If I were looking for a sub freezing bag and pad combination, I doubt I could do much better than this...

http://www.geartrade.com/item/76024

IdahoHiker...
With that new job of yours, I'd seriously consider the expense of a lightweight down bag. 26-28 oz vs. 50-55oz is a huge difference. 8 days of working and 6 days off is like living out of your bag... you're going to want a good bag in that Idaho weather!

already on it. I ordered the sub kilo +20 regular from REI while it was still on sale last night. i think with shipping it came just to $145. so it was nearly $100 off. 750 goose weighing in at 29 ounces seems pretty nice to me and the price was reasonable. I just finished selling an expensive gun so i split the funds down the middle, half for personal everyday things and the other half to help finish getting whatever i need for backpacking. this gives me about 300-350 for for spending and with the sleeping bag i am down to $200.

The next purchase i am going to make is probably going to be a gravity filter. I know they have gotten mixed reviews but the ones the IDFG are pump filters so i thought i will mix it up especially since there will be back up filters around for the first few trips in case there are any problems with the grav.

I finally got my clothes all lined up and ready. I have a nice therma rest inflatable mate that is a little heavy but still very nice. I think the last of my checklist of goodies is a filter, headlight, pot cozy( going to make), wind screen (going to make), and a light stove (going to make). i might thinkg about getting a walking stick but i have never used one before so i am not sure if i really need one. any opinions?

Yeah! That's a great deal on the bag.

I use trekking poles and find them very helpful. I never liked a walking stick/pole. They help tremendously with balance and with the stress on the knees when walking up or down a slope. I equalte walking up a steep slope using trekking poles to what it must feel like for a spider to have all of those legs to help get up and over a slope. You can really dig in. I also find that I like my hands/arms being occupied - where as in the past they were either hanging down or up holding on to my load lifter straps.

Re gravity filters: take a look at the ULA Amigo Pro. I have one and love it!. It's a little tricky learning how to handle the bag. The first time I tried it in the field I almost fell into the creek and then spilled most of the contents down my legs into my boots! And there's a little trick to getting the bag to stay open while you're filling it. You'll want to practice with it in the bathtub. But after a short familiarization period, it has worked just fine. It's a lot lighter than most other filters, gravity or otherwise.

I know a couple of people who like the Aquamira Frontier Pro filter, which is a coarse filter (3 microns) that filters out only protozoa (giardia and crypto). It won't do anything for bacteria or viruses, but the idea is that you use chlorine dioxide in conjunction with the filter. The filter gets out the protozoa (the critters that the chemicals take up to 4 hours to zap), while the ClO2 takes care of the bacteria and viruses in a mere 20-30 minutes. I certainly wouldn't ever use the filter without the chemicals! Jason Klass has a video on making a gravity filter out of it.

Yea, I have heard good things about the amigo pro and will probably pick one up. Also i started looking through walking poles (or whatever you want to call them) and they are expensive. they seem pretty simple so i was wondering if there was any DIY for them or any good deals out there that i should be looking for if i do decide i want one or two.