Major Gear Osprey Aether AG 70L. Amazing pack. The anti-gravity systems does such a good job reducing the load on your body. The top-lid is a convertible day pack. There's a ton of room, and it's versatile enough that I could use it for 3 day trips or 2 week trips if I really wanted to. Can't recommend this pack enough. Nemo Galaxi 2. Okay, so, this tent is amazing for camping. But it sucks for backpacking. It's too heavy, and the stuff sack it came with was barely big enough to fit everything, to the point it ripped on my last day out there. Definitely getting a lightweight one person tent in the future. Marmot Trestles 15 Sleeping Bag. See above. It's a great sleeping bag for camping. Not so great for backpacking. It's not necessarily the weight, so much as it's way too bulky even when it's rolled up. I'd like to get a down sleeping bag in the future to keep weight and space down. Food Note: There was a fire ban in effect otherwise this would have worked out a bit different. Snacks: Made my own trail mix! Lots of peanuts, coconut flakes, mango slices (Trader Joes has some great "Just Mango" slices that are very high in Vitamin A). Protein Bars. Banana Chips...so many banana chips...energy gel. Breakfast: Oatmeal and/or Protein Bars. I tried instant coffee but at elevation it affects me a lot and isn't a good time, so I stopped that pretty quick. I think I'm going to try dehydrated milk and more products from Nuun/GU. Lunch: Pasta, whole wheat tortillas with almond butter, things along those lines. Dinner: Lentil and split pea soup, mac and cheese, rice and beans, lots of carbs and enough protein to get by. With the trail mix adding fat over the course of the day I generally wasn't too hungry, but I think I need to revisit to have more vitamins in the mix. Routes I was surprised by how well marked everything was! I had topographic maps and a compass, but was able to navigate pretty easily without them. There weren't any points where I was completely turned around or missed the trail. With how many backcountry sites there are up there you'd likely hit one eventually even if you were lost. Nope, no canister requirements! Thank God, those things are bulky and heavy! They are required in parts of WA state though, so I own one anyway. The bear poles are really, really nice. No traction issues but if I went a month earlier crampons or micro-spikes would have been a necessity. The snow was melted down enough and soft enough that you could walk across with hiking shoes and trekking poles no problem!
If you’re looking for a lightweight 1 person tent, I highly recommend the TarpTent Notch. I used it on my section hike of the PCT Washington section (traveling home from that right now), and it was fantastic. Full trip report to follow once I get home, sort through pictures, and have an actual computer keyboard to type on.
I have an Osprey Atmos 65 AG! I completely agree on the anti-gravity suspension. I actually have the 50L version, too, and I took that up and over Algonquin and Iroquois peaks. My legs were destroyed by the elevation gain and especially the decent with the full weight, but my shoulders and back were just fine. Yeah, that Nemo tent looks heavy for backpacking. It's all relative, but it's heavier than others. I have a Big Agnes Copper Spur UL1, and I'm pretty sure it's one of the lightest tents. I'm still getting used to the idea of my pack being outside all night, but the tent is great. My sleeping bag has a pretty low (i.e. not suitable for cold nights) rating. I should spend some time researching them and finding a better option. With the fire ban, were you using a little stove? I have an Esbit one that's tiny and portable. It's only good for water, but for one person it works well. I've used it with Mountain House dehydrated food, but those things pack so horribly. They're light weight and reasonably tasty, but they're weird shapes, especially for using a bear canister. Pasta, even things like ramen, might be a good option for me. Thanks again for the writeup. This is an area I have got to visit.