What I'm Taking

 Here's my gear list:   Backpack, tent, sleeping pad, headlamp, trekking poles, lantern, inflatable pillow, compass, change of clothes, hiking boots, liner socks, outer socks, poncho, slides (for camp), Jetboil stove, extra fuel can, collapsable bowl, spork, camp soap, water bottles, bear sack, tp, wipes, toothbrush/toothpaste, hat, sunscreen, lip balm, extra moleskin, knife, small axe, first aid kit, lighter and matches, emergency fuel/fire starter, small chess set, leather cribbage board, pack of cards, water purification filter, Life Straw, water purification tabs, sports powders, food for five days, garbage bag, 20' of twine, 25' nylon rope, cook pots, duct tape, tablet, solar phone charger. I'm sitting at just over 35 pounds.

So that's everything all laid out. Here's what it looks like packed up:

I think I'm going to swap out the self inflating sleeping pad for an accordion style one. Its a bit lighter and can be strapped to the outside. The self inflating one takes up too much pack space, in my opinion. I was trying to stay under 35 pounds, but the pack rides comfortably when I wore it around the neighborhood. Of course, things will get lighter as I eat my way through some of the food! The adventure begins in 19 days!