I did my best not to digress from the original post (which was very well done). The main point of my post (which I may have understated, but didn't ignore) is that I DO get out there, and I always have, regardless of my gear. I pack what I want from what I have and I go. I wanted to emphasize, however, that backpacking is not a uniform experience where just anyone can strap on a bag and head for the hills. You introduced the idea of gear into the original post, regarding the big three as a contrast for your main idea, and I think discussions of gear in the context of this forum are certainly not out of bounds . I was mainly writing in support of the idea Mouse raised regarding a genuine need for some people to take gear into account. If I couldn't "get out there" with a heavy pack, I'd have to start looking for alternatives. Right now, I'm looking for ways to deal with carrying the added weight of an extra person in my pack, so I think gear still plays a role.

I reviewed what I wrote initially, and I believe I adhered to the idea in the original post. Unfortunately, a stray thought resulted in a couple of responses to my post regarding gear (which I still appreciate greatly, since I was starting to wonder if this forum would be useful for me). I was writing to continue on an idea that OM brought up, not to dwell on a gear list.

What I am trying to say is that the "essence" of your original post opens up a lot of other questions (like safety and skills, as Daisy mentioned). If we ignore the concept of gear, your original post ultimately says "go hike regardless of your physical, emotional, financial, or otherwise situation." These aren't issues to be ignored.

If it helps to get this back on track for those who only respond to the last sentences of a post, I think anyone with a desire to experience the outdoors should find out what it takes for them to realize that dream, regardless of their pack weight.