If you don't have a decent, compact saw, buy a Silky Super Accel 210 with the largest teeth. Probably around $30. If you prefer a fixed blade, try a Silky Zubat 330mm.
If you don't have a good sleeping bag and pad, that's an important upgrade.
In your area you probably don't do a lot of cold weather hiking. However, one of my favorite upgraded pieces of gear is a Western Mountaineering Flight Jacket. My XL weighs 12 ounces total. They are several times warmer than any fleece and have greater loft than a North Face down jacket that weighs twice as much. Expensive at around $250 but at 12 ounces it is always with me so I never get cold---even on a November mountain hunt in Montana.
DancesWithKnives
If you don't have a good sleeping bag and pad, that's an important upgrade.
In your area you probably don't do a lot of cold weather hiking. However, one of my favorite upgraded pieces of gear is a Western Mountaineering Flight Jacket. My XL weighs 12 ounces total. They are several times warmer than any fleece and have greater loft than a North Face down jacket that weighs twice as much. Expensive at around $250 but at 12 ounces it is always with me so I never get cold---even on a November mountain hunt in Montana.
DancesWithKnives