First of all, I empathize with you! I am caregiver to my husband who has Lewy Body Dementia [Parkinson's Disease Dementia]. It's so stressful, as you well know. I only have two four-hour mornings 'off' per week via a paid agency caregiver. I'm happy to have that and can only dream of backpacking & kayaking again!

Secondly, I would try a few overnighters with the gear you have. That should give you a good indication of what gear is deficient and what stands the test of time. I have a pretty new ultralight two person tent [just right for one!] and made the mistake of buying the footprint, which is heavier than the plastic sheeting I had cut to fit and worked perfectly well. Being kind of a 'gearhead', I am apt to buy more/fancier equipment than I really need. Hope you enjoy your outings! I will enjoy them vicariously, so please keep us up to date.. --Pat