Playing with my base pack weight

I believe I can get my base pack weight down to 8 pounds or less for 2 season (mid-spring to early Autumn in the middle Appalachians) backpacking trips. Check out Z Packs web site!
General gear list with approx weights:
Pack (Zpacks blast 26 with carbon fiber stays, top lid, etc) total weight 11.55 ounces
8x10 Cuben Fiber Tarp with 12 tieouts (z-packs) total weight 6 ounces
cuben fiber pack cover size medium weight 1.1 ounces
cuben fiber ground cloth 3.4 ounces
assorted cuben fiber stuff sacks (includes large food bag, medium + for sleeping bag, 2 medium for misc and clothes and a smaller one) total weight 1.57 ounces
30 degree down bag at a weight of 19 ounces
Neoair short sleeping pad at a weight of 10 ounces
Cook set at 10 ounces
Miscellaneous stuff at 10 ounces
Misc/water stuff/other stuff 10 ounces
Ribz Front pack at 10 ounce
Clothing weight (should cover most any weather) weight 46 ounces
SPoT Unit 6 ounces
Camera 6 ounces (optional)
This comes out to about 9 pounds total base weight, no suffering, no starving.
Add in a quart of water at 2 pounds and a 5 pound food bag and I should be around 17 pounds or so.

Okay, the only problem is cost. Cuben fiber is EXPENSIVE! I expect the cost for the cuben fiber stuff would be around $800 to $1000.
My base weight is between 9 and 14 pounds now, depending on the expected weather and trip length.

Still, if you are trying to reduce your pack weight, be sure and check out Z-packs, Gossamer Gear, Backpacking light, Six Moon Designs and don't forget about home made gear!

Ah winter

I don't really hate winter, I just like it less. The Jeep Patriot is performing well and the gas mileage is not too bad for a 4x4. I have completed a few of my winter gear projects: Made some windscreens, made some cone-shaped windscreen/pot supports for my Heineken pot and Fosters pot, finally made a lid for my MSR Ti cup, made 2 super cat stoves.