Man, I've been on this forum so long, and reading blogs and articles and posts from other forums so long, I don't feel like a beginner, but I still am. I thought it'd be a good idea to post my gear list and make sure I'm not making any critical mistakes. This is for my up-coming two night - two day trip in Arkansas.

1. Ancient frame pack my dad gave me.
2. Detailed map from ouachitamaps.com
3. Compass
4. Small headlamp & extra batteries
5. Food (1.5 lbs/day dehydrated), hanging bag, 50ft line, small carabineer
6. Long johns, long sleeve polyester shirt, wool socks, warm puffy coat, rain coat, rain pants, knit hat, gloves (and mittens depending on forecast), warm poly workout pants, a pair of bread bags for my feet, spare pair of bread bags, pair of super thin dress socks to cover bread bags, hiking shoes (trail runners - already tested for fit over thick stuff)
7. baseball cap (to keep rain out of eyes)
8. First Aid Kit (sandwich bag with a few of each: Band-Aids, AAA ointment, gauze, gorilla tape, alcohol wipes, Benadryl, and Tylenol)
9. Tool kit with needle, thread, tweezers, half pencil, paper, and gorilla tape
10. Multitool
11. Bic mini lighter, and another as a backup stashed in a separate bag or pocket
12. Fire straws (homemade tinder)
13. Sawyer Mini water filter and at least two 20oz water bottles (the disposable kind)
14. Bandana for prefiltering water and wiping down gear
15. Two gallon jugs of water, paper itinerary - these items stay in the car
16. Tiny dropper bottle of bleach in case of filter failure
17. Whistle
18. Shelter (tent with Coghlan's Y stakes - OEM stakes too weak) OR (hammock and plastic tarp, also with Y stakes, if the lows are 40F or above)
18. Bedding (CCF sleeping pad, two cheap sleeping bags doubled up for warmth [this setup tested down to 38F in my hammock, and it works])
19. Wallet essentials in a bag – DL, insurance card, credit card, $20 bill
20. Cat hole digging tool (or use tent stake - haven't tested yet)
21. Tiny microfiber towel
22. Hand sanitizer
23. Reynold’s turkey roasting bag for pack liner
24. Trash bag
25. Small toothbrush, biodegradable toothpaste, and biodegradable soap - repackaged into tiny bottles

I've already got all of these items except for the food, warm puffy coat, tiny bottles to repackage things into, and the $20 bill. I'll buy and prepare these last few things as soon as I get paid. I also bought Barkeater's NeoAir. I may use it instead of the foam pad if it gets here in time and seems like it'll be warm enough. I'm also thinking about making a Reflectix or car window shade underquilt for the hammock. Hopefully that would make it warm enough to take down to 20F if I'm wearing all my clothes, but if the forecast is that low, I'll definitely test first or put off the trip (yet again ). I'd prefer to take the hammock because it's both lighter and more comfortable than the tent, if I can overcome the temperature issue.

Thoughts?