Figured I would check in and introduce myself. I'm a 25 year old drum teacher. I was recently turned onto backpacking as a way to get away from the high energy, competitive hustle and bustle of work, and to satisfy my fondness for self-reliance. I live a stone's throw from Sam Houston Jones State Park in Louisiana, which is a tiny little place with about 12 miles of trails. I'm also roughly equidistant from Sam Houston National Forest near Huntsville, Texas, and Kisatchie NF in Louisiana.

I'm planning to do some day hiking at the state park to nail down some logistical and technical stuff, then spend a few days hiking the Wild Azalea trail at Kisatchie (28 miles) and build up to thru hole the Lone Star trail at Sam Houston (96 miles).

I'm in no rush to hit any of my goals, and I'm still in gear research mode. I've been reading the forums and articles here a lot the past several days, and learning a great deal.