My backpacking experience so far is limited to a couple of short trips, but I'm another smaller person who likes to keep her pack weight to a reasonable level (not quite ultralight--some of the things they suggest seem to compromise a bit more on safety than I would like--but certainly in the lightweight category). Deb's suggestion about the alcohol stove is an excellent one. That's what I have used and have been happy with it. For a pot, I picked up an el-cheapo aluminum saucepan (1 qt.), sprayed the outside with black stove paint (supposed to help it heat up faster), cut off most of the handle and used aluminum foil for a lid. I know aluminum isn't the best thing to cook in but for the occasional backpacking trip I don't think it's that big of a problem, as opposed to using it on a regular basis. When deciding hot vs. cold food keep in mind that cold food is often HEAVIER because of its higher moisture content--if you're using things like Lipton side dishes, oatmeal etc. for hot food these are very lightweight and if you just plan to cook near a water source you don't even have to carry the water for cooking them very far. I also second the suggestion of using the chlorine dioxide tablets for water treatment rather than carrying a filter--the stuff is similar to what's used for municipal water treatment (i.e. tap water) and doesn't really have a noticeable taste. The tablets are nice as opposed to the drops (Aqua Mira) because there's no waiting and no risk of spillage. Just make sure your pocketknife/multitool has a scissor because the packaging of the tablets (at least the Katadyn MicroPur that I've used) is a real pain to open. As far as a sleeping pad, why not use one of the basic blue closed-cell pads, they are the lightest thing you can use although admittedly bulky (I strap mine to the outside of the pack). You can cut it to exactly the length you want it, as well.