Don't worry about light or small yet. Borrow or rent a pack, or buy used and cheap. Stay warm - concentrate on clothes that allow you to be out in weather and stay dry, so if weather does get nasty, it won't pin you down. DO NOT go the quilt route without a great deal of experience yet.

Do try your gear in the backyard first. Have a reliable stove, good gloves, and reasonable footwear.

To reiterate, one of my long term constants in camping philosophy has been to carry gear that would allow me to get back to my truck when others were pinned by storms. I've used a GPS in white outs to find my truck that was only 1/4 mile away. Long underwear that wicks is critical.

Most folks carry an assortment of "city" items with no real purpose for camping. As a boyscout they encouraged you to do this, not through malice, but just because "common sense" is a lot more elusive than many think.

Jim

Jim