I carry almost all mentioned so far. What I do is also put my important stuff, matches, compass, kleenex, butain camping stove, flashlight ect inside a pelican case. The pelican case is waterproof and almost indesctuctable. Second I keep my spare socks, hat and gloves in a waterproof compressable bag like the ones used for whitewater rafting(if I remeber right). The bag has a valve on the bottom and so you are able to put all your stuff in it, compress the heck on of it to push out all of the air, close the top and then you close the valve on the bottom. This really helps conserving space and keep all your stuff dry. And for flash lights, remember to protect the flashlight from being accidently being turned on while riding. More than once I have found my batteries were dead because the light was bump on. Make sure the flashlight is LED with a longest battery life you can find. I also carry duct tape, zip ties and special stick on self strechable tape.(not sure what real name if it is).
One other thing to consider is a snowjack. I found this is a great tool for getting yourself unstuck, especially if your are stuck alone where no one can find you. Plus using a little creativness, you can use the snowjack as a come-along if you have rope with you. For a mear 8 lbs this device can be a live saver.
And the most important thing, I always make sure the gear I am ridding is waterproof and proven. Nothing is worse than being wet and cold. If my gear doesn't work I find stuff that does. Just the other weekend I saw a guy riding in Carhartt overalls. He was probably nice and warm for a while but after a while those overalls are going to get wet. And if he had to stay the night he would not do so well compared to someone in waterproof clothing.
That is my 2cents worth.
Matt
