So I've been lurking for a while and finally decided to register. I've done a few trips with friends, mostly borrowing gear, and have decided this is something I enjoy and now want to get my own gear. From what I've read on here I've already got most of the big things out of the way, but am having trouble putting together a good clothing list that won't be overpacking.
What I have so far is
synthethic jacket that's also water resistant
hiking shorts and pants
fleece beanie
boots / trail runners depending on where I'm going
a fleece jacket
wool base layer that's a little heavy for anything above 70 (I normally just wear it as a shirt),
camp sandals
and a couple pairs of wool socks
I know I'm seriously lacking in the rain gear department and need some other things, just not sure what I should be looking at for a comprehensive list. Most of my weekend trips will be in so cal/los angeles area, so rarely below 40s and up to 90s, but will also want to be taking some longer trips in the sierras / mammoth area, though I doubt I'll be going out in the winter / snow for a while till I get a little more experienced. Obviously this will probably require two clothing sets, so that would also help.
Really appreciate it guys.
I did try a search, but it seems to be searching every post and not thread titles, so pretty much everything was coming up.

Here is what I take for trips into the Sierra between June and October. Numbers represent weight in oz.

( ) 1 Trail running shoes, Montrail 08 Hardrock or equivalent. Weight is approximate. 36.20
( ) 1 Lightweight gaiters, Dirty Girl 1.22
( ) 1 Smartwool medium cushion crew socks, wool. 2.75
( ) 1 Icebreaker merino wool SS T-shirt 5.41
( ) 1 Home made shell shirt, hooded, ripstop nylon 3.6
( ) 1 GoLite running shorts w/ built-in brief 3.4
( ) 1 Bandana, cotton, 1/2, handkerchief 0.50
( ) 1 Hat, Tilley,broad brimmed 5.60
( ) 1 Shell pants, homemade, nylon. 4.20
( ) 1 Fleece pull-over, Long-sleeve, homemade, 100 wt. microfiber, light insulation layer, tan. 8.15
( ) 1 Montbell inner down jacket 8.20
( ) 1 Mittens, Polartec 200, homemade 1.50
( ) 1 Watch cap, Polartec 200, homemade 1.50
( ) 1 Long underwear bottoms, Patagonia Capilene 2, 5.80
( ) 1 DriDucks rain jacket W/hood 6.12
( ) 1 Rain chaps, Sil-nylon, homemade 2.50

The articles and gear lists in the left hand column of the home page of this site will help you. There's also Mark Verber's website which is an up-to-date compendium of what's available, ranging from the latest technology to low-budget alternatives.

A lot depends on where you backpack. Summer in Ohio is going to be a lot different than summer at 11,000 feet in the Rockies!

The general principle is:
-wicking base layer (may or may not use top as a shirt) which doubles as pajamas
-insulating mid-layer--may be more than one layer in cold conditions
-waterproof/breathable outer layer
-warm hat
-gloves

To this I add a lightweight breathable windshirt. I bought it as bug protection after a trip to Wyoming's Wind Rivers when the flies regarded my permethrin-sprayed base layer shirt as an appetizer and chomped me right through it, and the day was far too warm for me to shelter under my rain jacket. I've since found the windshirt to be the most versatile of all my layers!

REI Convertible Pants - nylon/cotton blend
Cotton T-Shirt
Cotton Socks
Ball cap
Leather/fabric REI Gore-Tex boots

Above is what I wear for hiking in fair weather. I know about cotton and cold, wet weather. That's why I bring the rest of the gear.

Coated nylon rain jacket, with hood
Coated nylon rain pants
Long sleeve fleece button-down shirt
Fleece vest
Fleece cap
Poly gloves
Wool/poly blend warm socks

This has been my basic outfit forever, with technology updates such as swapping fleece for wool.

If you'd like to read another opinion, here's what I typically use.

What I wear:

• nylon or silk briefs
• nylon or silk tee
• smartwool sock liners
• nylon pants; weight depends on weather
• spectra guyline for a belt
• nylon buttonup shirt
• tennis/golf style visor
• the lightest waterproof-breatheable mid boots I can find in my rare size

What I take:

• synthetic or wool long underwear bottoms, medium weight
• windproof polarfleece jacket (though I'd like a synthetic quilted jacket instead)
• polarfleece vest and/or heavy synthetic underwear top, depending on weather
• wool cap & gloves
• one extra set of sock liners so the socks can alternate days
• ultralight waterproof-breatheable raingear top & bottom (these double as windshirt & windpants)
• flip flops

After you take your clothes on a few trips, you'll figure out what works for you and what never gets used; my wife likes to wear lightweight gloves even in hot weather to keep the mosquitos off, and I never wear shorts because I like to keep my legs protected from thorns & ticks.

In cooler weather, my clothes become part of my sleep system so I can get away with using one sleeping bag for more of the year.

So I spent some time coming up with a tentative gear list, mainly pulling weights off of what was published for the gear as I haven't actually received it yet. Some things I'm not sure of a weight on, and I'm sure there are some things I've left out, but I think it works for a start. You guys mind looking it over and letting me know what you think? Anything I can cut? Anything I need to add? Trying to avoid buying anything much more unless it's clothing and needed.
(in case you were wondering why it's mostly REI stuff, I get a hookup there, so I tend to do most of my shopping there)


https://spreadsheets.google.com/ccc?key=0Am1RrXvZY5v8dEtEQnZKMnRSZXRxbUNBRlJqUGFxd2c&hl=en

Oh, and fwiw, the trip will be a 4 day 40 mile hike around mt hood (timberline), with one other friend. Temps should be in the 40-50s at night, low 60s during the day, with a good chance of rain at least one of the days, but I don't expect it to rain the whole time. Leaving in about 2 1/2 weeks
If anyone has any advice for that trail in particular that would be great too, as I know there are quite a few people here from that area.

There are several threads going on right now on the PortlandHikers.org forum right now about the Timberline Trail, particularly the problems of somehow getting across Eliot Glacier Creek, which had an enormous (several hundred feet deep) washout in 2006 and has been closed (at least officially) ever since. Hopefully the snow (still pretty deep on the north side of the mountain) will melt in 2 1/2 weeks!

Unfortunately, on the google docs thing, windows saying "Sharing just got easier" and "Error" keep popping up, and I can't get rid of them, so I can't comment on the gear list. I did spot something about a tent footprint, which I strongly suggest you leave at home. I've never used one and never had any problems, and IMHO they are just a store sales gimmick. If feel you absolutely must have something under the tent, get a cheap painter's dropcloth and cut a piece a couple inches smaller each way than the bottom of your tent. That's as far as I got before those windows started blocking everything. When I click the little x's, another one pops right back up.

I had been reading about that, but I was hoping from what others were saying that you could do the hike a few miles up the mountain and avoid it. If not, it's going to be about 1/2 way around, so we'll just turn back and still get 40 miles in, it'll just have to be an out and back.
Oh, and I changed the privacy setting to all the web can view instead of just those with the link, see if that helps.

Oh, also, my dog is coming with and she needs at least 8-10 lbs (about 25% of her weight) to get her even remotely tired at the end of the day, so as she eats her food, my pack gets a lot lighter

I read your gear list. I thought I'd give a few tips for trimming ounces:
- swap the nalgene with a reused 1-L bottle of water; Aqua Fina should weigh ~1.2 oz, for example
- use a broad tent stake instead of a shovel (dual use)
- leave one lighter behind since you already have matches
- one of those photon lights that clips onto a hat brim is bright enough as a headlamp, and is probably <1 oz; I don't take a full headlamp unless I plan on hiking in the dark
- use spectra line instead of nylon rope, if it's only to be used for bearbag hanging or fixing things; Backpacking Light, Mountain Laurel Designs, or Gossamer Gear should have both hanging line & accessory line, ~1.5 oz/50'

Items that would cost more $:
- lighter tent; switching to something like Tarptent or Six Moon Designs should be 1/2 the weight
- Gossamer Gear or Titanium Goat trekking poles are about 3-4 oz each

The clothes list looks pretty good. I tend to carry more insulation than that, but don't always wear it all. Hope this helps!

Doesn't your dog carry her own food? Mine does, as you can see from my avatar! The only thing of his that he doesn't carry is first aid supplies, and that's because everything I take for him is dual use.

Do you have a link or something to the tent stake? Does it look something like a snow stake? That would be a good idea to just have one of them be a little heavier but use it as a shovel too. Might help support the tent a little better too if it's really windy out.

http://www.top10shows.net/prism-designs-...-p-1470931.html
is that what you were talking about? The only other thing that I was thinking of using the line for was stream crossing for the two of us, depending on how bad they were. Would that hold the weight of 150lb person + pack + 40lb Dog?

http://www.photonlight.com/products/Photon-Freedom-Micro-LED-Keychain-Flashlight.html
that's the light? It's bright enough for around camp activities, Cooking and what not? Anything will get me by for reading at night. If I'm going to do any intentional extended night hiking I have a 150 lumen light I'll bring along.

For the Gossamer trekking poles, is the travel tube part of the pole, or is that extra? Because that would bring their weight up to pretty heavy actually. If not, those things look awesome. I was seeing other poles in the 130-150 range that only droppped 1-2oz off mine, and I got mine for $50.

My pooch carries her own everything. I actually have to put extra stuff in her pack so that she's somewhat tired at the end of the day otherwise she wakes me up at night. The last trip I did with her, at least towards the end as she ate her food, she was carrying the whisperlight stove, my bowl and cup, tea strainer, and tea, my snacks for the day, and some water for her (about 1/2 a bottle), plus her bowls, and leash, and she still had energy at the end of the day.

Yes, it's a snow stake that I'm talking about. I've also heard them referred to as sand stakes, so I never know what to call them. One of the lightest I've found is this: hilleberg-v-pegs I've found that snow stakes aren't as quick or comfortable as a bona fide trowel, but they get the job done. Some people go ahead and dig a cat hole ahead of time as part of setting up camp. I think Vargo makes another light one, but it looked too angular to hold.

I've asked about spectra fiber sold like that before and was told that it cuts into treebranches if you try to use it to hang a bearbag. Bearbag spectra line is made smoother. I've bought some from these places before: BPL , Gossamer Gear I actually use Gossamer Gear's "ECZ2" line for general purposes - shoelace, guylines, and the like. It's easier to tie knots in than regular spectra cord. I've used it to lower my pack when the going gets tough while scrambling, but I think thin line like that would be hard to grab for stream crossing. I've always relied on a long stick or hiking pole for support, instead.

That's the LED light I was thinking of. I wouldn't say it's ideal for lighting up the trail, but it will let you walk, pitch a tent, and cook in the dark if you have to. You might stick with something more substantial if you regularly like to read at night; going with light gear & liking it means finding that sweet spot that works best for what you use it for.

I accidentally tossed the travel tube that my poles came in, and wish I hadn't. If I remember right it was basically one of those cardboard tubes artists use to carry large sheets of paper. All of my gear goes into a big duffle when I travel anyway.

Hope this helps! You're on a better track than I was when I first cut back my load.

Personally, I always hike in long pants regardless of weather. However, you could switch to a pair of convertible pants and leave the shorts out of your pack if you want that versatility.

If you have the money to spend, switching to a down insulating layer will save you more weight. MontBell's Down UL Inner Parka, for example, would cut that weight vs. the REI synthetic jacket by almost half.

As far as gear goes...an alternative to the photon light is the Petzl e-Lite. It's what I use, however my normal trail day involves setting up camp, cooking dinner, cleaning up, and hitting the sack by nightfall. I almost never use it, it's there as "what-if" gear.

Lots of weight savings to be had by switching to an alcohol stove, however that may not be conducive to your cooking style.

Now being REALLY anal ...in your first aid kit, ibuprofen would probably do the job of the excedrin if you're treating a simple headache vs. a migraine. For that matter, if you switch to a longer-acting NSAID like naproxen (Aleve) you can carry fewer pills. Most of the time I'm popping pills it's for joint-related pain from overuse syndromes anyway, which is what naproxen was designed specifically for.

Jealous of your trip itinerary, no mountains in my neck of the woods