The best place to start backpacking is in your own backyard (or a friend's if you don't have one), or car-camping. It does take more willpower to spend the night in the backyard or next to your car in awful weather when your comfortable bed (or the drive home to same) is calling you, but it's the safest way to gain experience. If everything goes south, you can easily bail out. This is also the best way to learn to use your gear and to learn skills. If nothing else, practice setting up your tent until you can do it quickly and easily on a dark, windy, rainy night with a headlamp (and without the instructions). Also practice setting up and taking down camp in the rain while keeping your critical gear (insulating clothing and sleeping bag) dry. Also practice regulating your body heat (your only source of heat unless you are in a place where you can build a fire)--neither getting your clothing wet from sweat nor getting chilled--which involves what I call the "onion principle"--removing layers while you're hiking and adding layers when you stop. These skills will serve you well when you are far away from your car, and should be learned before you venture out any distance.

Have you read the articles on the home page of this site? Go to the bottom of the left-hand column of this (forum) page and click "TLB Home." Then read all the articles listed on the left-hand column of the home page.

Previous posters in this thread have cited other outstanding sources--I highly recommend them, too!