Gear is not all to consider. It is very important to know how to read a map (in addition to having a GPS), at least read about wilderness first aid (do you know how properly use everything in your first aid kit?), know how to camp environmentally sound (leave-no-trace methods), safety (like how to recognize hypothermia), emergency plans (what to do if you get hurt), how to safely cross streams, to mention a few. If you build fires, how to completely extinguish a fire, where it is OK to use fires, where it is not. If you learn good wilderness skills, later you can venture off trail- a very rewarding activity. You did not say where you live, but REI gives free orienteering classes. There are good books about backpacking and wilderness savety you may be able to check out from your local library. Experience is a good teacher, but doing the same wrong thing over and over will just get you expeperience at doing things wrong. Mother nature is generally quite forgiving, but do unsafe backpacking enough and you will eventually get into a bad situation.

Years ago took a friend on a 10-day backpack. He insisted on jeans. We also took more appropriate nylon hiking pants. By day 3 jeans were continually soaked; amazing how uncomfortable it is to walk distance (particulary uphill) in wet tight jeans; Day 4 he threw them in the fire and burried the remains (not the best choice environmentally). A lesson was learned.