While somewhat contradictory to the term "self" in self-support, teaming up with one or two others will save everyone a bit of weight and bulk. By this, I mean sharing and distributing some of the gear. This shared gear, or community gear as some call it, should include the following:

• break down paddle
• first aid kit
• water filtration system...if individual bottle filters won't suffice
• stove & fuel
• some rescue gear
• tarp...if rain is forecasted 

  Additional considerations:

• Some like to team up and share the food too. I don’t recommend doing this with someone you do not know well or if you’re a particular eater. The safest bet is to be responsible for your own.
• If the group is larger than three, consider working in more than one team. Besides having to wait longer for use of the equipment (stove & filter), just one team will have no backup should one piece fail.
• If your significant other is joining you, sharing the shelter is a given. Or, if she/he isn't joining you, sharing with a team mate is a possibility, if you can tolerate sleeping that close to one another and you know their sleep habits. A tiny tent isn't the place to find out your buddy is stertorous or in need of emissions control.

Group dynamics

An important consideration. Coming.... eventually.