Wow, guys, thanks for the responses and help.

Let me try to reply:

Phat, It was actually 24.3 lbs, included most food except some jerky, only a couple first aid pieces. I had a little over 2 liters of water when I measured. I was also missing spare socks and underwear in my pack. It's under what I thought it would be.
Re hammock, I've spent around a dozen nights in a hammock when saving room on the motorcycle. I am a cold sleeper and am typically chilly when camping. I can think of maybe one low elevation night when I wasn't freezing in a hammock. That said, it was a cheap hammock that didn't let me sleep diagonally because the material and my sleeping bag (also sleeping pad when I tried it) kept sliding me to the middle.

Oldranger,
Sorry, haven't filled out my profile. I'm near Boise, ID and will do most of my hikes in Idaho because, well, then I don't need an out of state fishing license. Shoot. Gotta add the weight of my fly rod and reel.
Also, I'm fortunate (?) to know I'm not allergic to bees, at least in small quantities. Like I said, I KNOW I shouldn't worry about snakes, but, ugh. I have a career that has me doing dangerous stuff on a fairly regular basis, things much more threatening that being around snakes, doesn't make a difference in my mind.

DJ2, thanks for the input. I'm thinking that for the most part I might just stick with what I've got and replace it as I wear stuff out and find it at a good deal.