Originally Posted by vesteroid

Scraps of tyvek..well, you better be skilled and have a back up plan if you plan to use this regularly.

A sil tarp is nearly as light and ,any times as durable.

Tarps however are again for the more skilled in pitching. While they can be pitched in a variety of fashions, and are light, they do have a few draw backs as well.

I strongly suggest you do to go with a tarp for your first camping exposure.

If you really want to get into the ul gear scene there is no better reference than backpacking light .com

There is a huge selection of ul tent makers out there depending on your needs. I think for solo, tarptent.com has some of the best.

If you have very deep pockets you can look into Cuben fiber for your tarps or tents.

For sleeping, I would highly suggest you look into a neo air for a pad, the trekker comes to mind for comfort and cost.

For light weight, down is your friend, but again comes at a price, and a responsibility to keep this dry.

If you really want to go light, consider quilts vs bags.

Stoves, I can highly recommend the Ti version of the jet boil if you are going to be gone more than a few days. Alcohol stoves are lighter if only going for a few days however.

You can spend a ton of money on ul camping gear if you are not careful, but check out the articles on bpl for budget gear. With only a slight weight penalty you can save some serious money.

Of course is you are a gram weenie, you can easily get out th door for under 4 lbs for your big 3