Is a solo trip a bad idea? Absolutely not. My second-ever trip was solo, and I had a ball. My first trip was led by a Scoutmaster who really didn't understand backpacking - he did understand forced marches, ramen noodles, and "roughing it." I still had a good enough time that I went to the library, got a copy of Colin Fletcher's Complete Walker (the first one), assembled my kit, and headed out.

Especially since you're not hiking far, it should work well. However, if you're still a little worried, you could arrange the trip this way: pick a park whose public campground will be pretty well vacated by October. Rent a site, hike a few miles with your pack on your back; eat lunch in the woods, filter some water, and otherwise play with your gear. You'll start to get your hiking pace and rest break intervals figured out. Arrange it so you end up back at your car, and camp there overnight - just don't use the car as part of the trip. (If you need that iPod or book, haul it around with you, don't leave it in the car.) Your car can relieve you of the need to get everything right the first time: you can store your food in it overnight (reducing the bear issue?), and you can bring along an extra blanket to wrap up in if it gets colder than your sleeping bag can handle. If the whole trip falls apart, you can even drive out in the middle of the night (a little safer than walking a mile or two back to the car on a moonless night, maybe.) The campground;s faucets and restrooms can also mean that you don't have to rely on your water purification device or your "nature calls" technique just yet. Practice both during the day, but it's not a tragedy if it doesn't work out.

As far as books, I'd naturally recommend the Complete Walker IV. However, it's a pretty big chunk to chew off all at once (it's about three times as thick as the first edition I started with.) Since you aren't sure what your backpacking "style" is yet (traditional, light, ultralight), I'd probably recommend Karen Berger's Hiking and Backpacking: A Trailside Guide, supplemented by her Hiking Light Handbook. She does a pretty balanced job of presenting alternative styles and methods, and doesn't go too horribly deep into technical details.

Weather: if you're just going out for a night or two, the local TV or Weather Channel website forecast will work fine. Pick weather you fee comfortable with, and go. Learning to forecast weather for yourself can be left until later, and longer, trips.

Camping knife: not much. I've used a Gerber mini LST and Leatherman Micratool - and never used either one much. Mostly just cut some paracord or opened a packet of food whose tear-strip malfunctioned.

Campsites: I try to avoid the beaten, battered ones where the trail crosses the creek. I also try to avoid small valley floors. I'd rather carry water up to the ridge top, find a nice flat spot that isn't overused, and camp there by myself. I usually try to get 100 feet or so away from the trail. The views are also better from the ridge tops - especially after all the leaves have fallen. (I camp in Ohio and Kentucky, mostly.)

Food: consider eating a cold breakfast (Quaker Oatmeal squares or similar), with a cup of tea or cocoa if it's cold. It saves fuel (less weight to carry) and simplifies cleanup (less water to carry to the ridge top.) Lunch in cold weather is often ramen noodles; in warm and cool weather, it's granola bars, dried fruit, and beef jerky. Supper is either a freeze-dried entree or a Lipton (Knorr) side-dish; I'm partial to rice, but the chicken and noodles is pretty good, especially if you throw in a small foil pack of chicken. Just remember to look for flavors that don't require milk (unless you want to carry dried milk, too.) Freeze-dried is easier to clean up; Knorr is a little more filling.

Bears: I'm not qualified to provide input here. I don't camp in bear country.

Rules: the only "rule" I'm aware of is to do what works for you. In the process of figuring that out, you'll have plenty of "oh, crap" moments - but if you plan trips to get comfortable with one or two new things each trip, you'll never get yourself into a real box. Just don't take a two-week January trip in the Hundred Mile Wilderness section of the AT for a while - work your way up to that - and you'll be fine. You'll get a little wet, or a little cold, or have to eat crunchy ramen when you run out of fuel, but you won't put yourself in any real danger if you try to grow, rather than leap, into the sport. (Well, probably won't.)

As far as your sleeping bag being warm enough: check out the projected lows, deduct 10 degrees, and if it's still warmer than 20 you should be OK. If you're going out when it's cool, you'll be taking (or wearing) some midweight synthetic long underwear (top and bottom), and have a fleece, down, or synthetic-fill jacket with you. Wear all of that to bed inside your bag, if necessary - but don't put so much clothing on that you compress the bag's fill from the inside.

Enjoy your first trip, and let us know how it comes out.

By the way, although I was a Scoutmaster, I was never a Boy Scout either, for the same reason as you: no girls! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" />