A four pounder split 2 ways at that price was practical in that if for what ever reason we did not like BPacking as we once did it would not be such a hit in the wallet. Turns out we are having MORE fun than before and continued to invest in lighter gear after the tent purchase. NEO air xlight, sawyer filter, ect. So far we have been lucky in that all the gear has suited our purposes and fits us well weight and comfort wise.

Our clothing has always been fairly in line with lightweight practices but again we updated our antiquated footwear with much lighter. Clothing is very multipurpose and the old footwear was in need of replacement so that is not such an unexpected purchase.

Now that we are once again geared up we can relax and enjoy our investment in the sport. I do look forward to someday lightening our shelter considerably. Here we go again.

jimmyb