So over the past little bit I've taken a few short trips and I've realized that I may ditch the whisperlite and lean more towards an alcohol stove. It would shed right around a pound, and the cost of the fuel use due to its lower efficiency isn't that much higher. I think the weight tradeoff would be well worth it.

Also, I talked to my insurance company yesterday, and they said that because I am still making payments on my car it still has to be insured. Maybe my newly 16 year old brother and sister would want to use my car and they can pay insurance on it while I'm gone. We'll see.