MY Rogues strength will either be 14 (light load 58 lbs) or 12 (light load 43 lbs).
With just my weapons and armor (and thieves tools), I reach 35 lbs.
How do I prioritize what I carry on adventures? And what is the best way of managing that stuff?
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Purchase a mule for 8 gp, and a pack saddle plus rope for 16 gp. Put one of your many skill ranks into Handle Animal. Give the mule everything that is campsite-related, and only carry the essentials and the valuables on your own person.
Also, save up for a mithral chain shirt and a handy haversack. At that point, you'll no longer have encumbrance issues.
If you have a problem toting around a mule for an unknown time, get one of the stronger guys to carry things for you.
Only hold onto "the essentials." Mainly things that let you work to your potential (any tools or kits for the like.)
As Mergy pointed out, the Handy Haversack is a great burglar's bag.
Bag of Holding/Handy Haversack
Handy haversack is dang near essential.
Until you get one, you can buy a Masterwork Backpack, which gives you +1 strength when determining carrying capacity.
You can also grab any sort of pack animal for carrying camping gear, rations, water supplies etc.
Sorry, I should have mentioned, but the DM is also being uber stingy on magic gear. I have a mithral chain shirt, but the handy haversack is being determined by rolls. Could go either way.
Is it necessary to have a skill point in handle animal to control your mule?
Masterwork backpack is a great idea. I'd like to have a ton of mundane gear, things like pick axe, sledge hammer, tons of rope, clay jugs, sacks of flour, pints of oil, oiled canvas, a tent...
What would happen if my mule and I get separated? Is there a bare essentials gear/kit I could always keep on my person?
Muleback cords.
If there's an arcane caster in the party - anthaul.
Now carry capasity isn't a problem.
Carry a potion of lesser restoration (or two). To fix any str penalities/damage.
So many good suggestions:
1.) Handy Haversacks (2,000 gp) and Bags of Holding Type I (2,500 gp)
2.) Ant Haul (Sor/Wiz1, APG): 25 gp scroll, and a must-have for any Wizard at Level 1
3.) Heavyload Belt (Ultim. Equip.) (2,000 gp)
If your GM is stingy or believes in a magic-poor world, well, you're screwed. You can try to lighten the load with a masterwork backpack (APG) for 50, and masterwork tools for the +2 bonus, but other than your ability bump at Level 4 and Level 8 going into STR, that's it. A Belt of Giant Strength +2 is 4,000 gp, well out of most character's pockets until Level 6 or so.
No GM can stop a Wizard from his/her 2 free spells at each level, even if they go down to Level 1 and pick up Ant Haul from the APG.
Just remember, the MW backpack is 2 lbs heavier than a normal backpack.
So the +1 st for carrying capacity is partially eaten up by the bag.
12 St to 13 St adds 7 lbs; 14 St to 15 St adds 8 lbs.
Making your gain on carrying capacity at most 6 lbs.
We've always given a casual nod to encumbrance, but a friend pointed out something to me that was pretty surprising and seemingly true. It's often the guy with a high strength who is encumbered. The scrawny wizard carries a few things but the fighter carries half a dozen weapons, a bunch of equipment, armor, etc.
No GM can stop a Wizard from his/her 2 free spells at each level, even if they go down to Level 1 and pick up Ant Haul from the APG.Unless they send an enemy to steal your spellbook every night for the entire game.
Spell Mastery. But if the GM is doing that, it's time to multiclass into Bard, Sorcerer, or Cleric.
Or walk away from the table.
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Not having MI's like Handy Haversack or Muleback Cords can be difficult. I'd recommend distributing some gear amongst your fellows. Even if you are still encumbered, you could always remove your backpack before combat, lightening your load to just your weapons, armor, bandolier, and belt pouch. You could even drop it in the first roundif you're surprised. I had a rogue who would drop his bag before every new doorway. It only sucks if you have to run away in a hurry.
This sounds like a game where Black Market Connections would be really useful. I would consider that as a talent to increase the availability of items.
Anyway, you just don't need to bring your tent, your alchemy lab, your bedroll, blankets, etc etc. into a dungeon with you. Pack animals are pretty cheap. You can also just travel with a big pack that is a medium load and then use Stealth to hide it outside of a dungeon, or just drop it if you are attacked while traveling. All of this is totally reasonable.
You can even totally reasonably carry a shoulder satchel around in the dungeon and just drop it as a free action whenever combat begins.