What is best for a thru-hike? i.e Tent, Sleeping bag

[Ramble~On]

Tent. http://lightheartgear.com/lighthearttent1.html
I bought one of these in Franklin, NC and used it for the rest of the trail.
It weighs 26 ounces and that is light for a double wall tent! There is an amazing amount of room inside and plenty of headroom...regardless of how tall you are. This is a roomy tent! It sets up fast and packs down small.
Did I mention it weighs about a pound and a half.....These are new tents...she makes them by hand right here in America. You will likely see a lot of these on the trail.

Sleeping Bag. Put your money into a quality 20 degree bag..more or less rating depending on whether or not you sleep warm/cold. You can pick up an inexpensive summer bag on the trail and send the colder bag home until you need it again. Western Mountaineering bags are delicious.

Mat. Inflatable pad or closed cell foam pad ? You will see more Z-Rests on the trail than any other pad. They're light and cheap.
I used a Thermarest and was happy with it. It never got a hole and was comfortable. A nice thing about the Z-Rest is that you can take it off the pack and use it as a seat in a matter of seconds. That's nice when the ground is cold or wet or rocky or hard or has sticks and bugs and.....get the point? I found a cut up Z-Rest in a hiker box and cut that piece down to about 12 inches...I carried it the rest of the trail and must say that having a seat is something that is worth the 2 ounces.

[SOBO 2011]

Thanks All

[Dogwood]

Despite BrianLe's and Hooch's sensible comments in the first two responses, I'm firmly convinced that hikers just can't help themselves when asked about recommending gear when they have little or no idea of what the OP needs, wants or can afford, or is appropriate. It's akin to be taken blindfolded into Madison Square Garden not knowing where the dart board is and being expected to hit bull's eyes!

[LIhikers]

... I am
6 foot
230
looking at a tent with room for a big guy and his gear... and Rainbow... if anyone has any views

I'm going to suggest the Tarptent Rainbow for a tent. It's easy to put up using stakes or free standing using hiking poles. It's got a ton of room and does a great job keeping out both bugs and bad weather. Enough room that I can sit up in it (I'm 5'10") and have room to roll around when laying down.

For a sleeping bag I like Montbell's line of Ultra Light, Super Stretch, Down Hugger bags. Well made, fairly light, plenty of room, and will keep you warm to the rated temperature and even a little below. Just keep in mind their regular size is only for folks up to 5'10" tall, you'll need the large.

In my mind both of these items are high quality that give you good value for the dollar.