Good advice from AKSAR, as always. I started hiking, first with day hikes (gradually realizing that a backpack would be very comfortable)then longer day hikes that stretched into the night, then overnights, and eventually even longer trips. Getting the right combination of gear that works for you and your trips is going to take some time, and what works for someone else may not be quite your thing, even in the same general environment.

But it is a lot of fun in figuring out what works....