Gear List and thoughts about safety

Gourmet Gearlist for solo tavel through the woods

Pack-Golite Breeze-12
Garbage Bags-.25
Sleeping bag-summer-Western Mountaineering Iroquois
fall-WM Badger
Water Bottle x2-2 oz from grocery store
Shelter-Homemade sil-nylon-15
Groundcloth-Tyvec-10
Pad-Z-rest cut down-8
Fishing Pole
Windshirt-Patagonia Dragonfly-3
Rain jacket-TNF diad-9
Wind pants-Golite-5.75
Warm hat-Thriftgear fleece-1.25
Headlamp-Zippka-2
Stakes-3.75
tights-smartwool-2.5
Warm Jacket-Micropuff-11
Socks -15
Warm Shirt-Capilene-6.5
Medical kit-2.75
Windscreen-1.5
Pot handle-1
Stove-Esbit-3
cord-1.75
Cup-Thrift-1
Pot/cozy-1 liter-5.75
Fire/emergencyKit-3
Gloves-TNF powershild-2
123oz=7.68Lbs

I have found as many have, that a basic ten pound base weight is easy to achieve without any undue risk or deprivation. It is gained primarily via a reduction of tent-backpack and sleeping bag weight, although everything really does go together as a kit. I want to emphasize what many know but what I think some may still be concerned with, which is safety. If your worry is bugs and you don't camp in a jungle, then I can't help you and your a weak american

This kit is for three season, sleeping below treeline, and without continuous snow.

However, there is a certain amount of common sense and skill that must be followed (I believe rigorously (my wife might say facistically) in order to assure safety.
1) Drink enough water throughout your hike. Either be sure you can find water easily ( as in a wet year) or carry a little weight penalty to make sure you have some if you make some wrong designs) Not only does an extra liter of water greatly extend your chances of survival, but, it helps your mind relax to know that you can just sit down and heat some water for tea or coco.
2) Have the ability to start a fire in the rain. This means that a little extra weight in the form of dry tinder, matches, a lighter and some third means in a third area of your kit is needed. Remember, this is for that river crossing where you slipped in, your bag is dunked, your cold, and it starts to hail, all in a matter of ten minutes. This is not unusual or unlikely. I have found that in addition to carrying tinder, it is worth the effort to carry a fanny pack full of dry sticks (I use this as a support for my belt-less pack) up to an inch and a half in diameter if there has been or may be bad weather. If the weather is clear dont sweat it. If it begins to rain, pick up some dry skicks and carry them with you- Esbit tabs make the best wet weather tinder in my experience.
3) Keep a set of warm clothes in a dry (garbage) bag in your pack,and DO NOT remove them until you have a shelter up. This can be a difficult rule to stick by, but I think it is critical. Your hiking along all day in the rain, and are getting a little cold. You know that you could get some more mileage if you just warmed up a bit with your warm shirt or jacket. My rule would make me throw up my tarp between some trees before I take out the insulated jacket. I can then brew up in the dry with some warmth. If then I decide to continue, I put the micropuff back into its bag, take down the tarp and venture back out. My warm (kept dry) cloths are of course dependent upon the geography and season, however it includes at least a light weight fleece shirt, synthetic or down pullover, socks, fleece hat, and usually although not always long underwear. Of course a sleeping bag can be considered part of this kit. There are those who would argue, not without merit, that the sleeping bag could serve this purpose alone. This however is my personal margin of safety and weight penalty for my skill level and confidence. Also, having a good synthetic jacket and extra dry clothes is the reason I can carry down for sleeping while knowing that I would survive if the bag did get soaked. (Put up tarp, put on dry clothes, build fire) You can see that keeping your sleeping bag in its own garbage bag separate from dry clothes (and for me also inside a silnylon stuff sack) adds to redundancy in two areas, and demonstrates the importance of dry warm insulation.
4) Not imperative but useful: When stopping in bad weather to eat, take the time to put up your tarp, and put on warm clothes. There is something to the diligence of this approach that is useful.
As you can see, none of the above rules have anything to do with carrying a heavy tent versus a lightweight tarp. In fact, as many others have said, carrying less weight enables you to perform several important activities.
1) move up, over and off a pass, to below treeline before bad weather hits.
2) be less exhausted, therefore more focused and creative in the face of changes

The only difference between a tent and a tarp is the need to camp below treeline in a storm. Clearly that is were you should be anyway, but I will emphasize here that I agree with many on this. Sleep above cold katabatic air but in the shelter of trees, preferably in the soft duff of pines. However, do be careful of very dry pine duff in downpours, as if you are in the wrong place, the water will run right off and under your tarp. You need either absorbant soil or a high spot for a safe tarp pitch.

Garbage Bags: You notice I have already mentioned two, one for my sleeping bag, and one for my dry clothes. I usually have two more. These can serve as sleeping bag covers, vapor barriers, ponchos, and can be filled with dry or partially dry duff to serve as insulation. Point is, always have a few large glad bags.
So, you see, the weight I save by going ultralight actually allows me to be more cautious and to have a greater, not a smaller, margin of safety. I don't fret about two pound or extra water (although I try to avoid this by planning) three ounces of sticks, an ounce of plastic bags, or even an extra warm shirt. I never go out with the thought that a change in the weather would be dangerous. In fact, I expect it, and in my heart of hearts, hope for it.