Sounds like a great trip! As far as gear goes, have you considered a quilt instead of a sleeping bag? The insulation under you gets compressed anyway, so the theory is that you might as well eliminate that to save weight. There are quite a few small manufacturers of backpacking quilts, and none of them are cheap, but check out Enlightened Equipment. They make both down and synthetic insulated quilts, and for the wet environment you will be in I would probably go synthetic (it's also much less expensive) even though it is heavier and bulkier. Actually, these quilts are made to order--you get to pick the temperature rating, length (nice for a short person like me), width and colors! Thinking about places to get gear less expensively once you know what you want, check out www.geartrade.com and of course Ebay. As far as shoes go, personal preference plays a big role--some people (and I am one of them) prefer to hike in trail running shoes rather than heavy boots…with waterproof boots your feet will probably still be wet from sweat, and lighter lower-cut shoes help you be more nimble. Wool socks are good since they lose less insulating value when they get wet.