Where to start?

Aaron, There are a lot of great posts. Here are my thoughts, some of which will duplicate whats said…

MOYG and cheap = siltarp and synthetic quilt (+1 Tim Marshall’s advice). Check out zenstoves for directions on homeade stoves. A heiny pot is easy to add for cooking. A simple pack is not hard to do either. Now all of these projects can get much harder depending on features and materials.

Here is a link to my gear list that is mostly MOYG. LytW8 MYOG Gearlist

If you want directions there are some kits that are great to learn from. For gear Ray Jardine has inexpensive kits for packs, tarps and net tents. rayjardine

For clothing and down quilts take a look at thru-hiker

A lightweight set of gear does not need to be expensive and much of it can indeed be made by yourself.

Jamie

Thanks again for the responses. The wheels are definitely turning! I can't wait to get started on something, it's one aspect to read about it but the experience is hard to beat. I think for my first attempt at going lightweight I'm going to go with the blue tarp. My reasons for this:

1. Cheap!
2. No initial sewing required as there are areas to tie-down.

I'm also excited to start on a quilt. Some of the MYOG projects on here look amazing, and if I could put together something with half those looks I'd be thrilled. This is more of a secondary project, probably something to start working on after I realize how heavy my older bags are on my first trip.

My forays are usually fishing expeditions to remote Canadian shield lakes for walleye, muskie, and smallmouth, so somewhere I have to take into consideration weights for fishing gear. Due to the nature of the business, I'd rather cut my weight in any other areas rather than leaving my beloved tackle at home.

Thanks again for the inspiration, and if there are any other thoughts please let me know!

I am going to BWCA early next month and i agree, the less gear i carry the more tackle i can take!!! Honestly i could leave all the gear and just take the tackle and be pretty happy.

-Tim