I'm going to join with the chorus recommending that you don't do this; in fact, I'm really surprised everyone hasn't said this to you.

The most important part of being "equipped to survive" is knowing what you're doing. It doesn't sound reasonable or realistic to attempt a long arduous hike in poor weather if you've never gone hiking before.

There's some good advice above. I'll add that hiking is not simply walking. Good hiking has a lot of technique and that makes all the difference between having fun and being miserable. You need to learn how to dress, how to layer your clothing, how to "break in" your feet as well as your boots, and you need to slowly work your way up from short day hikes to being able to tackle 17 days of arduous terrain in poor weather.

There are many books you can read and Backpacker magazine usually has good info, but there's is no substitute for doing it yourself!