Generic Gear list

I don't actually have all of this gear today, but this is my "idealized" total gear list.  For some of these things, I'm using surogates until I can get around to picking up what I actually want.  For others, I need to actually still buy stuff, because I don't have a good surogate in my possession right now.  The format for this list is from a Karen Berger book on ultralight hiking.

Primary Gear

• Cabela's "Perfekt" Light Hikers by Meindl -- currently using some Keen hiking shoes, but will want to replace with something more "serious."  The Perfekt Meindl brands get rave reviews, plus I like the look of them.  Ideally, I'd also have some "Perfekt" 7" hikers; the slightly larger version.  I'm not really cool on the idea of hiking in tennis shoes, or running shoes, or even "trail runners."  Ankle injuries are, after all, the most common injuries for hikers, and I'd hate to ruin my trip by rolling or spraining (or breaking!) my ankle just to reduce a little bit of weight on my feet.  Besides, I actually like wearing hiking boots.  It makes a bold fashion statement, even when you're not actually hiking!
• North Face Terra 65 pack.  For larger trips, I'd like to have a bigger backup, the Kelty Coyote 80L.  I need to still buy both of them, unfortunately.

Camping Gear

• REI Passage 1 Footprint and Passage 1 Tent -- currently have a Coleman 2-man; I'd like to upgrade to something a big sturdier and yet lighter (albeit considerably more expensive.)
• Therm-A-Rest Z-Lite Sleeping pad
• Kelty Cosmic Down 40 Sleeping Bag (I don't currently own a lightweight bag, so this'll save a few pounds over my existing "regular" 40 weight Coleman sleeping bags.

Clothing you Wear

• Cabela's boonie hat
• Old Navy Men's Active Tri-Coat Fleece Hoodie
• Nylon t-shirt
• Under Armor (or other) Compression shorts -- to prevent chafing, because man, hiking sucks when you chafe.
• Old Navy cargo shorts
• Field & Stream Coolmax liner socks
• Rocky Midweight merino wool boot socks

Clothing you Carry

• Extra nylon t-shirt
• Men's Active by Old Navy track pants
• Add'l liner and boot socks (3 pair of each)
• Cabela's GORE-TEX Thinsulate Deluxe II Shooting Gloves -- for thin, skin-like feel yet sufficient warmth.
• Frogg Toggs Pro Action Suit -- raingear
• Addt'l compression shorts
• Huntworth Fleece-lined balaclava -- mostly used as a knit cap at night and when it's cold, but why not get a balaclava for when you really want it?
• Under Armor Men's 3.0 Baselayer pants and shirt

Cooking/Eating Gear

• MSR 4 oz. canister
• Dollar Store lighter
• Libman 100pct copper scrubber
• Jetboil Zip Cooking system
• Small pocket knife
• BearVault BV450 Solo Food Container (when needed)
• Spoon

Water/Drinking Equipment

• Camelbak bladder
• 3- liter empty soda bottle for addt'l water
• Potable Aqua water purification technology (tablets)  Or, in a pinch, I can strain water through a shirt and then boil and strain again to get good water when carrying/buying less stuff is more important than spending a few minutes doing it on the trail.

Personal/Miscellaneous

• Nikon Coolpix L24.  Or, in a pinch, the camera I already have, but I think a cheap yet pretty good camera devoted to taking on hiking trips would be nice.
• Men's Cuthbert Sandals -- mostly for stream crossings, but also sometimes for time spent at camp when getting my feet out of my boots feels nice.
• Silva Starter 1-2-3 Compass
• Homemade first aid kit
• Cabela's Alaskan Guide XR Headlamp by Princeton Tec
• Dollar store batteries
• Insect repellent
• Dollar store comp book and mechanical pencils for journaling/notes
• Chapstick
• Wilderness Guide books or Topo maps (as appropriate for specific trip I'm on)
• Pocket sized Book of Mormon -- for reading as evening approaches
• Sea to Summit Ultra-Light Packcover
• Homemade repair kit
• Rope
• Sunscreen
• Homemade wash kit/toiletries

In a pinch, I can be on the trail right now using surrogates I already have for many of these items for about $500.  Ideally, though, getting everything I want is more like $1,700.  So... not a ton of money, but a big enough chunk that I'll probably dribble gear in over the course of months until I have my idealized gear list completely put together.