Gearing up..... Tips and help appreciated

Hi Everyone. On the brink of a year long stay in NZ and then hopefully OZ and the pacific. Coming from a pro video/photo background I'd love to develop a great video blog/site. I have a few obstacles that I'm sure most of you have dealt with, and would love some advice.

1) Weight/size issue. Coming from being a full time shooter as my day job, I find myself building a list of gear that would be ideal. Well, ideal if I had a few assistants... and a camel or two to carry all that crap. And I haven't even added in things like clothes yet! So what do you all like to use that doesn't weigh you down too much?

2) Cost vs quality compromise. I know what results I'd love to achieve in my head. But then the price tag will cost more than the trip! I assume most of you are funding your adventures yourself. Am I too hung-up on "pro" gear? Can you get good results with most consumer cameras these days? Again, any favorites?

3) $$$ Stealability and storage. Ok, so you invest in some gear; a cool camera, maybe a shiny new Macbook Pro, but you're a budget traveler without the luxury of bell hops and concierge. How easy is it to secure your gear on the road? You're out Hostel hopping or maybe for a few days you want to pair down and go for a hike/trek. So what the heck do you do with your stuff? I know a lot of hostels have some sort of lockers and etc., but what about when you simply don't want to carry stuff around for a while. Any tips here? Any horror stories and things to avoid?

Sorry to be long winded here. I'm just finding it hard to get started and don't want to make mistakes if I don't have to.

Thanks all in advance!
Cheers,
-paul