Pretty heavy gear. You have been really working hard and probably shelling out a lot of money to get this gear together. Get a few good years out of it and then you will start upgrading to lighter gear a little at a time.
There is definately lighter gear on the market, but lighter is not always better, but sometimes it is (IMHO). Furthermore, can you justify spending another $1,000-$1,500 to lighten your total pack/load by 10lb for a 1-2x per year trip? If your out-of-state, maybe its every other year. I think you did fine on your purchases and as you progress you will find what works best for you and modify as you learn. You've spent a lot of money to get started; now go try it out and learn from it. I don't think you'll be disappointed. These guys are speaking from years of experience, so they know. However, when starting out (think wayyyy back veterns), you've got to cover all the equipment needs without mortgaging the farm. This was just a few years ago for me.
It's also my first pack trip this year, so I've been looking at gear and reviews until I can't stand it for many weeks. Like Bonecollector said get what you can afford and learn from it, that's also my plan. It would be different if you lived out west and packed in for many nights a year, but for a couple days a year or every few years it's hard to get the best and most expensive right away, unless you have lots of money laying around. I do know I'm going to get good rain gear. Looking at core4element, to some it's fairly cheap, but to me who won't use it often I think it's plenty good. You sure do learn alot from the experienced guys on here, and its much appreciated for them to share that with us rookies!!! Good luck!
I think you'll have a good time hunting! Build up your muscles and you can carry that weight no problem. Most people can get stronger, not everyone can afford $5000 of backpacking gear!
That's one bonus about my job. I work commercial construction so I usually have 20-25 lbs of tools and safety shit hanging on my shoulders all day. Helps get the body use to having weight on the shoulders.
I'm 6'5" and let me tell you, I'm grateful I can stretch out in the 2man tent every time. Your adrenaline gets flowing once you hit that trail and you'll never notice the extra 2 lbs. I agree with all the other guys that have suggested it's a good start. The more you get into it, the more you'll become a gear-geek, the more indepth research and analysis you'll do on every element of your gear. This process is part of what makes the whole hunt so much fun.
