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Your going to get tons of advice from all angles. Just go with it. You'll figure it out. Look at what other people are doing and change if you think it will work out for you. You will be surprised by the number of people that spend no time preparing, figure it out as they go, and make it the whole way. Tons of places in the South to re-outfit yourself. Starting in the south in peak season is a really forgiving time and place to start.
My only other advice is if something hurts or feels wrong, then there is probably something you can change to make it feel better.
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i'll second coffee. i used four different sets of kit just to see what worked well and felt right for me.
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I lost track of all the different setups I tried. I finally settled on using a Winter Wren by Feathered Friends installed over my hammock. This worked very well in the colder weather. I modified my lighter bag (Mountainsmith Wisp) by adding a drawstring closure to the foot and used it the same way when I started south from Maine. It served me very well only leaving me slightly chilled on the nights that I was too tired or lazy to readjust the down that had migrated toward the bottom. I saved a lot of weight and bulk while sacrificing only a little comfort. There are probably as many setups as there are posters here on HF. Whatever you decide on, use it a lot, and try it all out before your hike, in all types of weather. It's OK if your neighbors think your crazy for running out into the rain as every one else is running inside. At home you can make a hasty retreat if something fails and learn how to do things better the next time. A 40 degree night in the pouring rain when you are exhausted from an all day hike is not the time to be learning how to set up your kit or about its shortcomings. Good hiking to you and most of all, try to have fun...most days:D.