A great lightweight backpack with a pulled-tight mesh backing. What's cool is that you can store a 3 liter bladder behind that backing so that the bladder actually cools down your back. This pack is good for 4 days of backpacking if you're alone. If you have a companion and can share the load of a tent, then add another day.

Great lightweight and extremely compressible sleeping bag. Remember that a bag is comfortable down to it's rating +10 degrees. Can be unzipped for warmer weather. While you don't have to stick to this expensive bag, always choose down over synthetic, with a fill-power of at least 700. 40 degree bags are useless during anytime but summer, so I recommend a 25 degree or lower rated bag.

I've taken this on many backpacking adventures. It's easy to operate with one person, and comes with some quick-fit adapters that can splice into a camel-pack line (so you can refill your bladder while it's still on your back).

Though there may be some stoves that are an ounce lighter, this is a great performer and fairly inexpensive. You'll need a lighter as this doesn't have piezoelectric ignition (which I just think adds weight).

A great microfiber-like towel that absorbs water better, dries in a fraction of the time, packs into a smaller space, and when dry weighs less than a cotton towel. The Sil-Nylon bag it comes in also doubles as a useful pouch for an ultra-lightweight first-aid kit.

Mountain House Pro-paks are freezedried (better than traditional heat-dehydrated) meals that are vacuum-sealed to save space in your pack. They are good for one person each, and are incredibly tasty. The Pasta Primavera is my favorite, but the lasagna and rice ones are excellent as well.

This is a water bladder system that is easy to fill, easy to clean, and doesn't take up more space than it needs to.