I've read a lot of the postings regarding gear weight on ******'s sub****** ultralightweight as well as the bikepacking and bicycle touring sub******s. The biggest changes I've made: 1) Got a quilt, ditched the sleeping bag; 2) Got a lightweight, but high R-value pad; 3) Went to a lightweight, 2P, 3 season tent with packable poles; 4) Reduced cooking gear to a minimum - just a MSR Pocket Rocket, some gas - to boil water and rehydrate meals, just to name a few of the changes I've made. My goal is NOT to go as light as possible as I feel what I would gain in weight reduction I lose in comfort.

Total gear weight + panniers' weight was 43 lbs for 23 day, 1,227 mile trip.

I bigger challenge, I've found, is not reducing weight, but reducing bulk of the gear.