quote:
Haven’t done an overnight since Boy Scouts. Did an all day hike 6 am to 7 pm recently. I’ve been to the area and hiked near the campsite a good bit last summer. Think I’ve got a pretty good idea about what I need.

Just ordered my pack. 5 lbs so it’s not UL. Trying to decide on a good sleeping bag or quilt. Any suggestions? Planning on an air pad and inflatable pillow. Again, any suggestions?

Was going to get a jetboil stash. Planning on dehydrated foods and epic bars. Have a lifestraw flex soft bottle and filter. Just got the lifestraw gravity bag for hanging it up at campsite.

Any tips for getting caught in those Rocky Mountain thunderstorms in your tent?

it sounds like you are on the right track. Be aware that some people get way too hung up on the "right" way to do things when backpacking. The reality is, it ain't that hard and there are 1000 ways to skin that cat so take all recommendations (including mine) with a grain of salt.

For a bag and pad, I have some Nemo stuff that I think is a good balance of performance/price but there are lots of good options these days. I'd get an insulated pad...more versatile without a big weight penalty if you only have one. Also, be sure to get one of the new generation 3+" thick types. So much more comfortable than the old school therm-a-rest type pads. I also have a quilt from enlightened equipment that is awesome if you decide to go that route. I prefer down to synthetic for bags/quilts, YMMV.

That jetboil stove is fine. I have a soto windmaster that I really like if you want another to look at.

dehydrated foods work just fine. Some of the ones out there now are so much better than what they used to be. be sure you read the instructions with regards to altitude different brands have a different assumed average altitude and different adjustments needed for RMNP. If you're addicted to caffeine like most of us, be sure to have some reliable sources. Some people get all kinds of fancy, but I just use a mix of instant coffee, GUs, and ShotBloks.

I'm not sure I'm following your water purification setup correctly. Are you carrying 3 different forms of water purification? If so, you can cut that down.