Hold on, Pilgrim! Don't start buying that new gear just yet. (My name is Glenn, and I'm a recovering gearaholic...)

Before you start replacing gear, take a good hard look at what you can eliminate from your pack - otherwise, you'll just end up with lighter versions of stuff you don't need. Doing so will require you to determine how you define "necessity" and "luxury." For example:

Food: Can you be happy with simple dishes? For example, how do you feel about oatmeal for breakfast and freeze-dried entrees? They're not great cuisine, but if you can be happy eating them for a weekend, your kitchen shrinks to a mug-style pot and a canister stove. It also uses less fuel, which reduces your weight even further. So, you discard your bowl and mug, the larger pot from your cook set, and the knife and fork from your 3-piece utensil set - and save as much as a pound without buying anything. (I realize I may be exaggerating what you're carrying; it's not intended as a slam, but just a colorful illustration.)

Clothing: you can go for a weekend wearing just a synthetic T-shirt and nylon shorts. If the shorts have a mesh liner, you won't need a change of underwear, either. So, that saves the change (or two) of clothes. Rain gear can double as windwear - so the separate wind shirt and wind pants can stay home. Another pound saved?

Water: if you hike where water sources are only a couple of hours apart and reliable, why are you carrying 2 quarts of water? Carry only one, and save two pounds.

Next, ask if there's anything you're carrying that you don't need (chair kit? iPod? Stuff in your first-aid kit that you don't know how to use? If there's little or no chance you'll get stranded by weather, do you really need that emergency food?) A good techinque is to unload your pack after a trip by dividing everything in there into three piles: used it, didn't use it but need it (first aid kit, compass, rain gear, etc.), and didn't use it. Next time you go out, don't take anything that was in the "didn't use it" pile, and see if you miss it. If not, don't take it the next time, or ever again.

Again, I apologize if this sounds sarcastic. I'm not trying to imply that you're totally without a clue; I'm just trying to illustrate the thought process with broad, bold strokes for emphasis.

Ok, now you're at the point where you can only shed weight if you replace gear: tent, sleeping bag, sleeping pad. Then, after you've got the load down to a balance of light weight, comfort, and convenience that is perfect for you, you can start looking for a pack that's the right size (and hopefully lighter.)

Welcome - You've come to the right place. There's a good group of folks here who subscribe to a lot of different styles, from "lightweight traditional" to "lightweight" to "cutting edge light" to "bleeding edge ultralight." You can get good input from them on the plus and minus of each style, and how to put each into practice. That will include lots of information about specific items, too. Keep asking questions as you look at your current gear, and let us know how we can help.