I used to take my favorite car camping headlamp along (Petzl Tikka XP) but decided that at around four ounces it was too heavy. I bought the Petzl e-Lite (just under an ounce with battery) and found it's perfect for all of my camp chores. It's lacking, though, if you want any kind of spot that will show you more than a pair of eyes gleaming back at you.

So - I added a Fenix LD01 (.8 ounce with battery) to my kit. I keep the Fenix in my pocket while I sleep and use it to spot those things in the dark that I care to see. It's also a lot easier to turn on to the correct mode than the e-Lite if I want light in a hurry.

My total light weight is right at 1.8 ounces with both of my needs met nicely.

Dr Bronners is nasty for toothpaste. I carry the gel stuff in a small squeeze bottle.

You don't want to use the Sawyer filter in sub freezing weather. Use tablets or boil--- you may be using snow anyway.

I like redundant lighting, especially in Winter. I'm not a fan of the coin cell lights for primary lighting , butci woul concede to having one for tent/backup use. I've gone to single AA flashlight and headlamp to simplify battery issues. The flashlight is carried in my pocket on my "survival" keyring. Fenix makes a headband for their LD and PD model flashlights if you want a dual-use flashlight:
http://www.fenixtactical.com/fenix-headband.html

Don't cut back too far on clothing. If you are expecting weather in the 20's, you need some cushion for colder than expected plus windchill. Check to see if you can wear ALL your layers together if needed. Consider what you can sleep in too.

I always carry a sit pad (a z-seat) and use it to extend my sleep pad.

Kevin - great insight there. Thanks for the suggestion!

Dale - A few thoughts on what you said:

I bought the unscented Dr. Bronners to give it a shot. I'll probably try it at home soon to see what I think. If not, I'll go with real toothpaste + hand sanitizer.

My trips will be 2-3 nights every 1-3 months, so I can pick and chose time and location to avoid major snow and rain storms. I will indeed keep in mind what precautions I need to take for clothing, hydration, etc should the weather turn for the worst. Thanks for the heads up. This list is assuming favorable conditions for the southeast: 20-30 F at night, 40-50 F during the day, rain being very possible.

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Edited by FightingTheTide on 03/02/2013 10:18:21 MST.

I bought AM and a Lightwater Kit from Anitgravity gear, and a bottlestove/windscreen combo from QiWiz. This will be my first alcohol stove, so I plan on testing it out on dayhikes and car camping.

I'll measure exact weights once I get them, but if I am right in my estimated weight, I'm sitting around 10.9lbs/4.94kg. However, this still doesn't include a bottle for alcohol (fuel) and water bottles.

I figure once I add water bottles and a fuel bottle I'll be back above 11 lbs...but honestly I don't really care about the number. I'm just stoked to have a light base weight because I almost blew my knee out on my last trip in December where I didn't care about weight. Trail running has me back to 100%, and now I'm stoked to plan my next trip! I'll probably do one somewhere in western NC in the next month or two.

Next step - finish my tarp and cut down my bivy (if needed).

Thanks for all the help so far.

I have used the mint Dr.Bronners for teeth for years. It tastes strange, but not bad.