Ok so Im guessing theres a few other people on this group that live in warm climate places. I live in Australia and to me sub-5 is relatively easy. My absolute winter gear list for where I would walk would be comparable to some of your summer lists. I will be posting a gear list in the next few weeks (just finishing up some uni exams and then a off for a month of hiking here and there).

Currently my gear including what I would take for a winter outing comes up to 4.2lb. Now theres a few things extra I could throw in there such as a cocoon when i get around to buying one and a bivy im going to make from spinnaker fabric and quantum. I also don't see the absolute need for a poncho. I have a GVP spinnshelter, thats pretty light for a full coverage shelter. other than that everything else is basically the same except that I really dont take much first aid at all. I think in the future I made moleskin my feet before I leave and save the weight in the pack.

Because most sub5ing will be done over only short duration trips(more than 3days less than 2 weeks), one can save all kinds of weight. durability can go out the window for some items. such as using garbage bags and rubber bands and the like for keeping gear. Im not talking about completly "dirtbagging" it but theres many things that can be dropped. it also comes down to tayloring your gear specifically for your environment. If its mid summer here and the forecast says no rain for a weekend. i might just say why not leave my rain protection at home and save half a pound. if theres been no significant rain, why cant i just use a torso length 1/8" piece of foam and bundle some debris to keep me off the ground. if its around full moon time, dont worry about the light. why do i need hot food if the weather is warm. its these kind of things that make the difference. sub5 is a real fringe and i believe that you must make the mental transition in order to get right into it. you must stop relying on gear to get you through and start employing survival skills. i myself would rather take gear but im confident that if i didnt have gear i could keep myslef alive for long periods of time on just the environment.

it seems like a lot of sub5 lists ive seen try to put as much extra gear in as they can, to get it up to 5lb rather than just leaving it out. if you can do without sunscreen for a few days then dont take it, why do you need layer if the weather is warm. its really quite simple if you want it to be. i dont have as much experience with this fringe level as the staff here but i think the more information that comes out about technique here the better off we will all be.