Intro/new member

Welcome, Ed.

>"all my income to this endeavor"

No need to do that.

Lowest-hanging fruit: whatever didn't you use / wear on your last trip? Leave all that at home next time.

Another great cost-saving step: Instead of plunging into a UL tent or tarp, make an overly-large (8'x10') crappy tarp from 6-ml polyethylene sheeting reinforced along the edges and ridge line with duct tape. Learn to pitch it in different sites and in different weather. Then trim a foot off the length. Use it some more, trim a foot off the width. Repeat until you wish you hadn't. Then you're far more ready to spend more on a Silnylon or cuben tarp that will work for you.

Welcome Ed!

David is right–it doesn't have to be expensive. My stockpile of tents, sleeping bags and packs seem to indicate that I'm not the poster child for how to do it economically, however.

Thanks Adam/David,
Ya I should know by members of this forum that you don't have to break the bank to create a proper UL set up. The frugalness/ creativity on this site is one of the main reasons I visit so often…

I had to slightly splurge on my shelter though (Tarptent Notch) for its versatility. I was hauling a 6lb BD 2 man for years, so aggressively I'm chipping away to begin.

Welcome man!

Im in so cal as well and have had the same goal as you. First thing i've changed is going to a low height hiking shoe and ditching my boots! Man what a real world "weight reduction" that has felt like as step one! now on to lowering everything else right

see you on the trails