I'll probably wait until next spring/summer to take an actual backpacking trip, but in the meantime, I'm going to start walking around the trails near my house with a loaded pack to get used to the feel of it and try to get an idea of the mileage I can expect to get. I havent accumulated all of the gear ill need for an actual trip, so I'll probably fill my pack with tools or water bottles to simulate my gear.

The pack I'll be using, since I already have it, is a large ALICE pack with an external frame. It's huge, and I have the room to pack a lot more gear than I really need, so I figured it best to have a target weight and stay below that.

I wont be going ultralight for my first several trips I'm sure, so I was thinking about 30 or so lbs for any gear, food and water I would need for a one or two night trip. Does that sound about right?
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He who makes a beast of himself gets rid of the pain of being a man.
-Samuel Johnson