Although you can get plenty of great advice here, I'm going to suggest two things-get a copy of The Complete Walker by Colin Fletcher. It is considered the "Bible" of backpacking. Fletcher has passed away, but his co-writer carries on the tradition.

Join a hiking club or if you have an REI or similar store nearby, see if they offer free or low-cost classes. The Sierra Club may have classes. See if there is a chapter nearby (look on the Internet).

A comment on bag ratings. Unless the bag has the EN rating, I consider it suspect. Yours does, but the 30F rating is at the lower limit for comfort. Look at the rating chart, then look up your bag. It may not be warm enough for you. My bag is rated -5C (+23F), which is pretty accurate in my experience, but any colder, I wear my base layer, a fleece hat or balaclava, socks and light gloves.

http://marmot.com/product/content/en-tested