I agree somewhat with Jim. You already have a pack, so start there. Is it big? Yes, but it's paid for. You can get a different one later. Jim does a lot of winter camping (I know Jim) so he needs the room. You probably don't for now. The thing to avoid is filling it up with stuff you don't need to take.

Look at the gear lists on this site and others for various trips. You don't need to buy everything at once, but take Glenn's advice and buy a decent bag. Backpacking is different from car camping-weight is always an issue and you don't have the comfort of bailing out quickly that you have if you are right next to the car.

Do some reading. Books like The Complete Walker will help you figure out what you may need. There is a book list on the site. Technique is more important than having any particular brand of something, so spend time reading about how to do things as opposed to just what to buy or bring.

The Sierra Club suggestion was a good one. Sometimes REI offers free classes at their stores if you have one nearby. You might find a Yahoo Group in your area. Look online for singles clubs that go camping if you are single or maybe even a church group if you belong to one.


Edited by TomD (01/25/09 09:49 PM)
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