What’s your big four weigh/cost? Me- 2 lbs 8.4 oz/$773

6.55 lbs and ~$600

TarpTent Double Rainbow (2 lbs 9oz fully packed in original stuff sack with all included stakes and polycro footprint)

GoLite Jam 50 w/ two sections of zlite Sol; modified with linelocs/Glowire/roll top (29.8 oz)

Exped Synmat UL 7S (14.7 oz)

MYOG Karo Step down quilt (18.6oz)

3.9
+/- 1 depending on trip and conditions

3.28lb. $965

Myog cuben tarp
Myog cuben bivy
Zpacks 20 degree bag
Klymit inertia torso
Arc Blast pack by Zpacks

4.61 lbs / $1400 ish

If you didn't click on the video here's what you missed:

Pack- Black Diamond Verto 26. Weight 11 oz. Price $79.95.
Sleeping Bag- MH MTN Speed 32 degree. Weight 15.5 oz. Price $480.00.
Pad- Thermarest Z-light. Weight 9 oz. Price $39.95
Shelter- 6×9 tarp. Weight- 4.4 oz. Price $180.00.

EDIT EDIT: Great video, Critter. I'd love to know more about "Critter-style camping," but I must say I also enjoyed your blustery summit vid, and the gear used unpacking vid. Keep up the great work.

Depends, but for three-season stuff:

(1) Zpacks Zero (Small Extended Collar 1,900 cu. in.) w/ mesh back pocket, WB pockets, 3/4" waist belt, Zimmerbuilt Shoulder Pocker: 9 oz.

(2) Zpacks Hexamid Tarp w/ Beak + MLD Serenity Old version (5.5 + 7.5 oz.) 13 oz. total.

(3) Enlightened Equipment Revolution X 40* w/ Overstuff 17 oz.

(4) TAR Neo Air Short (original model) 9 oz.

Total: 48 oz. and/or 3.0 lbs

Total Cost (to me; for above pieces): $625[I paid Zpacks $185 for the pack, a forum member $250 for the mid but also a zpacks cuben tub floor so I am allocating $200 to shelter, another forum member $60 for the Serenity, Tim Marshall $170 a while ago for the Rev X, and Backcountry or similar $70 for the Neo Air)

EDIT TO ADD: The above is just the latest and greatest fair weather combo. I have a GG Mariposa 2012, MLD Duomid, Zpacks floor (for less weight), Borah Bivy (7.0 oz.), Montbell ULSS No. 2 @ 27 oz., etc. that may be required, especially for shoulder seasons or expected inclimate weather.

Gossamer Gear Mariposa, 28oz, $30
SMD Gatewood Cape. 11oz, $135
Moonstone Delta Cirrus 32f mummy bag, 30oz, $20
Therm-A-Rest Z-Lite Small, 10oz, $6

70oz (4.375lbs) $191

I've obviously got other gear, but the "big 4" with them most miles on them are the following:

GoLite SL3: $100 (fly only, purchased on sale when they sold them separate back in the day), 26 oz.
EMS Mountainlight 20: $160, 32 ounces
GoLite Jam2: $65 (used), 19 ounces
Ridgerest 3/4: ~$30, 7 ounces.

Total: 5.25 pounds, $355

Quilt: Revelation 30 – 21.75 oz, $150 (used)
Sleeping Pad: NeoAir Xtherm Large – 20 oz, $170 (new with discount)
Tent: Tarptent Notch, seamed sealed, with MSR groundhogs – 28.5 oz, $220 (used)
Pack: HMG Windrider 2400 Tall – 30 oz, $175 (new with discout)

TOTAL: 100.25 oz (6.27 pounds), $715

Big 4 for my summer set-up for 2014:

Zimmerbuilt Quickstep, 9oz, $110 (Gear Swap Forum)
Gatewood Cape, 12oz, $65 (Gear Swap Forum)
Zpacks 30degree cuben quilt, 15oz, $300 (Gear Swap Forum)
NeoAir Short, 8oz, $150 (REI, to return if leaks)

2.75lbs/$625

70oz/4.3lbs. $827

Everything purchased new.

ZPacks hexamid twin
EE Revelation
GG Gorilla
Thermarest Ridgerest wide

I feel like there are no further "upgrades" here. I am extremely content with this setup. Shelter works for 2 persons.

Pack: REI Flash 18 11oz/312g $25
Shelter: ZPacks 8.5' square tarp 6.35oz/180g $240
Pad: Exped SynMat UL7 medium 16oz/454g $165
Quilt: JRB Sierra Sniveller 24oz/680g $270

Total: 57.35oz/1626g $700

There should be some guy-lines, tent stakes, and a bug bivy, but I don't have those numbers at hand. Probably less than another hundred, and still under 4.5 lbs.

Edit: Tyvek groundsheet pretty light and free

Grand Trunk Nano 7 hammock w/whoopie slings and tree straps: 10.4 oz, $80
Virga Gear Wraith cuben tarp: 5.8 oz, $275 (don't really remember)
Te-Wa Breeze underquilt: 10.5 oz, $135
Katabatic Gear Palisade LW top quilt: 23 oz. of pure delight, $475
ULA CDT in cuben: 21 oz., $235

Total: 71 oz (4.4 lbs), $1200 new

Obviously, it all depends on the season: last April in Utah I carried Marmot Helium 15F bag and was glad I did, I was cold on one 20 degree night. Other times I might carry a 40F Marmot Atom.

My shelter is MLD Duomid. I have tried tarps and after one windy night in Utah without a shelter no more tarps for me.

The big four is actually five or even six for me, hard to do without a ground cloth (Tyvek) or stakes.

I have tried frameless packs and had to reject them. Sometime I have to carry 4-6 kilograms of water and GoLite Jam killed me. So, it's Osprey Exos 58 for me.

Weights in metric units:

MLD Duomid 610g
8 Stakes 104g
Marmot Helium 950g
Marmot Atom 650g
Z-pad shortened 210g
Tyvek ground cloth 180g
Osprey Exos 58 w/o lid 1080g
When bugs are out, Raven bivy 250g

I am going to order an inner net for MLD as well, had to deal with bugs on West Coast Trail, don't want that again.

Home made quilt $250 19 ounces

1/8" Pad 24" X 72" $15 3.5 ounces

Home made Bivy $50 4.5 ounces

Homemade Pack $35 10.6 ounces

Total $350 2 lbs 5.6 ounces

Since (I believe) the OP is not bothering with stakes, lines or groundsheet (maybe you put them in you pocket and therefore they don't "count") I will not bother either – though I appreciate those of you who did.

Stuff I use:

GG G6 Pack 3.7 oz $89.99
WM Hilite Bag (35F) 16 oz ~ $250
Cut down thin ridge rest pad 5 oz price – meh, pretty sure I got this for free somewhere.

The above I have owned and used for 10 or more years.

Zpacks pocket tarp 3.1 oz $185

Just got this.

Total: 1 lb 11.8 oz

cost ~ $525 (face it kids, I'm older, and have more inflation behind me)

Oooh, I win, I'm the lightest! ***insert giant ironic smiley here ***

I only do this as a lark nowadays, and only for overnights (maybe 2 nights). In which case the weight hardly matters. Unfortunately I'm usually alone with no one to be impressed – or to laugh at me which is %95 more likely in the *real* world.

Also I have drunk water from an old wagon track. Does that count?

I've been backpacking critter style for several years.

Sleeping bag- Mylar blanket. 2 oz. $4.99
Shelter- Natural. Free.
pack- Near weightless.
pad- pile of debris. Free (although I have been stung)

Warbonnet Blackbird Hammock 24.1 oz
Hammockgear cuben tarp 5.2 oz
Hammockgear phoenix underquilt 13.1 oz
hammockgear top quilt 15 oz
Gossamer Gear Mariposa 27.6 oz

Total weight-5.3#

cost-$1000

A comfy night sleep above ground-priceless

pack: ula ohm 2.0 – $200, 29 oz
bag: western mountaineering summerlite – $300, 19 oz
pad: thermarest z-lite (cut down to barely torso size) – $30, 5 oz
shelter: sil nylon tarp- $70, 15 oz

total is $600 and 68 ounces (4.25 pounds)

"Sleeping bag- Mylar blanket. 2 oz. $4.99
Shelter- Natural. Free.
pack- Near weightless. Free
pad- pile of debris. Free (although I have been stung)"

Sir, you dare mock this serious discussion?

But seriously mine would be more like 3.5 if I was going for a "real" trip.

1. ZimmerBuilt Quickstep (full retail) $149.00 9oz

2. EE Enigma 30*, reg/wide (full retail) $215.00 17oz

3. MLD cuben Monk tarp (used gear swap) $110.00 5oz

4. KookaBay custom short pad (used gear swap) $40.00 7oz

so that's $514.00 for 38 ounces or 2lbs 6oz

Couch

for PCT and CT in July, Aug, and Sept. Camping at altitudes up to 12,000 feet.

PACK – Six Moon Designs Traveler ….. 31 oz……$175 (no longer available)

SHELTER: Six Moon Designs Gatewood Cape ….11 oz….$125

PAD: zLite 20×72 ……..14 oz……$20 from forum member

BAG: Western Mountaineering Hooded Aspen …25°F ….32 oz….$300 (bought 15 years ago; current model is the Sycamore MF)

Total: 5 lbs 8 ounces
Cost: $620

If you bought the very same items today, the cost would be $815

NOTE: To be realistic, I need to add the weight of the following items which are needed to make the various systems work. Note that I don't usually carry the net tent (7 oz) for the shelter.

6 tent stakes plus lines = 4 oz.
Heatsheet 60×96 inch ground cloth = 3.1 oz.
dedicated sleeping socks = 2.8 oz.
2 36×1 inch webbing straps with buckles for use with pack's daisy chain = 2 oz.
eVent compression dry bag for sleeping bag = 5.2 oz.

That adds another 17.1 ounces and about $80, making the realistic total 6 lbs, 9 ounces at a cost of $700 (for me) or $885 if bought today.

I can cut a pound off both my pack and my sleeping bag, and 4 ounces off my shelter,but the cost is almost $1500. I can just as easily save 2 pounds by carrying one liter less water and carrying the gear that has proven itself over thousands of miles and many years.

YMMV

lol, Mark Millonas. Here’s a slight intro.

Here’s the video of my bear encounter. http://youtu.be/KBbxBBtxvz8

Did that bear bite you? Have you noticed excessive hair growth and a desire to eat grubs? If so you may have become (or are developing into)a werebear – a sufficient explanation for "critter style" I believe.

Edit: In your video you seem, like Beorn (another famous werebear) in the hobbit, to have several dog minions – yet another sign. Largish sideburns, check.

Those two dogs looked so comfy it made me want to curl up on a rung somewhere.