Solo Tent

Preparation is key. It will be smart to sacrifice items that will weigh you down, such as a full size tent, and instead assemble a makeshift tent yourself out of heavy duty canvas tarp and duct tape -- or a "Solo Tent".

The Solo Tent will be your best friend when you have to travel cross country, because it's very light weight, takes up very little room in your backpack (you can roll it up and tie it to the outside of your pack), and sets up in less than a second.
It's also very cheap to make.

Cut a heavy duty canvas tarp into a 7 x 8 piece. Then fold it so that the opposing edges touch. Then run multiple layers of duct tape along the outside edges and inside edge, so there's a perfect seal that will hold up to heavy use, leaving one side open so you can enter and exit. You now have an instant shelter, that rolls up like a sleeping bag to take up very little space in your back pack. To use it, pull it out of your pack and unroll it. Next, unroll your sleeping bag, and place it in the Solo Tent, so that the Solo Tent fits like a sock over the sleeping bag. It may not seal at the end, where your head will be when you're laying down, but that's fine -- you need to breathe right?(Consider making two or three of these; especially if it's likely you'll be traveling with others).