Welcome to the forum!

http://www.verber.com/mark/outdoors/gear/index.html
Mark Verber's site is a great, concise resource to start. It can help sort out what you really want from a gear list like http://www.backpacking.net/cheklist.html or http://www.backpacking.net/18-pound.html

If you haven't done any backpacking at all, check around your area for any clubs or groups that go and for sport stores or outdoor retailers like REI that rent gear. Rent a pack, stove, sleeping pad/bag, and tent. (and appropriate food storage - some areas require bear cans). Find a nice low mileage outing either with a group or with a friend and hike a few miles, set up and experiment. See how you like carrying a pack on some trails before you commit to more than a night in the sticks. You don't even need to haul dehydrated food if you don't want to - a sandwich, a bagel, a tupperware of frozen leftovers to reheat in camp, even a can of chili are all fair game for a low mileage overnight trip. Worry about food when you get the gear figured.

The only way to really know a lot about what you need is to try it out and see. Then a lot of the overwhelming info on the forum and other backpacking sites starts to make more sense and be less overwhelming. If you go with a group there will be a mix of experienced and beginner packers - you can get a good look at other people's choices and ask why they brought this or that stove, and get a look at the different styles of cooking and sleeping.