Thanks again for the suggestions!

I liked the using the alcohol as the primer a little bit better than the white gas as it isnt as volatile but I am settling with fire paste because I can control it A LOT better as it doesn't spill all over the stove like it does when you use a liquid to prime it.

I checked out a wide variety of tents and backpacks and settled with a REI Camp Dome 2 Tent (http://www.rei.com/product/731378. for a backpack, well, my budget is limited so for now I'm settling with a MossyOak RedHead Spike Camp Frame Pack (yea I do realize this is a hunting backpack) because for one it was on sale for a huge discount and because it's adjustable + has 7,130 cubic inches of space, plenty for a beginner like me that doesn't know how to pack a bag efficiently yet.

I got fitted and tried on a few packs at REI and found the Kelty Coyote 80 works for me very well. I'm going to get this one and return the RedHead eventually.

Question:

What do you guys do to protect your knees when you hike downhill? I've been using techniques such as zig-zagging and hiking backwards to reduce the strain but I wonder if theres a better way?

How effective are hiking poles?
How about knee wraps or a brace?