I hope that you really mean wicking and not anti-wicking.

I suspect that as you are going out backpacking more you will be changing out some of your gear for lighter and more functional (for you, this is a matter of preference) items. Things like the GSI Dualist are overkill when you are just boiling water and hey, why are you using it when there's a pot on the Flash already? A lighter choice, for example, that would function perfectly well and cost a whole lot less would be a grease pot (with a foil lid if it didn't come with a lid). Swap the Jetboil for a 3 oz Snow Peak Giga or alcohol stove and you'll still be boiling water and carrying a pound less. You'll want to replace the four man tent with a solo or 2 person. If you continue to hike in California the bear spray isn't necessary. Pick one of the lights and a light backup (like a keychain LED).

If the four man tent is because you have one or more buddies going with you, consider what you will do if you for some reason are separated - it happens more often than one would think. I have run across people who are lost out there because a single person in the group took the job of navigating, and when they went down a different way the other person was "just gone" leaving the buddy wandering around without tent, water filter, or map.

Read the articles on the main website of this forum, read up at zenstoves.net, trailcooking.com (food can be cheaper and have more calories than store bought freeze dried), and keep going out there.

Set up the tent in the backyard and try everything out at home. Make your first outings single night trips. Make the miles short and test all the gear in easy reach of your vehicle. Knowing how the gear works for you and how to set up properly can reveal needs you don't know you have, and help you prepare. For example, I had someone on a three day outing become violently ill because he had never eaten mountain house before and it did not agree with him! He stayed at base camp while the rest of us went fishing.

And hey - don't go alone. Especially until you get the navigation gear and learn how to use it properly. There are a lot of hiking groups out there full of people who share your passion. Always always always leave a detailed plan with someone who knows when you are due back and will call if you do not come home. You never know when something will go wrong.