Hey guys, sorry I have been quiet - getting sick. As for the gear, Aaron is at his max on Light Encumbrance, and with his skills, he will need to stay near to light load.
As for the items, I think the Saw is a good thing to take. The Shovel, not so much. The lanterns might not be needed, but oil is always good for item use as well as when we really need to heat things up or in battle for a little 'flare'. I figure on taking the basics, but yes, taking it all would be nice. If we are stuck with moving at reduced pace, and want to use our full movement, why not spend the funds on a Riding Dog, outfit it with saddlebags, and use it to keep up with us? It can hold up to 99 pounds as a light load for 40' movement. Or even 198 pounds as a medium load, for 30' movement!
Just a thought, but worth thinking about if we have 500GP to spend...
Hell, we could even get a dog with some decent tricks, like being trained for heavy labor, (come and work skills) along with 4 more to be trained in. Perhaps even moving towards Track, Seek, Attack, and Down. Assuming he/she doesn't get fried in our next battle with a Fireball...