A couple of notes on the post by Gershon:

Most freeze dried meals for two people have between 500 and 800 calories, total. If you are one person, and eat a two-man meal, that's important to remember.

And if you want free maps, check out Acmemapper.com You can print just about anything you need there, in the scale you want it, for free.

And now a word about philosophy. Some people want to prove that they can carry anything, and heft a huge pack. Some people like to fantasize about Man v. Wild and the true wilderness experience. OK fine. Some people also buy the biggest truck, the biggest house, the biggest RV.

Most people on these boards spend a lot more time in the mountains, which is why we favor light weight. If you want really play the survival game, figure what you can do without, not what you need to bring.

Those survival shows are a joke, by the way. More stupid decisions and bad ideas in one show that I have seen in a week on the trail.

Think small, think light, think smart.